HYGGE AND FLOWERS

 
 

The Danish untranslatable word “Hygge” is the latest trend at the moment. What does it mean exactly? The meaning is more or less: “how to create a cosy and pleasant atmosphere, enjoying life with our loved ones.” Recently we were in Copenaghen and we felt this way of living everywhere. Upon our arrival we were impressed by the lack of noise and this calmness stayed with us all day long. A very relaxing and liveable city with an intense light and nature was very strongly present everywhere.

It was so inspiring for me. I could dedicate myself to the discovery of the Danish design (which I’ll be seeing again next week during the Milan design week).

What impressed me most? The constant presence of flowers and plants. Flowers and plants everywhere: in vases, hanging from the ceiling, on tables and even decorating the plates. Everywhere you go from the small bar to the design store the attention to details is amazing.

 

A beautiful historic palace was the setting for the Danish design company of Hay House. We stepped into a world of hygge design and from the tall impressive windows we had an incredible view over the busy square.

Next stop was the Royal Copenaghen store, one of the world’s oldest companies, established in 1775. Easter was the main theme with moss, trees, flowers, bulbs and fine china eggs in every corner.

Moving on we arrived in a quaint, little street home of the romantic and eclectic shop Stillleben.

From there we headed for lunch to a nice restaurant with an incredible inner greenhouse.

In the afternoon although the elements were against us, we popped over to The little mermaid on the sea. We stopped off at a coffee shop along the way to warm ourselves and to try a delicious Danish pastry.

 

Don’t miss my post next week about the Design Week in Milan.

A special thanks to Pauline  of PetitePassaport for her very useful guide of Copenaghen.

 
 
 
 
 

4 essential floral design rules to create yours decorations

 
 

As Christmas time is approaching, I would like to share with you 4 essential floral design rules which can be very useful for decorating the Christmas dinner table or even for a birthday party or a wedding.

To show you what I mean let’s take an example of a creation I made in February. The task was to create a complete inspirational scenery for a wedding setting.

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1. COLOUR

The first rule is to choose a colour or a palette of colours (my advice maximum 3). It will be then easier to make all the other choices. Possible colour combinations can be based on tones, contrasting colours or even neighbouring colours on the colour wheel.

For this particular work I chose a delicate pink and white palette with neutral green as a base. Be careful not to gather too many colours as there is no place for the eye to rest.

2. MOODBOARD

It’s essential to create a moodboard in order to find out your tastes, ideas and style. Different types of magazines are great for providing inspiration. Pinterest is fantastic for helping you wrap up your ideas. The important thing is to go with the flow and not have too many preconceptions. Have a look at my Christmas board on Pinterest.

3. LESS IS MORE

It’s important to keep in mind the location and what is at your disposal. Remember to keep it well balanced and don’t go overboard: less is more. Try to focus your attention on one element which could be either the flowers, the tablecloth colour or the place setting, the others elements will be the backdrop.

4. CONTEXTUALIZE

Always keep in mind where you are going to do your creation, the colours that are already there, the interior design, the style and what you have. For example, for your wedding if you’ve already chosen the location, the style of all the floral decorations has to be in harmony with the setting.

Just going back to the scene I created in February my starting point for every single choice was a big glass wall. I imagined it to be a corner of a country winter garden, so the style was romantic with a vintage accent.

In a nutshell, always follow these rules whether it to be a dinner with friends, a photo shoot or any special event.

In the next post I’ll be giving you some ideas on how to decorate your home for Christmas.

Let me know what you think!

The location and all materials are from Ambroso.
Marco Bravi was the photographer.

 
 

Flower Design Course at the Villa La Valverde #2

 
 

After the beautiful experience enjoyed by all at the 1st Flower Design Course at the Villa La Valverde, we have to show you the photos from the 2nd lesson we had at the location, this one dedicated to the Rose, the Queen of all Flowers. We created marvelous bouquets, vibrant with deep, rich colours that allowed the Rose’s elegance to play with the freshness of the viburnum opulus and sparkling branches of lilac. (some pictures of the floral material used: IMG1 – IMG2 – IMG3). Also this visit permitted us to find splendid flowers to use in our creations from those growing on the grounds of the Villa, such as indigo iris and hawthorn, used together with strawberries and radishes for particular and fun, smaller, secondary bouquets.

Another warm thank you to all of the participants, congratulations for the magnificent levels of beauty acquired on this occasion as well. We leave you to take a look at the image gallery of this lesson.