Leaf prints have made the leap from traditional and country interiors into modern design, perfect for a fresh, natural and contemporary look.

Patterns inspired by plants have been making a huge impact on interior design recently, more especially if they’re retro prints of the kinds of hand-paintings originally done by Victorian naturalists. Bright base colours of teals, deep purple and creamy whites, off-set by leaves – real or on wallpapers and fabrics - are perfect for giving plain rooms an instant face-lift.

Botanicals were fashionable in the 1950s but, as with everything in fashion, they have come back around; ie: they have been rediscovered and re-invented for the twenty-teens. Today’s modern botanical prints and patterns will work just as well as those retro designs, and will also give a more modern look and feel to your home.

Flowery and leafy fabrics and wallpapers are seeing a huge revival but don’t worry, you won’t be expected to re-introduce the look of your Grandma’s parlour, or the bedroom you remember from when you were six. Modern botanicals can be introduced in a trendy and fashionable way.

If you have simple black or white furniture in the living room you can get away with a flamboyant geometric-pattern wallpaper, adding elegant details such as vintage-style plants and pretty glassware, or making a display of green leafy plants by putting them in simple white pots.In the living room the simple addition of cushion covers with a botanical print can change the dynamics of the room. Pick out deep blues or greens as your accent colours to help harmonise and balance the room.

If you’re nervous about strong patterns then use a backdrop of green or white curtains and your rooms will hint at the botanicals theme in a very liveable and fashionable way without having to go down the retro route.

Bedrooms are great for showing off botanical prints at their best - duvet covers provide a ‘canvas’ on which to see an entire print, which can then picked up on by co-ordinating accessories. If you’re not a flowery type of person stick to fern-styled leaves in shades of green. This use of bold pattern and unusual colours will help make your bedroom stand out from the norm without the expense of a complete make-over.

Blocks of botanical prints also make a fitting accessory and can be used to bring depth to plain walls. Look for prints featuring Victorian-inspired drawings and sketches, or (if you’re crafty) use a flower press or heavy books to press fern leaves to mount and frame.

You can buy botanical artwork from business stock photography sites such as 123rf.com, then have them enlarged for framing or even printed onto canvas for your walls. Even you’re even more crafty you can find free artwork to match your botanical theme at websites like 50 Free Vintage Flower Images.

Really the best way to get “the look” is with fabrics. Start in moderation with a couple of botanical-pattern cushions, go for a statement armchair upholstered in a bold print, or update your bedroom with botanical bed linen.

If you’re considering dark laminate flooring then it will look wonderful with this theme; team with classic leaf prints and geometric fabrics, and use real plants such as houseleeks, money plants, agaves and cacti.

If you’re ready to get botanical on your walls then wallpaper companies offer a great range of traditional and more modern botanical patterns. Go for a pure white (not cream) or black background to keep the overall look contemporary, lush, sophisticated, and dramatic.

Botanicals are certainly not a new idea in home decor, but this recent trend takes well-loved flowery and leafy motifs into a fresh, more modern space.

We have fabric and wallpaper books and samples from all the top manufacturers here at Interior Inspirations so feel free to come and browse for some botanical inspiration, we’re sure you’ll find something you’ll love.