Styling Dilemma : Flowers v. Greenery

Surely nothing beats a beautiful bloom, whether it is a vase overflowing with flowers in a single colour, an organic native bunch (Poho Flowers arranges some of our favourite natives) or a simplistic single stem. 

That said, greenery on its own packs one heck of a punch. 

Source: Poho Flowers

So which do you choose? 

Choice largely depends on budget and time; time to change the water and snip the ends of flowers regularly. 

Personally I use a mix of both. At home I love to use white flowers, and a lot of them. My go-to is a massive vase filled with the humble daisy or lilies smack bang in the middle of the dining table. Every now and again I mix it up and plonk in a massive fig branch or two for drama and height. 

Source: The Design Convention

In other areas of the house, such as the girls’ rooms, I use smaller bunches of pastel coloured flowers in smaller vases. 

When styling properties, I switch it up and opt for greenery alone. It has a longer life span and if the property is vacant the water doesn’t need to be changed as often as flowers. That was until the dried flower movement came along.

Source: One Kings Lane NY

Dried Flowers

Low fuss, long-lasting, pollen-void bunches of dried flowers have fast become a trend and wow have dried flowers come a long way since the eighties. 

Everbloome is a Melbourne based florist that creates gorgeous dried flowers  designed to last up to seven years. You can choose a basket of flowers to arrange yourself, or pre-arranged masterpieces with or without a vase. The acrylic wall-mounted vase in raspberry is simply beautiful and may just have to find a way into my shopping cart. 

Source: Everbloome

Source: Everbloome Raspberry Acrylic Vase

During Melbourne’s lockdown last year, Tallulah and Zane was created. Based in Hawthorn, founder Courtney creates beautiful arrangements that really last. The mini’s are adorable, but my favourite would have to be Tessa. 

Source: Tallulah and Zane: Tessa

Source: Tallulah and Zane: Mini

Which ever type of floral arrangement you choose, be sure to keep in mind colour, texture and height of the arrangement for each space you are styling. 

A few tips for arranging real flowers: 

• Always trim flowers at an angle

• Remove any foliage that will be below water level 

• Use a clean vase

• Refresh the water daily

• Give your arrangement some flower food

• Use fresh, local, and seasonal flowers

• Incorporate unexpected elements

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Top Finds from Denfair 2019 Melbourne

DENFAIR is three days of discussions with industry leaders and an outstandingly beautiful showcase of design products and installations in Melbourne.

I like to go each year and wonder if it is possible to move in and live at a design convention space? If so, I think I may have found my dream home…pity this temporary dreamland only lasts for three days.

There were so many great products and brands on show which make it super hard to narrow down to a few favourites. But I found a few, so let’s dive in… 

Presenting Peggie...my favourite product from Denfair

My favourite product was a peg wall called Peggie. At first glance, Peggie appears to be a simple and earnest system. Pegboard. Pegs. Panels. Shelves. But there’s more to Peggie than just her looks. The locking mechanism at the rear and the grooves in the pegs mean shelves, rails and mirrors can be added with ease. 

She comes in white, oak, ply and black allowing the design to integrate, or stand out, in your home or workspace. I plan on having her in our home near the door to our garden. Peggie, in white with oak pegs, will  take up a whole wall next to an exposed brick wall which is also right next to our black steel framed doors (don’t worry I will do a full post on the rear entry of our house soon…the steel doors actually arrive today which is super exciting!).

Sway floor lamp by Nick Rennie for Made by Pen

Next up is Sway. I worked with the Made by Pen team when they first launched with The Dog Room and love these guys. Susan and Michael have an amazing work ethic and collaborate with some incredible designers to showcase Australian design around the world…hence Sway by Nick Rennie.

Sway is a floor lamp with no cords or power cables. Oh yes, you read that right…no cords people! The lamp has a charging station which allows the lamp to be fully mobile. To be able to have a lamp in the middle of a living room (or any space really) that integrates into an open floorspace and works with a minimalist’s vision is a dream come true! And it’s not just me that loved it, Sway bagged the Best Australian Product at Denfair. 

I think the Grenache Wine System by Jaron Dickson is simply stunning. Made in either Tasmanian Oak or black this is one classy cube. Actually, this little beauty can be extended by adding several together.

Jaron’s philosophy lies with the great designers of the 20th century that had little interest in decorative elements. His approach is pure and functional.  Jaron was awarded an Emerging Designer Award at Denfair as part of Front | Centre. 

To support and promote new Australian design, Front | Centre was created. providing  a unique opportunity for designers at the early stages of their career to present their commercially viable work and access a powerful business platform while mapping out a new frontier in Australian design. I cannot wait to see what they do next.