5 Color Palette Tricks to Elevate Your Floral Design

Excited to begin designing but stuck on picking your color palette? Here are some handy tips to make sure your palette will always be a hit.

5. Monochromatic. A bouquet with one color is the epitome of the notion, “Less is more.” This type of arrangement draws the eye to go towards this block of color, making it a true centerpiece and focal point in the room. It’s an opportunity to play with texture since you’re not worried about contrasting colors. That’s not to say that there’s no color play at all. One color has multiple shades to create subtle complexity.

4. Complementary Colors. Many bold, eye catching floral arrangements rely on taking a primary color and their complement as the main colors in the arrangements. Check out a color wheel tool if you forget the grade school lesson on colors. Pairing complementary colors brightens the other color for the most visual impact.

3. Pastels. Soft pastel colors are never tiresome. Creams, blush, pink, and peach are flower industry staples for a reason. These shades bring out petal texture, allude to softness, and inspire a feeling of romance and sweetness. That said, tossing in some lavenders, pale greens, and yellow will always feel natural and cohesive. Why? Their white base color ties them all together.

2. Ombre. This one has to do with both colors and arrangement, or floral placement. Choosing one color and arranging flowers in clusters, gradually taking it from lightest to darkest, will always have an aesthetically pleasing effect. The same can be done if there are multiple colors: start with one color and gradually transition to another color with some blooms that bridge the two in between.

1. Silver greens vs. dark greens. If you’re incorporating foliage and greens, it’s good to keep in mind that a bright green lepidium will introduce warmth and lightness. A dark green foliage like fern will create a moodier and earthy effect. Silver greens like eucalyptus will create a much cooler tone.

0. Toss all the rules out the window. Remember that these are just guides for breaking floral designer block. They’re helpful tools for thinking about how to achieve different types of visual impact. However, the reality is that any kind of color play is going to be beautiful-- just as mother nature intended.