life imitates art.

Every artist and designer has media outside of their own platforms that they rely on for inspiration. I tend to look at fashion and architecture, but by far my biggest inspiration is art. I don’t necessarily need to look at floral still life’s, though it’s always fun to revisit the Dutch Golden Age masters (which is what I’ve been doing for the past couple days).

Probably the most realistic trait of these paintings is the artfully messy style of stems spilling over one another, twisting down, spiraling out (not all flowers stand perfectly upright! This is okay!) So it’s nice to see the natural movement of a tulip snaking sideways, or a top heavy garden rose spilling down the vessel (do we hate the word vessel? I realize I use it all the time but it sounds so pretentious).

There’s an interesting history to the flower market during the Baroque period, when flowers were considered a luxury (even more so than today) and a single Semper Augustus tulip (the red + white striped featured in nearly every painting below) could sell for as much as an Amsterdam home(!).

The perfect inspiration for the upcoming spring season. I’ll be thinking of these pieces, and their color juxtaposition (no more blush for brides? We’ll see) when I visit the local Philly farms.

Here are some of my favorites.

Talk soon,

Rose

Flower still life, Rachel Ruysch

Flower still life/Vase of flowers, Jan Davidsz. de Heem

Flower still life, Simon Pietersz Verelst

Still life with flowers in a glass vase, Jan Davidsz. de Heem

Still life with flowers and clock on the table, Willem van Aelst

the most wonderful time of the year.

I hold an incredibly unpopular opinion: I love Valentine’s Day.

More accurately, for myself, Valentine’s week, though I’m aware that the majority of sane people do not share this belief.

I can tell you that the red roses/gypsophila combo (I also refuse to say ‘baby’s breath’, absolutely creeps me out, but thats a story for a different day) doesn’t do a thing for me. Personally, I prefer to create palettes that incorporate colors not always associated with the holiday in question.

We weren’t able to get in toffee roses for the autumn season, so when I saw them available for Valentine’s I jumped at the opportunity. Originally I had mapped out a palette of lilacs, soft pinks, and french blue. I promptly scrapped that 2 weeks before ordering began in favor of soft pinks/mauves/peach/whites and pops of that gorgeous toffee (I am infamous for changing my mind at the last minute).

Also added an abundance of Sweet Pea to every design, because !!!!!! why wouldn’t you, they’re a dream. A generic white tulip is the focal flower of the second picture. For photography purposes, I used the ‘reflexing’ technique mainly seen on roses (gently peeling back the petals to fully open the flower).

Talk soon,

Rose

PS. Sweet Pea smells like Fruit Loops.

fit for a princess.

Where do I begin on this one.

As Kelli’s best friend, Lisa has been in our lives for 25 years. She’s our go-to girl when we need an extra hand organizing at Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, answering phones and keeping deliveries in check. She’s also the traditional type: our “pearls in stephanotis” girl, the one who likes a crisp white and navy striped ribbon and a neat, round handtied bouquet.

All of our designer friends will understand the insanity of attending a wedding you designed (and with Kelli on maid of honor duties no less). Long story short, we survived (and slept for a week after).

Hilde and I played a fun game of “will we make it to the reception,” (we didn’t, we watched the wedding from the bridal suite).

We designed the tall trees in gold urns at the venue, and used hundreds upon hundreds of votives. The result was a classic, romantic display of sweet pinks, creams, and peonies (Lisa’s favorite).

Long story short, we pulled it off.

Talk soon,

Rose

Some honorable mentions:

Kelli giving her Maid of Honor speech

Hilde and I after a few drinks, realizing just how exhausted we were

new year musings.

We say this often but we mean it: thank you, thank you, thank you!

We’ve been through a few transitional years re-branding the studio and moving towards more wedding and event work. 2018 has been the most challenging and rewarding year yet. To our couples, our clients who have become old friends, the people who stop in for a $10 bouquet, who support us in every way, thank you.

There are a lot of plans in place for this year, from studio renovations, to new floral projects. We’re optimistic and excited about what the future holds for our little studio.

2019, we welcome you with open arms and lots of flowers. Thanks for letting us live our wildest dream. Happy New Year!

peaches and dreams.

The best part of a late summer wedding? LOCAL DAHLIAS.

We try to source from local farmers as much as possible during the growing season. The dahlias and cosmos from Courtney and Chris’ wedding came from our favorite Philadelphia flower farm, Jig-Bee. I designed the bouquet mainly using these elements because honestly? Nothing beats flowers coming straight from the field. There’s a delicate, whimsical feel to locally grown flowers that cannot be replicated in my opinion.

Courtney was incredibly laid back during the entire design process, allowing us to create a beautiful soft palette of peaches and creams. The bridal party flowers consisted of a mix of (mainly) dahlias, cosmos, butterfly ranunculus, spray roses, Pink O’Hara garden roses, Blushing Bride protea, and seeded eucalyptus, finished with silk and satin ribbons.

Regardless of the style the bride requests, I always want my bouquets to have some movement. Courtney liked the idea of a slightly unstructured bouquet, so I added cosmos and ranunculus for a soft airiness, and used a variety of dahlias for texture (you never want a bouquet to look flat, especially when it photographs- dimension is key!)

Florals: Mullica Hill Floral Co.

Photography: Meghan Leigh Photography

Venue: Rode’s Barn

Cake: The Cake Boutique

trying something new.

Hello hello! Hildegarde decided I should take my writing skills and create a little journal for the studio, so welcome to our first post!

I’ve always wondered if anyone would actually be interested in reading these posts, but really…it doesn’t matter. Writing things down and creating a visual diary is such a good way to reflect on past experiences and note where to make changes!

I plan on using this space to breakdown the thought process behind weddings, installations, and the everyday (mis)adventures of designing. Floristry, like any other art form is trial and error (especially when you have to pretend to be a photographer). The pictures in this post are some of the first from my new lighting setup (thank you to my brilliant photographer friend Sarah Ratner for the advice!) And as you can see I’m still working out the kinks (we’ll get there). Going to attempt to post once a week, wish me luck.

Talk soon,

Rosalie