Beautiful Vintage Floral Furniture Tips

Admittedly, I am obsessed with all things vintage and all things floral. And we have already discussed my chair obsession at length too. So, all things together- a vintage chair with florals? I mean, we are talking next level obsession. But the love doesn’t stop there- what about vintage floral furniture in general? You can count all of that in as well. Today, I am delving into those beautiful vintage floral furniture pieces- like a chintz sofa, floral comfy chairs, flower covered cupboards and more- and sharing some of my tips for scoring & decorating with the blooming pieces of your dreams.

Vintage Floral Furniture Love

These chairs.

This cupboard.

This armoire. (from way back in the day on the blog)

This French daybed.

And so.much.more. Why do I love vintage floral pieces so much? I mean, who knows why they are drawn to a certain style or look- it is just something that you love. But for me, that love started back in the day and has always been there. When we were first married, we bought a flower covered sofa for our living room. I mean, I do ask myself what my new husband thought at the time. He was 21 years old, freshly back from the first gulf war and when I met him, his style looked more like the typical college age guy with the dogs playing poker artwork he had on the dining room wall. But he lounged on a pink flower covered sofa every night because I loved the look and never said anything about it. We carted that sofa with us to Minnesota- I loved it. A chintzy fabric in 3 different patterns all mingled together. The epitome of English Cottage charm. But you know, somewhere along the way ‘designers’ showed us that patterned furniture was ‘busy’ and clean simple lines and neutral colors were the way. I will admit I bought into that thought. I mean, it is true that if you have a neutral color sofa- you can change the look with pillows easily.

That train of thought extended into backdrops as well. The bedroom in our cottage that I put lilac floral wallpaper top to bottom, every wall and felt like I was sleeping in a garden room? Well, it got an overlay of beaded board and white paint in favor of a neutral backdrop at the time. I get it. I am guilty of indulging the neutral and layers of neutral. But, can I let you in on a secret? I have floral wallpaper covering the walls in the attic right now. I have patterned bedding and pillows galore on the guest beds. I have French ticking mingling with florals in my bedroom and vintage paintings that are far from neutral. And that wallpaper under the beaded board? For several years, I have been thinking about uncovering it once again. Remember this floral toile in the bathroom? Same.

I have indulged the ‘visually quiet’ look – and I can appreciate and enjoy it. I love white slipcovered sofas. I love white walls and layers of neutrals with faded florals. It is all beautiful and it works very well in our cottage. But at the same time, I do get my patterns and English country cottage floral love indulged everyday too- I just don’t always share those spaces all the time.

When I walk into my bedroom right now and see those floral chairs by the fireplace, I sigh. They just make me smile. The point is- go with what makes you happy. You will never be on the wrong side of design if you go with what you love. In spite of what ‘designers’ will tell you about ‘rules’ There are No Rules in my book- except going with what makes you smile.

Adding Floral Pattern Tips

So if you are deciding to take the plunge and add some of those flower filled beauties to your home- how do you do it without overwhelming your space?

Keep your larger pieces neutral and add a pop of floral in pillows, rugs, etc.

This is an easy one. It doesn’t require a lot of investment in a large piece and is easily changeable if you get tired of the look.

2. Bring in a smaller piece of furniture that has big floral impact.

Simply a chest with painted flowers. A vintage floral fabric covered chair or settee. Curtains that have a lovely floral design, etc. A little can go a long way in a room.

3. Add floral artwork in single or in a feature wall.

This is another way to enjoy those florals but in a smaller amount that is easily changed.

Finding Vintage Floral Furniture

So you decided to jump in and indulge that romantic cottage flower filled style with a piece of floral furniture- but how do you find it? You already know I am a big fan of marketplace- so I would start there. And scour flea markets, garage sales, and thrifts.

Online-search floral furniture, flower furniture (and specifics like chair, sofa, sideboard, etc) add in ‘vintage’ if you are looking for vintage pieces. And set an alert to get notified if something is listed.

I happened to be on marketplace just 40 minutes after those floral chairs were listed- but more often than not miss out on something because they go quick.

Chintz Fabric Goodness

You know that 1980’s and 1990’s floral style involved that glossy fabric that had a little bit of ‘extra’ to it- it is called Chintz. If you are going for full grand millennial or vintage floral furniture style- you will want to know about chintz fabric. Chances are you will find pieces that have a bit of sheen, lots of ruffled skirts and pillows and those big cabbage floral type patterns- hello chintz fabric goodness!

While some might say chintz dates the piece a bit- I think that it adds a whole lot of vintage drama and sophistication. It is a look all its own and exudes glamour -when done right. Otherwise, it can feel more dated. Right now though, chintz is having a moment and is quite popular in the flower filled look community. So, add ‘chintz’ to your vintage, floral, chair, etc search.

A little bit goes a long way

Okay, so you love the look but aren’t ready to commit to wallpaper, sofa, pillows, rug and curtains in patterns and on repeat. I. Hear. You. While I love the layers as much as someone else- I often prefer it in an inspiration photo or room that I love- but find myself not being able to live with too many visually busy patterns in a room. And that is ok. Back to the go with what makes You happy rule. And you know when it comes to floral patterns – a little can go a long way to cozying up a room.

So bring in a half a dozen vintage floral patterned pillows and plop them on the sofa or bed. Or choose one of the other simple ways to bring in one layer of pattern and see how it feels. Maybe it will be enough- or maybe it will inspire you to bring in another layer and so on until you find your perfect look.

The key is to stay true to You and what you love. You can’t go wrong.

And on that note- I am off to play with a new to me vintage chintz goodness that I just brought home. Stay tuned for more on this one coming soon. And I would love to know what your coveted floral covered piece of furniture would be- let’s chat in the comments- maybe we can delve into specific types of furniture in the next post.

Read about those floral chairs HERE