For years, chintz has gotten a bad rap: stuffy, outdated, garish. While the bold floral pattern has been around since the 1600s, it didn’t hit its heyday until the ‘80s, where it hit shiplap levels of ubiquity to the point that people couldn’t stand the sight of it. And yet, every few years since, others have been heralding its comeback. (Seriously, just Google “return of chintz” and you’ll see an article from just about every year of the past decade pop up.)
This year, however, it seems to have truly hit the mainstream, thanks specifically to the rise of floral sofas. Indeed, luxury décor site 1stDibs has seen a 60 percent surge in searches for them over the past year, and this increased popularity can be credited to a few factors: (1) a knee-jerk response to the stark white rooms and modern farmhouse looks of the past 10 years; (2) the pandemic-fueled rise of Bridgerton-influenced regencycore and cottagecore; (3) the desire to infuse rooms with personality over Insta-ready conformity (picture blush tones, brass accents, light wood furniture with mid-century modern lines).
The key difference between the floral sofas of today and those of yesteryear? "Today's floral sofas feel relatively tailored and buttoned down. In other words, less shabby, more chic," says Anthony Freund, 1stDibs Director of Fine Art and Editorial Director, adding they have a "cleaner, brighter, more streamlined sensibility." Think romance and drama over lived-in comfort.
How to get the look? Well, you could go vintage. Or you could reupholster your existing couch, though—fair warning—that could set you back anywhere from $500 to $4,500. Or you could shop from one of the many companies selling floral designs today. We’ve rounded up some of the coolest floral sofas on the market, spanning a range of styles and price points.
