Filed Under: Events You may recognize the name Ethnic Essence from my show sizzle for Dug Up with Carly Cylinder. I met Smitha originally at a networking event in Orange County some years ago, and then met her daughter coincidentally who works for an event marketing company I was doing business with. I've also rented vases from her for weddings, so Smitha has definitely come into my life for a reason. You will be blown away by their work if you ever get to go to her studio in Orange County. They house thousands of linens, vases, and pretty much anything else you'd need for a wedding of event. Her specialty are over the top Indian weddings. I love that her blog is organized by color-- so fun to peruse! I love the frames for the Skyy event. It adds elegance and class. I've never seen frames like this on a step and repeat before. Very clever. And of course, everything they do is lush and over the top. I'm not normally a fan of standard topiaries, but the mercury glass candelabra below matches the ceiling so well. I love the grapes and hanging amaranthus. The antique palette can be hard to work with at times because it can get lost, but the metallics of everything below work so well together. Thank you Smitha for everything. You're an inspiration as a truly wonderful person, and as a woman who built her business from the ground up. Much accolades and admiration to you!
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Filed Under: Events What I love about James Farmer is that you recognize his style immediately, and to me, that defines what an artist is, in any form. He's sort of a Jack-of-all-Trades sort of character, with a background in gardening, cooking, and floral design. His style is filled with lush blooms, over the top, and almost taking over the room. I like that bold statement. It feels right. If anything, it feels original. Forget that 2:1 ratio, or any ratio for that matter-- these blooms take over without a cause, a rhyme, or reason. Above: Lilies, hydrangea and fern taking over a dining room table.
Below: Orchids, Bells of Ireland, hydrangea, and greens overflowing a mantle. Filed Under: DIY, Events You know that nearly everything I do is somehow related back to food. When it comes to design, especially floral design, it can all be tied together. When we slice stems, cutting them just so, break apart hydrangeas, dunk them; these are all sensory experiences just like cooking. I met Vegan Chef extraordinaire Leslie Durso through our mutual friend, the very talented photographer Laura Grier, and got circled back with her recently. Her team sent me these images of the edible arrangements she makes from fresh farmer's market produce. Of course I had to show this off! Leslie Durso started with bundles of inspiration from the local Farmer's Market. She used fresh lettuces, kale, chamomile, lavender, sage, lemon verbena, basil, mint, bay leaves, peaches, rosemary, fennel, and parsley. I love this look so much! And it is indeed very eco:) Thanks for sharing!
Leslie Durso Facebook, Twitter Filed Under: DIY, Events, Weddings I asked Darlynn why she chose to use these crafty fake flowers for her wedding, and everything that went into it, so lets find out what she had to say! Definitely check out her blog The Little Blog Dress while you're at it. And her ring on there- to die for! I'm not materialistic (except when I am;) While I do think this is an alternative for the nontraditional bride, I think these are great for any kind of celebration. I was surprised at how much I liked the ceremony pew "flowers"! Per Darlynn: "Flowers make me sneeze and I didn't want to be miserable all day! Plus, I can buy 1000 coffee filters for $5.98 and thought that was really a good way to save money. :)" "I actually looked at felt flowers but saw the idea of the coffee filter flowers, experimented by spray painting them (don't let ANYONE talk you into using food coloring, ha ha) and just loved them. I made about 100 of them put them in thrift store vases that we painted cream." Here's one of the tutorials she used to create her wedding flowers from She Likes Ruffles.
Thanks for sharing and good DIY work! Little Blog Dress Facebook, Twitter Filed under: Editorial, Events I own all of his books, and have had the pleasure of touring his studio space in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. And this Fall I will be working with him! Really, to me, there is no one above David Stark and his team of creatives at David Stark Design. He started as a painter at my brother's alum RISD and then partnered with Avi where they opened a very modern, edgy and overall badass design studio. After their long career together, David broke off on his own. I've been so lucky to get an insider's look into some of the most creative and smart people in the business. First I got to tour Martha's office this past summer, which deserves its' own post, and then got to see David's multi-level studio which expands into a huge workspace filled with every imaginable material that one could or would want to play with. They employ designers in all fields from graphic design to sculpture to carpenters. What I like most about the direction he's gone in is that they use materials in creative ways versus just having normal centerpieces for an event. Recently they did a paper exhibit at The Whitney which looked like something out of Tron, and created a "bodega flower backdrop" for a Step and Repeat. Seriously, cool!
