A large part of styling a finished room is great floral arrangements as they provide a pop of colour and sophistication to any space. I have spent $20 and $200 on floral arrangements for various uses and have learned you do get what you pay for. Here are a few of my tips on creating great floral arrangements and how to use them effectively in a space.
The classic orchid. This particular orchid sits in the office of a recent commercial client IA:MM Showroom (can’t wait to share images from this fashion showroom when it’s finished- note the wallpaper, so glam). It was picked up by one of the staff for $20 from Costco and they are going strong 3 weeks in. Be warned- orchids are high maintenance. They require just the right amount of light, water and food but when taken care of properly (not my area of expertise) their delicate silhouette can provide an elegant accent in a space. Orchids are often my go-to flower when I feel a space is missing that little touch of something feminine.
When in doubt go green and white. If a room is full of colour but you still desire that breath of life flowers provide, go green and white. In this arrangement I used for my Interior Design Show project, I went to professional florist and paid over $100 for this bad boy. My local florist has been in business in the community for over 50 years, so I trust him when he tells me what flowers will last under the heat of showroom lights and will be hearty enough to travel. This mix of hypericum berries, alstromeria, hydrangea, and chrysanthemum lasted (I kid you not) 2 weeks, in pretty much original condition. I had the florist wrap the stems in a large green for a more sophisticated look.
How to extend the life of a floral arrangement: The arrangements above (used for a birthday party I threw for my dad last week) are the remainders from my IDS exhibit arrangements shown above (I was serious when I said they lasted 2 weeks!). But to extend their life, I swapped out some of the flowers that were starting to wilt with $7.99 roses from the grocery store. The roses filled the center arrangements enough that I was able to clip a few to make smaller side arrangements. I love how they provided another element of detail against the Marimekko wallpaper remnant I used as a table runner (this was a total last minute decision when I could not find my Chilewich place mats in the disaster that can sometimes be my house). Resourcefulness can yield beautiful results.
Hello sophisticated. While I love a good DIY, going to a pro is pretty amazing. This floral arrangement was a gift to a client and it is breathtaking. The skillful layering of colour and shape creates so much visual interest- and I love how the large green leaves have been folded into architectural beauties all their own. When you want something truly unique, go to a floral designer and trust their green (and glamorous) thumbs.
All images by Lisa Canning Interiors & Arnal Photography.
