Bringing pastels and bold colours together

When we think about colour schemes for flower arrangements, we often believe that we need to choose between bold shades and pastels. The truth is that the two can work wonderfully together to create the most amazing visual harmony. That said, there are some things that you will need to remember.

The ratio

If you have a flower arrangement that consists mainly of bold colours and you slip a few pastels in here and there, they may very well go unnoticed. On the other hand, when you choose a selection of pastel shades and add a few bold colours in between, it will have a much more impressive effect. Of course, it is always good to remember that there can be exceptions to this ‘rule’. It’s important to consider the types of flowers you are using as well as the size of the bouquet. For instance, bold focal flowers can be beautifully complimented by pastel filler flowers.

Colour contrast

Many people love the use of the same colour in different shades. For example, if you have a pastel pink and purple bouquet, you could add some bright pink or dark purple blooms in between. Since you want the main emphasis to be on this colour contrast, make sure that you add a small amount of foliage or you could even leave the foliage out and rely on the leaves attached to the flower stems.

A touch of white

White is a wonderfully versatile colour and you can add white flowers to just about any arrangement. Off-white is another lovely option if you want something particularly subtle.

Consider clusters

While many people steer clear of creating colour or texture clusters in their bouquet, this trend has slowly changed. Clusters of flowers can be quite attractive when done right. So, for example, you could use a single white dahlia or similar bloom as your focal flower and surround it with bunches of bright pink, pastel pink and orange spray roses. Each of these clusters of colour placed side by side around the main white bloom will look lovely.

Remember, these colour combinations are not just for flower arrangements. You can also use this technique to decorate cakes! Imagine a cake decorated with cascading pastel-coloured blooms and some bright flowers in between.