Filed Under: Events I had the opportunity to go to the opening party for the Red Bull Music Academy in May at their new offices in Chelsea. Immediately, in on one of their floors filled with various recording rooms, and open offices, I noticed these plants along the wall and in hidden spots. I love this creative tie-dye effect making the plants a real piece of art. The colors are playful yet modern, artistic yet serious. I think this is very well executed and fit the space perfectly well. When doing flowers, not only is it important to take note about the space, but about the message the client is trying to convey. This is a great idea for a party or to spruce up a room in a funky way. You could use spray paint, or get floral spray paint available at craft and floral supply stores. With these sprays, you are enhancing the color versus changing it, so that a red will become redder, etc. Photography by Matthew Cylinder
Filed under: Weddings, Events Instead of chosing one event, I found a plethora of design choices from gothic to traditional on Geranium Lake's broad body of work, which I love the most. It's easy to stick to rustic or romantic, and I think having a distinct style is valuable. I also think it is more impressive when a floral designer has a wide range, like Kim's. Lets find out her inspiration behind some of my favorite designs. Preppy Goth Table: - A take on "Twilight meets Ralph Lauren" with deep, red garden roses, low and lush in rustic, re-purposed, barn wood boxes. - Pheasant feathers and red delicious apples were used to give it a twist. - The table was styled with antique accents: lace runner, stacks of books, old clock, a mix of silver candle sticks, candelabras, chunky and pillar candles to create an amazing tablescape. French Pastry Table: - A gorgeous pastry table for a breakfast wedding, the bride loved Laduree so to accent the various pastries being served, we created croque en bouche's out of sugary pink roses and juicy red strawberries. Wild Green Bouquet:
- This bouquet is a major play on texture! We used hanging green amaranth to create drape and a little romance, pops of color with peachy dahlias, white garden roses and fressia. To create the wild texture we used native grasses, and berzilliia berries. Thank you Kim for sharing! Geranium Lake Facebook Filed under: Events It seems like Macy's have flower shows everywhere! Soulflower (how cute is that name by the way?!) created these florals for the show in San Francisco. I LOVE seeing a sketch before, and then it coming to life. Lets see what Lydia had to say about creating this masterpiece! Per Lydia, "We recently found inspiration from a South Asia themedevent at Macy's Union Square, San Francisco and our travels to Thailand. We used exotic string-of-bananas succulents, unusual wooden flowers, tropical leaves that we manipulated in various ways and many more lush florals to create a massive floral display in the middle of Macy's...
Filed Under: Editorial, Events, Weddings While researching design for an upcoming shoot, I came across Michael Speir's work, and just immediately said yes. To me, there's nothing better than seeing fine art come to life in floral design. It's the closest, best medium to work in, when being inspired by, mimicking or replicating a fine art piece. A tapestry coming to life. I love how Victorian this looks. Dried flowers would work well here and make for a lasting art piece. Above - a Warhol inspired portrait for a bat-mitzvah. A rose frame captures the essence of the pop art.
Below- Orchid chandelier I love this because the orchids are horizontal versus the vertical we normally see. Per Michael, "I was inspired to create a pristine classical setting, richly appointed with lush floral furnishings and living trompe-l'oeil walls. My client really wanted something regal, opulent, and pure." Filed under: Events These come from the in-house florist for the Boca Raton Resort and Club. I really liked the neatness of these flowers (they are very clean and tidy), but I noticed the common thread was how great they matched the linens, as if the flowers were the focal point and the accent at the same time. I always thought it would be so much fun to be an in-house florist like Jeff Latham. Carnations above. Callas Lilies below. White Callas, Hydrangeas above. Pink Orchids, Roses, Anemones. Boca Raton Facebook
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