Decorating with Lily of the Valley
For as long as I can remember Lily of the Valley has been a favorite flower of mine. The pretty white bells, the lovely fragrance. I love decorating with Lily of the Valley.
I decided to start decorating for spring with this pretty flower. It’s the basis for a simple tablescape in our dining room and I thought it would be a perfect post for this month’s Cozy Living series hosted by my friend Jennifer over at Town and Country Living.
Lily of the Valley is so delicate and simple AND it works in any decor type from coastal to farmhouse to modern and transitional.
I’m so excited to share more about decorating with this beautiful flower in your own home!
What is Lily of the Valley?
Lily of the Valley is a beautiful spring flower that blooms in May. It is known for its delicate white bell shaped flowers and leafy green leaves. It has a lovely sweet musky scent and is a woodland plant.
In pre-modern England it was known as Glovewart and was used in hand salves. In legends it was written it was discovered by Apollo. The flower symbolizes fertility and life. So it’s the perfect flower to celebrate the coming of spring!
Why You’ll Love Lily of the Valley
- Delicate and simple flower perfect to use in many ways in the home.
- Real Lily of the Valley has a lovely fragrance and can also be found in many popular perfumes.
- Adding these sweet little flowers will bring happiness to your home.
White coral bells upon a slender stalk
Lilies of the valley line my garden walk.
Oh, don’t you wish that you could hear them ring?
That will happen only when the fairies sing.
– White Coral Bells
Lily of the Valley is the birth flower of May (my birthday month) and I carried a simple bouquet of this flower in our Cornish wedding 20 years ago. Every time I smell them I’m reminded of our rainy, wedding day in England.
I find adding this flower to our home decor brings me peace and comfort, especially as we are living through very difficult times.
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Lily of the Valley Tablescape
Real Lily of the Valley isn’t in bloom yet, but I found the most realistic looking stems here. They are lovely long lengths and the leaves can be bent to create a pretty full look.
This table idea is so very simple and you don’t really need much to create it. We have a reclaimed heart pine table my husband built, but it would also look very pretty on a white table or a dark stained table, too.
The key thing to remember when creating a tablecape is to think about balance, shape, and texture. I always try to use odd number of items – it’s more appealing to the eye. You’ll see I used three bunches of flowers and three vases, but an even number of tea lights dispersed across the table.
What You Need to Create this Tablescape
- Lily of the Valley Stems – I used these
- Tea Light Holders
- Vases
- Tea Lights
My little ribbed tea light holders and vases are all from Ikea. The tea light holders were only 23 cents a piece and those sweet vases were $2.99. You could also add a pretty white table runner (like here) or some white cheese cloth as I did in this winter tablescape.
I actually made a little gif of creating this pretty and easy tablescape.
Here you can see a few views of the table.
The table setting is simple enough for every day life or could be elevated for dinner or a tea party or brunch.
I know you can’t tell from these images as I took them in the daytime, but these little tea light holders look so very pretty at night, too! They give a romantic glow to the table.
More Ideas for Using Lily of the Valley in Home Decor
I actually interpersed this pretty flower through out this room.
Lily of the Valley in Sweet Vignettes
It looks pretty in a simple hand blown container on our faux marble console.
This bunch is actually made of a fabric or silk. They also look very realistic. Lily of the Valley pairs nicely with antiques like our blue willow platter.
Lily of the Valley on Antique Shelves
It also creates a beautiful contrast against our antique Welsh dresser with our collection of ironstone.
On the pine shelf you’ll also see my collection of shells, blue votives (from the thrift store), faux tulips, and a real pothos.
Lily of the Valley on a vintage Cabinet
I’ve also added some to our antique cabinet where I store all my table decorations from runners, to placemats to candles and tealights.
I placed this in a vintage trophy I found years ago. I love the soft silver against the greenery and flowers.
It’s so delicate. The trophy is from Harvard by the way.
Lily of the Valley on a pretty tray
The last example is from a few years ago. I place Lily of the Valley on a faux malachite tray on our bed. It seems to elevate a simple idea of refreshments in bed.
Sources for Lily of the Valley
Realistic looking Lily of the Valley and lovely fragrances.
I hope you enjoyed these simple Lily of the Valley ideas! If you’re looking for more spring decor ideas you may want to check out the additional posts below.
More Spring Decor Ideas
- 14 Ways Celebrate Spring in Home Decor
- Watercolor Violas Free Printables
- Watercolor Easter Eggs (with video)
- Spring Decorating for the Dining Room
Did you enjoy this post? If so, let me know! Be sure to pin this for later!
Be sure to visit all my friends!
Houseplant Tips / Decorating with Lily of the Valley / Favorite Spring Paint Color
Antique Brass How-To / Spring and Easter Décor
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Good morning Danelle!
We are having freezing rain here in Wisconsin today, so likely will end our winter sport season. Thinking of you with all the snow you have gotten this year!
I love lily of the valley! I have several patches of it at our home and love the little bell flowers and their soft scent.
My favorite flower is sweet pea. So many soft flower colors and also a delicate scent.
I guess they all become that much sweeter after our hard winter’s.
Carol
I love Lilly of the Valley, they have a scent that’s all there own for sure. Its intoxicating for sure and always reminds me of spring in my neck of the woods. Beautiful ways to decorate with them in your decor 🙂
All of this is just lovely, Danielle. I think your dining room is my favorite of all dining rooms. The little lilies are a sweet touch and I love those tulips, too. Last fall I planted lily-of-the-valley out in my yard for the first time. I’ve been wanting it for forever. My daughter has some growing at her house so I dug a bit of it up and brought it home. Thanks for including your sources. I need to get some for indoors!
Hi Danielle, I too, love lily of the valley. It reminds me of visiting my grandmother in Pennsylvania. Where it grew wild all around her home. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite flower, there are so many sweet ones! L of V, gardenia and Peace roses are at the top of my list though. I do like the fragrant ones!!! Of course!!! L of V looks good with blue willow!!! What doesn’t? I would love to see you paint a watercolor of them. You guys look so cute in your wedding picture. Twenty years…where does the time go?… Read more »
I like lilies of the valley also. However, I’ve found them to be very invasive, but I was warned befoe I planted them. I’ve been digging them up and transplanting them to other places. They are lovely flowers, but my favorite is daylilies. I have quite a few different varieties and although each flower only lasts one day, they are beautiful and dainty – though very sturdy.