Flower Power Redux

Floral designs have been popular in home decor most recently as accents. But if home design trends follow what fashion designers are showing on the runways for spring 2008, we might soon be seeing a wild explosion of mixing and matching florals covering walls, floors and fabrics. Recent spring collections were awash in blooms. And what made the look especially au courant was the mix of tough and sweet - flirty florals were paired with oversize bold stitching, modern sculpted shapes, macho leather belts and bags, and gladiator sandals.

This happy over-abundance brought to mind Jacqueline Coumans' Southamptons cottage which was recently featured in Elle Decor magazine. Ms. Coumans says she was inspired by living in Brazil for two years, where "Everywhere you look, it's flowers and trees and birds. You just cannot believe it." She also says the profusion of patterns in her rooms makes "everything seem much bigger and wider." And, what TT liked most, "If you make a mistake, so what? It's really important that a house be your house, right or wrong."

Click on photos for larger view.

Ms. Coumans just might be on the cutting edge of a design trend, simply by following her own well-informed instincts.

And maybe we all just want to feel optimistic these days.

Fashions, top, left and center: Balenciaga. Right: Dolce & Gabbana. From style.com. Jacqueline Coumans home: Photos by Simon Upton for Elle Decor.

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WHAT IF?
~What if you created a floral-themed sitting room with a mix of flower-printed cottons on slipcovers, curtains and walls?
~What if you decided against the current trend of decorating your house to look like a hotel room? Shouldn't your home be more charming and personal to you and your family?
~What if you matched the color of your front door and your car ... say a pale aqua lacquer?

An excerpt of questions posed by designer Gene Meyer, in Florida Inside Out magazine.

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