The Art of Flowers
To brighten the January days we wanted to immerse ourselves in the topic of flowers - the wonderful colours, textures that they offer. Flowers give dynamism to every tablescape; they can pull together a colour scheme, add texture and bring a sense of fun and movement to the dinning table. And of course, flowers around the house can brighten any day and are a good way to make a room feel different - changing a landscape.
This month we spoke with flower studio Worm, about how to think about flowers in January, some tips on arranging and how to choose your colour scheme. Worm studio started in the season of winter, for Valentine’s Day in 2016 and was founded by Katie a stylist, and Terri an actor. Both were feeling a little unsatisfied by their jobs and wanted to build something creative together. At the time Terri was living near Columbia Road and they both spent a lot of time at the flower market together and so decide to take a florist course and Worm was born!
The studio work on a variety of projects from events such dinners and weddings, as well as installations, art projects and fashion shoots. You can see the creative background that they both have come from, with the theatrical and artistic flair that they present.
How do you get inspired and what do you look for when creating?
The seasons are of paramount importance to us because it means we can be sustainable. We use British flowers if we are working in Summer because it doesn’t make sense to be flying in force grown flowers from Equador when someone in Devon is growing beautiful wild ones. So that leads us first, then we look at the collection or event that we are working on - inspiration can come from a pattern or ingredients off a menu, or the host’s favourite artist!
When building a tablescape what are the things you think about?
When we are hosting dinners we will pick the flowers first - what is available and in season. For example if its Peony season - they are a big eye catching flower - they need to be the hero of the table and we would match everything tonally to that. If it was winter and you were using something small in texture like Gypsophila then we would make the hero a patterned tablecloth or napkins and let the flowers compliment the scene. Place setting bundles can add something a bit special too, we like to add a herb that will be used in the menu tied with a bit of ribbon to match the table.
What is key tip when thinking about arranging flowers?
Texture is a huge part of our work process! There are certain textures that compliment each other and there are times when we feel like a certain texture can be missing - there is a natural flow to it, which can be hard to describe. Whether you are creating a bouquet for a bride or for a gift there are or dressing a table - it is about balance. For example, if the linens used are feminine and ethereal, a thistle will just feel wrong.
Photo credit: Worm | Kristin Perers | Kirsty Noble
What are your favourite flowers at the moment?
We are yearning to see the first daffodils to let us know that Spring is on its way. I think Spring will be the pick up we all need in a few weeks time, after the most difficult year, and daffodils always start showing their little yellow heads first. We rarely use them as they are delicate and difficult to use other than alone in a vase but as florists, we hugely appreciate them for what they represent.
Chocolate cosmos always add amazing character to bunches; they are dark brown, delicate, intricate and even smell like chocolate. We will start to see the Mimosa trees turn yellow in February, you really have to go stand under one to lift your mood. The smell is incredible and they are the most brilliant and beautiful yellow flowering trees. Although small in texture, we would always have Mimosa as the hero on a tablescape!
What should we thinking about in this time of year?
For January, we would suggest getting your hands on some indoor bulbs. They are a wonder to watch and once they start to grow and open, they will fill your house with the most beautiful scent. You will see Narcissus, Hyacinths and Crocuses pre-planted available and we really recommend getting some to nurture!
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Part of the joy of flowers is also about what vessel to put them! A vase can be a feature, can complement or allow the flowers to shine through, here are some of our favourite vase at the moment.
