Flora Roberts

The glorious weather we’ve had of late has had us spending more time outdoors than we could ordinarily only wish for during a British summer–everything around us seems to have sprung to life in way of appreciation. And, as we do during most seasons, we’re feeling creatively inspired by the array of delicate hues and intricate patterns we spy all around us.

The natural world has always been something that’s inspired us at Rowen & Wren, its ability to transcend seasons, styles and trends we feel demands our respect and admiration.

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous.” – Aristotle

Many of our decisions are guided by the natural shift in colour from season to season as we remind ourselves that nature is not just something we witness from afar, it’s something we are intrinsically part of.

When it comes to interior design, nature often plays a bigger part in our decisions than we realise. Most elements of a room, from the colours we choose to paint with to the texture of our chosen furniture, have been inspired by the natural world in one way or another.

Just recently, our entwined love of nature, florals and interior design lead us to the distinctive work of aptly named painter and designer Flora Roberts. Flora is the artist behind many wonderful floral wallpaper and fabric designs for companies such as Lewis & Wood. Her ability to capture nature’s unique and unrepeatable colour palette is inspiring.

We’ve always been intrigued by the marrying of old and new–the way design can bring eras together whilst other creations possess the ability to transcend time completely–which is why we felt such a strong connection to Flora’s work. She says, “I would describe my style as treading a line between traditional and modern. I’m very inspired by historical houses and like to imagine how their atmospheric decorative schemes would work in a contemporary setting”. Flora’s work goes far beyond that of a traditional painter. The realistic quality of her paintings brings them to life and her wall murals are truly astounding. She also produces hand-painted wallpaper for companies such as Sandersons, Zoffany, Mulberry Home & GP & J Baker and is currently working on a wallpaper collection of her own. In 2010, Flora was elected as a member of the prestigious Art Workers’ Guild of London, among those founding members was textile designer William Morris.

When we think about bringing nature indoors, our minds flock to house plants or flowers but Flora’s work extends beyond simply bringing aspects of nature into the home­–the realistic quality of her work translates not only the visual aspect but also the calming attributes of nature into a space as well.

Whether you’re in the market for a hand-painted mural or you’re simply a lover of nature inspired art you can find out more about Flora here and follow her on Instagram here @flora.roberts.