This month’s mood board is inspired by fall florals, which are second only to spring florals when it comes to groundbreaking seasonal themes. I don’t actually have much to say on the subject—it’s an obvious pick. Flowers! They’re nice!
Honestly, I just felt like making something pretty. I normally use these mood boards to explore an idea or dig into a subconscious fixation, but this time, I just needed to look at something beautiful for a little while. Highly recommend making one yourself if you’re in need of an off-screen activity.
I am often a little wary of a floral print—they can be kind of cloying, like buttercream frosting for your eyes. But a good floral, one that adds moody texture to a room or an outfit or a tablescape or any other composition, scratches an itch in my brain that is very, very satisfying. It just takes a little bit of intention, I think, to pull it off well.
A few ways to approach florals for fall:
Layer a floral print beneath a menswear-y pattern. A plaid, stripe, or houndstooth—anything that feels like it was pulled from the other end of the closet. I love the way Miu Miu styled that floral dress with a plaid coat in the top right of the mood board—it feels cohesive-on-accident.
Add some hardness. Compliment a floral with something that has some rigidity to it, like an oversized leather jacket. The same goes for a space—a floral chair in a wood paneled room is more interesting than it would be in one that’s bright white. Florals are soft by nature, so that textural contrast goes a long way here.
Find balance with clean, modern lines. A floral sofa with a graphic silhouette and sharp corners? Chic. The same sofa but squishy and skirted? Grandma’s living room. Imagine that lamp that’s in the top row of the mood board if it were in a more traditional shape—way less cool.
Avoid adding more sweetness. Skip the ruffles, lace curtains, and Peter Pan collars… anything that can read twee or cottage-y. Instead, add cool silver, deep colors, and graphic forms, like Sissi Pohle did in this tablescape for Dries Van Noten below. (Those green sunflowers!!!)
A few more notes on the subject:
Speaking of Dries, I recently picked up a travel-sized vial of Raving Rose, a fragrance with notes of pepper, musk, and cashmeran (and rose, obviously). I love it because it has all the softness of a classic rose scent, but it’s grounded with this sort of spicy warmth that’s perfect for this time of year.
I was recently introduced to the concept of Persian love cake, a fragrant cake made with rosewater and cardamom and topped with pistachios. Maybe it’s usually a spring thing, but Ottolenghi’s take—made with buckwheat flour and topped with pomegranate seeds—makes me think it would work just as well for fall.
The cover of the latest Cabana Magazine (my favorite) was made in collaboration with LVMH Métiers d’Art, an arm of the luxury group devoted to preserving rare artisanal crafts (embroidery, leather, pleating, feathers, etc.) through its network of specialized workshops. Each copy is covered with silk denim from LVMH’s Japanese Kuroki ateliers and screen printed with graphic Raoul Dufy florals from the V&A archive. My copy is displayed on my coffee table at this very moment.
I’m keeping things short and sweet this week. If you’re thinking of making your own mood board but don’t know where to start, I’ve laid it all out for you riiiiiiight here.
x
Ali
Sources: Wood Street Lamp by BMDO, 2024; Designer Ryan Lawson’s living room styled by Colin King, NY, NY; 870-1 Lilien by Gerhard Richter, 2000; Miu Miu Fall 2025; Jewelry House project by Victoria Sass, Edina, Minnesota; ribbon bouquet by Doctor Cooper, 2022; letter C embroidery on a mens shirt (unknown source); Festoon of Fruit and Flowers by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, c. 1660; dried flowers by Imdad Barbhuyan, 2025; Clairo poster for the Charm tour, 2024; image of woman with flowers by Francesca Eleuterio, 2023; floral wallpaper hiding under paint by House of Huber, 2019; Erdem x Barbour Spring/Summer 2024; Acne Studios; William White boudoir pillows on a barley twist slipper chair; Macclesfield print by Rose Cumming
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How to Dress Your Home Like a J.Crew Catalog (But Better)
Welcome back to Room Recipe, a column on À La Carte where we stare at an image of a room we love for a very long time, then break down its “ingredients” into specific items and themes. The goal is never to copy, but instead to get to the bottom of why certain rooms just *work* and to understand how we can translate that inspiration into real life.
We're in Medieval Times
While on one of my regular strolls through my Instagram saved folder the other day, I noticed a bit of a theme emerging. I’m not sure what to call it—Courtly Revival? Heraldic Romantic?—but it’s certainly there: an air of the medieval, or something like it.
Thanks! I needed that. 🧡
love the styling suggestions!