Style Tip: How to Bring Nature Indoors with Fresh Cut Flowers
With the bank holiday weekend approaching, you may want to take some time bring nature indoors using fresh cut flowers. Our interior design team have shared their favourite floristry tips and past project floral designs for inspiration.
Tools
To create a beautiful flower arrangement at home you will need three to five types of flowers, one to two types of foliage, a vase, and some floral scissors or secateurs. A leave and thorn stripper is particularly useful if you enjoy roses in your home.
Vases
When thinking about what vase to use for your flower arrangement you should consider where you are placing the arrangement and the type of flowers you plan to use. The vase’s height, shape and size of the opening are all important factors. A tall, narrow vase is perfect for a console table where a large arrangement will sit against the wall, providing height and a focal point in the space. A low, wider vase is more suitable for a coffee table or dining table so that it does not obscure the view across the room or table. In the bedroom a small vase with a narrow opening will suit a bedside table where surface space is more limited and requires a dainty arrangement such as roses.
The colours of your flower arrangement should either complement or contrast with your colour scheme. For larger arrangements, we often use different complementary colours such as blues and purples to create a statement arrangement. For smaller arrangements, use one type of flower or colour for a simple and refined appearance.
Flowers & Foliage
The designers have some favourite flowers and foliage that are used regularly in our projects including roses, hydrangeas, ranunculus, dahlias, foxgloves, eucalyptus and white leaf. If you are selecting flowers from your garden you can be creative and choose those that complement your flower colours and shapes. We would recommend being creative by incorporating herbs into your arrangement such as rosemary and marjoram as they will add scent and texture and are long-lasting.
When arranging your flowers, strip your stems so that the leaves do not contaminate the water causing the flowers to die. With hydrangeas, you can trim off the leaves and save them to line the sides of the vase to disguise the flower stems. Avoid the temptation to cut the stems of the flowers before you have arranged them as you need to see how they will fit into the vase once arranged.
Start by placing the tallest flowers into one hand. These will form the centre of your arrangement. Add flowers to one side and rotate the arrangement in a circle adding as you go around. Try to balance the arrangement by evenly dispersing the flowers and foliage throughout in odd numbers. Place your smallest flowers near the bottom of the arrangement as they will sit closest to the rim of the vase. When you have completed the arrangement hold it lower so you can identify gaps and fill them in with additional flowers or foliage. When you are happy with your arrangement, cut the stems in a straight line to fit into the vase. Once they are in the vase take some time to move the flowers and foliage to check there are no gaps and that the arrangement is balanced.
