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Little else can brighten a room and make it a sunnier place than floral prints. Over time, though, florals can become tedious and feel overdone. The trick is to use them in unexpected ways and balance them with other design motifs and colors. This will keep florals feeling fresh instead of oppressive, restful instead of repetitious.

The tips below will help you use florals in unique and interesting ways that will continue to delight and uplift you.

Go bold

Flowers are more interesting when they’re given the Georgia O’Keefe treatment. In other words, go large. A single large blossom is more interesting than flowers everywhere and the look doesn’t become so monotonous. Blow up a single black and white flower photo and hang it prominently. Or group single large flowers together. Today’s floral décor doesn’t mean a bouquet of daisies and roses any longer.

Balancing act

Instead of draping the entire room in florals, balance them with stripes or plaids. By coordinating patterns, the floral itself becomes more interesting. A good example of this would be to line a floral drape with a plaid, striped or checked pattern instead of a solid color.

Repeat after me

Spread the floral pattern around by using it in different ways. Use florals in bedding, upholstery, throw pillows and drapes. Adding a touch of florals here and there keeps the look unified, too.

Frame it

Add more interest by looking for artwork that includes the types of flowers and greenery in your floral pattern. This continues the theme without overusing the particular floral pattern but still unifies the design.

Get customized

Take your floral fabric or wallpaper to your local home décor shop and have a flower arrangement made using the same kinds of flowers and greenery that are in your pattern. Even repeating the same floral colors will create some interest in your new floral arrangement and will tie the floral pattern to the room.

Add Contrast

Create interest by pulling a strong color out of your floral pattern. Use this color to create an accent wall or for other decoration, such as draperies. By adding a strong color with your floral pattern, you’ll keep the pattern from dominating the design, which is often the biggest complaint about floral patterns. A dose of strong color from the pattern will keep it from overwhelming the room.

Avoid canned flowers

Many companies put together room arrangements, from bedding to soap dishes, all featuring the same floral pattern. These canned rooms can often look cheap and, well, canned. Resist the urge to buy a room in a bag and opt for a few key items balanced with some other pattern or color to create a beautiful designer look and not a bedroom in a box from the local big box retailer.

Keep them away from men

Men don’t like flowers, it’s true. So, avoid using florals unless you use them in masculine tones. And even then try to avoid overusing them. Nothing feels as bad as a bedroom a man sleeps in that’s decorated with brightly- colored flowers.

Coordinate your bouquet

When using florals, opt for a pattern that incorporates colors already in the room. For example, tan carpeting looks nice with a tan floral pattern, or with a floral pattern that has tan in it. When florals, wall or carpet colors contrast, clashes result and make the floral pattern jarring. Over time, the floral will become more and more disliked. Try to coordinate with the colors in furnishings, walls or carpeting for a unified and coordinated look.

Kathryn Weber is a home and decorating columnist. For more information, go to www.kathryn-weber.com or email questions to Kathryn@kathryn-weber.com or write to her at P.O. Box 531, Cuero, TX 77954. Please include your email address or a SASE for a reply.