This Nature-Inspired Decor Trend Is Back with a Fresh Summer Twist

Leaf motifs have been unfurling in design this year, and summer marks the perfect moment to incorporate the botanical trend into your decor. We first noticed these natural references popping up at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House—an annual charity event that showcases what’s hot in interior design—in Palm Beach this spring. Just two months later, we couldn’t help but gravitate towards classic examples on display in showrooms throughout the trend-setting High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina.

Decorating with Leaf Motifs: Then & Now

Of course, leafy motifs date back to antiquity, having graced murals in Ancient Egypt and mosaic garlands in Ancient Rome. But you don’t have to go back that far for decorating inspiration—in the 1940s, CW Stockwell’s banana leaf wallpaper became something of an icon when interior designer Don Loper installed it at the trendy Beverly Hills Hotel.

Present-day incarnations feel decidedly fresh, however, thanks to a consistent chalky white colorway. For Kips Bay designers Bierly Drake and Steele, this contemporary interpretation proved the perfect counterbalance to the rich greens and bold blacks of their garden-inspired dining room. Custom-made from painted tole yucca leaves, the table lamps—placed prominently on a console table—divide the room’s two entertaining zones.

We spotted similar yucca leaves, without the bespoke lampshade, at the Chelsea House showroom in High Point, along with a wall-mounted palm tree sculpture that calls to mind Dorothy Draper’s legendary stylings at the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia. We also loved seeing the painted iron wall sconce by Marjorie Skouras prominently on display at Currey & Co—and the intricate shadows it creates on the wall.

Create a Wow Moment

Interior designer Kristin Paton installed a pair of vintage palm tree torchieres to showstopping effect in her space at Kips Bay. Designed by Merle Edelman in the 1970s, they boast a creamy white finish that creates a dramatic contrast against the rich chocolate walls (painted Benjamin Moore Van Buren Brown in high gloss). Styles like this have the added bonus of doing double duty as sculptures and lighting.

Opt for the Unexpected

Pairing leaf motifs with rattan is a natural choice that feels more sophisticated than kitsch when you stick to a neutral color palette, as designers Marshall Watson & Reid Deane Ganes did in the living room they designed for Kips Bay. Further elevating the look, the geometric ivory leaves in wallpaper pattern border on abstract rather than evoking realistic palm fronds.

White and natural finish rattan dining chairs spotted at Made Goods in High Point boast leaf motifs that would feel right at home in Watson & Gaines’ living room. If you have rattan furniture, consider cushions featuring palm leaf motifs in a neutral tone, or even black and white, for a modern update on tropical style.

Tone It Down

Interior designer Betsy Berry also kept to a calming color palette in the bedroom she designed for Kips Bay, anchoring the room with an olive green and cream botanical wallpaper from Gracie. The peaceful color combo nods to Florida’s tropical landscapes with small, gentle leaves rather than a high-octane palm leaf motif. A natural fiber abaca rug grounds the space with added warmth.

At the Palecek showroom in High Point, delicate leaf motifs made from coconut shells adorned a pendant light, adding a soft romantic air to a bedroom set up. With nary a hint of green in sight, the palette of ivory, beige and grey feels equally soothing.