Get Fresh: Flower Arranging for Interior Decorators
by Kate McIntyrekate.mcIntyre@interiordesignschoolreview.com
Interior Design School Review Columnist
When you work as an interior designer or decorator, it pays to know how to arrange fresh flowers. Maybe you are designing a room for a home show. Perhaps you are staging a home to sell or styling a room for a magazine photo shoot. No matter the reason, it can't hurt to add a familiarity of fresh flowers to your interior decorating repertoire.
Think Fresh for Interior Decorating with Flowers
Though you can find silk flowers of excellent quality, nothing surpasses fresh flowers for adding a shot of color and vibrancy to your interior decorating. Without the proper care and handling, though, you might find yourself stuck with a limp, dying arrangement. Here are some tips for getting the most from your posies:- If you need flowers to open quickly, fill the vase with warm water, which will speed blooming.
- To prevent perfect flowers from fading too fast, use cold water in the vase and refrigerate the arrangement until you need it.
- Always recut the ends of stems before arranging them in your vase. When you recut, do so underwater using sharp scissors or a knife. Cut at an angle to maximize the surface area of the stem that touches the water.
Flower Design Tips for Beginners
- If you are not an expert flower arranger, stick to the basics. Monochromatic arrangements of a single type of flower in an exquisite vase make a big interior decorating impact--and they're quite easy to assemble. Look for peonies, tulips, sweet peas, or gladioli.
- Don't overlook the fruit and vegetable aisle for unique, long-lasting arrangements. For instance, fresh artichokes and lemons piled in a bowl can brighten up a kitchen table.
Interior designers can learn skills that will help them in floral design at interior design or decorating schools. Interior design school classes in color theory, texture, and design can help aspiring designers master the art of flower arranging.
Source: About the Author
Kate McIntyre is a writer in Portland, Oregon. She holds a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Oregon State University.
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