Decoration Home Interior: flowers

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Follow Your Star

One of my readers asked if Bunny Mellon ever wrote a gardening book. While she hasn't, I can recommend the book The Surprising Life of Constance Spry. Ms. Spry (1886-1960) was a floral designer and business woman at a time when most women weren't working outside the home. She also wrote books not just on flower arranging but also cooking, gardening and entertaining. I'm beginning to think she was the original Martha Stewart. Her big claim to fame came from designing the flowers for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor whose home in France she also filled with her artful arrangements. Constance Spry created masterpieces of not just fancy flowers like roses but weeds and even kale. I love a good story about a gutsy woman who blazes a new trail. My favorite quote of hers sums things up best, "I want to shout out, "Do what you please, follow your star: be original if you want to be and don't if you don't want to be. Just to be natural and gay and lighthearted and pretty and simple and overflowing and general and boroque, and learn and learn and learn. Open your minds to every form of beauty." Amen sister!

A mass of lilacs, 1951

Constance Spry and her needlework

Constance Spry arrangement

Constance Spry and a reporter, 1951

June Morning, 1951

Her students at work.

Arrangement of fennel and orange lilies, 1951

More students arranging flowers

White arrangements in the white living room of Syrie Maugham

Rose felecite et perpetue, 1951

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in front of a Constance Spry arrangement.

Wedding flowers for Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott to the Duke of Gloucester, 1935

There is also a rose named after Constance Spry which were planted along the 100 yard fence outside of Pixar Studios by Steve Jobs. I think Ms. Spry would definitely approve!

Photos from the Design Museum and Google

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Chic in New York: Florisity

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Takashimaya was never the same after they moved the floral boutique upstairs. After the store closes this weekend, I'm happy to announce that the floral creative team will be moving downtown to Florisity. Definitely check them out!

Florisity

1 West 19th Street

New York, NY 10011

www.florisity.com

Monday, May 17, 2010

Prada Print Collection

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My flower obsession continues with the new Prada Prints Collection! Remember when Carrie exclaimed "Hello Lover" in reference to some shows in a store window on Sex and the City? Well, that's what I thought when I saw this fabulous collection! The floral and print fabrics are from the Prada archives and the silhouettes were inspired from a look from the 1950's. I'm going to have to freeze my credit card in a block of ice because I seriously want to buy one of everything! Darn you Prada!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Flower Power

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This spring, I am loving anything flowery, especially glazed chintz floral fabrics. I am also desperately missing American Vogue Living and even more so after flipping through the Spring/Summer 2008 issue and seeing this fabulous floral feature. Has it really been that long since it was last published?! So depressing. So glad that I have my back issues to cheer me up! Hope this flowers bring you some cheer today too!

Photos by Steven Meisel

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Flower Girls

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After you have Queen Quills Calligraphy address your wedding envelopes, you can hire the lovely ladies of Saipua to create all your flower arrangements. I found these photos of a wedding they designed this past weekend at The Bowery Hotel on Milk and Mode and couldn't help but want to also post them. They are beyond gorgeous! The illustrations on the menus, table numbers and programs are by Rifle Design. These resources are definitely going in my future wedding file. Now if anyone knows any eligible bachelors, send them my way!