Bea, founder of Flower Bea is a florist based in St. Albans, who works using seasonal flowers to create bespoke designs for client weddings and events, as well as creative projects.
Inspired by nature and her love for the garden all Flower Bea arrangements have a joyful feeling of movement and texture. Her choice of colour is often the centre point of her designs, and the combinations she creates bring an additional sense of abundance to each of her modern, yet delicate arrangements.
“I used to work in the fashion industry for over 12 years and honour the influence this has on my work as a florist; the way I gather my creative packs for clients, how I plan ahead and where I’ve learnt to draw my inspiration from. I love the way something makes you feel, and sometimes you can’t quite put your finger on why something just works, but when it does…you just feel it! I love being outdoors, and I find so much of my ideas come from that too - these influences are probably where the two parts of my style combine”
How to achieve this look:
I have created my take on a winter bouquet that to me captures the calm and peaceful side of Christmas, the white base against the warm pop of yellow reminds me of golden sun over snow.
I wanted to show how you could interpret this into your very own tablescape this year, and am sharing tips on how to achieve this look:
1. Bows are timeless, and ribbon is a beautiful way to add texture and elevate your table. I’ve chosen a wide satin bow in an off white, and I’ve layered these up on gold candlesticks. You can source so many lovely ribbons from your local haberdashery and you can often buy by the metre so you can just buy what you need (or if you’re anything like me, I have a box of ribbons I’ve held onto for from gifts I’ve exchanged over the years!) The wider ribbon creates more voluminous and puffy bows which I love!
2. I’ve paired this with mismatched bud vases - you can find so many in charity shops particularly glass ones. If you’re going for single stems like this, a smaller opening helps to keep the flowers standing upright.
3. I sourced these delicate paper white Narcissi from my local florist but they’re also available at supermarkets too for about £4 a bunch - they’re coming into season now and always remind me of the new year! They have a lovely perfume which I think adds to their beauty. I’ve also used Alstroemeria which are widely available this time of year, and at very good value. If you remove the green leaves and gently reflex the petals with your thumb it exposes the pattern on the inside of the flower and just makes them look that bit extra.
4. Choosing something multiheaded is always a good tip for something like this as you need less stems for maximum impact! Both these flowers are, and work great in these bud vases.
5. When looking at colours I try to pick out tiny details; here I’ve pulled the golden yellow inside the paperwhites to tie in with the candles, and the kangaroo paws in my bouquet. I’ve highlighted the deep rich brown flecks on the Alstromeria with the pine cones (which you can forage in abundance!) to give it a thread that ties it all together in a subtle, not too “matchy” way.
6. I love to play with texture too, it’s nice to create contrasts, and choose stems that give a sense of movement - I’ve been able to do that with the ribbon too with their slightly longer tail lengths.
I hope this gives you an idea for your festive tablescape, with an alternative take on the traditional Christmas colours.
Meet Bea - @_flower_bea