Everyone who knows me knows that I love florals. It’s my go-to fabric and I can never resist a good one. Whether it’s colorful or tone on tone, I’m in! But what I’ve learned over the years is that merely using a floral on a chair doesn’t necessarily mean that the chair will turn out great—I have to be thoughtful, strategic, and open.

If you want to know a few of the things that guide me as I work with florals, keep reading. Here’s what I’ve come to believe…

#1 The Bigger the Better: The bigger the floral, the better it is going to look on a chair. Why? Big florals make more impact than small ones. It turns the chair into a piece of art.

I don’t ever worry about the print being too large. Instead, I focus on how do I make the best of this print in the space that I have. Should it come in from the side? Does it peek in from the bottom? Does it slide down the front seat and go over the edge? I try out all the possibilities to see what looks the best.

#2 There is an Art to Placement: This is the main reason why I can’t hire anyone to do my work. I’m constantly tweaking the way I place the florals on a chair. It’s all about being in the moment, how my eye reads the floral, and what gets me excited.

I’m willing to try out many different ideas until the right one hits me. Then, I try a few more to make sure I’ve gotten the right look before I move forward.

#3 More is Often Better: To get the most impact from a floral, I don’t shy away from putting the floral all over the front of a chair. It’s like the saying, “Go big or go home.”

It’s a bold choice, yes, but it’s one that often pays off in a huge way. Everyone has their starting point for decorating, and mine is a chair. And more specifically, it’s the fabric on the chair.

I allow the chair to dictate the room…it comes easy for me. If you are going to do this, don’t dabble, be brave and go all in.

The bigger the better, there is an art to placement, and more is often better…those are my secrets and the “rules” I abide by when working with florals. But most importantly, I suggest striving to be open. That’s where you’ll be pleasantly surprised as you begin playing with florals of your own.