Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, florals are something of a design staple. For me, a good floral fabric or print evokes a real feeling of elegance and vintage style. I’m always so inspired by motifs taken from nature. Recently I’ve found myself being drawn to some really lovely prints with tulip motifs made by famous English design houses like Colefax and Fowler, and William Morris.

(Source: Eclectic Revisited)

The tulip has made its way into many ‘traditional’ English prints and you often see a tulip print in old English stately homes. There’s even a special Tulip Staircase in the Queen’s House in London!

(Source: Open House)

Interestingly, tulips are not originally a very English symbol at all. The tulip was first used in interior design and architecture in Turkey, and it was the Ottomans who brought the motif to Europe. Of course, the Dutch were the ones to eventually commercialize the tulip in the 17th century, and Holland became known as the birthplace of the tulip. But as a design motif, tulips have proliferated across Europe, and now can be seen in upholstery, curtains, bedding and even wallpaper.

(Source: New Home Interior Design)

I love this modern tulip inspired velvet fabric, by Barbara Barry for Kravet. We recently used this fabric in one of our projects, for these two fabulous, extra long, cozy kidney pillows, and they turned out so luscious!

Historians say that the tulip motif came to the United States through Dutch descendants who settled in the Hudson River area and began producing tulip themed freehand paintings on large wall areas. This trend eventually became a fashion for wall stenciling, and we now see many modern homes with a feature wall covered in a delicate tulip vine stencil.

(Source: Design Amour)

I’m loving the simplicity and the elegance of the wall shown above – the almost austere white sink and mirror are the perfect contrast to the elaborate stenciled design. Perhaps I need to think about a makeover for one of my powder rooms!