How To Decorate With The Trendy Protea Flower The Right Way

The protea flower has made its way into decor trends for good reason. With its striking spikes and vibrant hues of pink, red, yellow, orange, or white, it makes a perfect statement piece for a home with some flair. If you're wondering how to decorate your home with flowers, surround this statement flower with simpler elements, place it where you want to draw attention, and keep it away from children and pets.

If you like your decor to tell a story, the protea flower is the perfect candidate — it gets its name from Proteus, a Greek god known for his shape-shifting antics. True to its name, the flower comes in many different shapes and colors to suit just about anyone's taste. Add to all this the flower's symbolic meanings of diversity and courage, and you've got yourself a decor element that speaks volumes. Precisely because it's such a unique flower, the protea doesn't exactly blend into the background. This is great news if you want a pop of color in a room, but it also means you should decorate strategically so that the flower doesn't overwhelm your space. 

To make sure the protea flower's dramatic visual features work for your space and not against it, pair the flower with more understated colors (think white, beige, or soft gray) and materials (like simple ceramic or wood vases). Otherwise, you run the risk of the surrounding decor clashing with the plant and creating a cluttered look, which is a sign you have too much decor in your home. As part of an arrangement, proteas are best used as a stunner. Choose a bloom or two to take center stage in an eclectic bouquet, the floral arrangement trend that allows you to play with no rules. 

Where you'll place the flower is equally important as choosing the right complementary elements. With its bold color and texture, the protea is bound to catch anyone's eye, so use it to add some spice to places that aren't all that visually interesting, like a simplistic end table or entryway furniture. Or, you can use it to consciously pull focus to where you want it — for example, just one or two stems of the flower is a great option for a dramatic centerpiece at the dining table.

Before you choose the perfect spot for your protea flower or arrangement, there are some practical aspects to keep in mind. The leaves of protea turn black when left in low light. To keep them green, replace the water and add some floral food every couple of days. If consumed, the flower is toxic to humans and animals alike, so you'll want to make sure it's out of reach of kids or pets.