2019, The Year of Living Coral

January 11, 2019January 24, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Everyone likes the start of a new year, right? Perhaps you are a person who loves compiling a long list of goals for the year, perhaps not. But regardless, the New Year undeniably brings a feeling of renewal. I think we have all travelled enough times around the sun to realise that a new year doesn’t mean that anything is really going to change, unless we do. But there is something about the feeling of a fresh start, a clean slate; whether that comes in the form of a new year, a new month, or just the start of a new day.

A fresh start often brings with it new perspectives and (hopefully) fresh inspirations. Each year, artists working in every aspect of design eagerly await Pantone’s announcement of the new colour of the year. It brings us fresh inspirations, and reinvigorates our creativity. It provides a hint of what our year may look like, what shades we may feature in our work, and which colour we may need to reinvent in more ways than one.

This year, for 2019, Pantone has chosen a colour known as Living Coral that they describe as ‘a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media.’

Coral is a shade that sits somewhere between an orange and a pink. It is more vibrant than salmon, and more orange than watermelon.

It is energetic, youthful and vibrant. It works well with psychedelic greens, and chartreuse , and deep tones like burgundy. Coral can work well within muted colour palettes also, taking inspiration from natural skin tones. It works well played against other pink and orange tones, too and works well within some pastel blends.

Pantone says: “Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.
In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits, PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embodies our desire for playful expression.

PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral emits the desired, familiar, and energizing aspects of color found in nature. In its glorious, yet unfortunately more elusive, display beneath the sea, this vivifying and effervescent color mesmerizes the eye and mind. Lying at the center of our naturally vivid and chromatic ecosystem, PANTONE Living Coral is evocative of how coral reefs provide shelter to a diverse kaleidoscope of color.”

Pantone has prepared 5 colour schemes to illustrate how Living Colour can be used in a variety of ways.

Source: All Colour Palettes guides from Pantone

Coral will make a gorgeous colour choice for bridesmaids dresses for any upcoming nuptials but Pantone’s colour of the year is not reserved for weddings only. Pantone’s colour influences design everywhere, so expect to see cushions, throws, and decor accessories available soon which you can use at home. Clothing, accessories and jewellery will also feature in this vibrant colour.

Image of a woman holding a Coral inspired wedding bouquet — A bouquet modelling just how it is done using the Shimmering Sunset colour guide. Image via Pinterest

There are so many popular choices of flowers available in Coral such as ginormous dahlias, glasshouse grown roses, gorgeous ruffle garden roses, poppies, infamous Coral Charm peonies, snap dragons, tulips, carnations and more. There are plenty of fresh cut flower choices available in Living Coral throughout the whole year for you to enjoy. I love Coral, so I’m thrilled 😉

Fwf x

Image of a coral toned flower

Image of a coral toned dahlias — Source: Jardine Ravec Jean Paul

Coral snap dragons — Source: David’s seeds and plants

image of a Coral toned tulips — Coral toned tulips

Image of Eucalyptus Degupta Mindanao Gum Tree

A Home Among The Gum Trees

January 3, 2019January 24, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Firstly, let me welcome you to the first blog of 2019! Time seems to be moving ever faster but what a glorious start to the year it has been. On our way up to our holiday accommodation, I was musing….mesmerised by the glorious scenery along the way, inspired by the colour palette that Mother Nature created for us. I was dreaming about ways I could use these palettes in another creative project.

One tree that continued to catch my eye along the way were the gum trees. The streaky trunks painted in watercolours bleeding into one another: muted greys, mauves, soft golds, dustry pinks, aubergines and chocolate.

Eucalyptus trees in Hervey Bay. Supplied.

The summer skin of the gums standing there strong and proud…freshly naked. Freshly shed, brilliant bright orange in colour: an intoxicating tequila sunrise.

And who could forget the ghostly white gum tree? Pale and creamy, illuminated against the backdrop of bright blue skies, and the thick green scrub.

Like many others I’m sure, I had assumed all gum trees were native to Australia, so like me you may be surprised to find that this is actually not the case.

One evening I was chatting to one of my best friends, who just so happens to be a very talented, inspired florist. She was talking about this AMAZING variety of Eucalyptus, The Rainbow Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus deglupta. I’d never seen it or heard of it for that matter!

Image Source: Sarefo, via Wikimedia Commons. — This image shows the distribution of Eucalyptus. The Rainbow Eucalyptus is the only species occurring naturally in the northern hemisphere. Source: Sarefo, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Rainbow Eucalyptus is also known as the Rainbow Gum or Mindanao Gum and is native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and The Phillipines. But what is also pretty unique is that this is the only Eucalyptus that extends into the northern hemisphere naturally.

In areas of the USA, the trees only grow to approx 100-125 feet tall, which is approximately half the height they grow to in their native environment. But, if you can provide them with a frost free environment, you can grow a Rainbow Gum of your own…though remember it is a huge tree so it’s probably not suitable for most residential settings.

The defining feature of the Rainbow Eucalyptus is the multi coloured bark. The older bark sheds each year, at different times, revealing the new layers of bright, lime green trunk underneath. As the new layers age and mature, the colour changes and deepens, revealing a multitude of vertical coloured stripes: in lime green, blue, purple, orange, red, maroon and grey.

The colours appear brightest and most intense when planted in native regions. The Rainbow Eucalyptus loves full sun, and rich, medium to wet soil. It does not tolerate frost, so is suitable for subtropical and tropical regions only.

It is the kind of plant that is almost unbelievable. But believe me, it’s real, and this is all completely natural. Wow!

Fwf x

Colour Your Life- Coral

September 7, 2018May 29, 2019 admin Leave a comment

I have always been a fan of the colour people refer to as coral. It’s one of those hard colours for people to understand I suppose. It often gets confused with peach, or apricot, salmon and even watermelon? For me, the colour conjours up images of all sorts of beauty; stunning sunsets, mixed bunches of poppies, flamingoes standing in crystal clear waters, coral reefs waiting to be discovered, punchy nail polish colours and more.

The actual word coral is Greek and means ‘daughter of the sea’, an obvious connection to the sea living creature of the same name. Coral is said to support creative energies. Unlike peach, which is a more a soft reddish orange, and unlike apricot which is a pastel yellowish orange, coral tends to be more of a vibrant pinkish orange. This influences what you are able to use the colour with.

Coral works well with other ‘fruity’ colours like peach, apricot and watermelon.

Coral peach apricot and watermelon

You may also like to take inspiration from beautiful sunsets and incorporate misty greys or even mauve or purple tones with your blush tones and coral.

Combine a bright blue sky with the setting sun, and you will see some strong contrasts. Blues and orange tones work well together if you like complementary colours. Similarly teal works well when teamed with coral and richer red/berry tones. This combination is a great way to tie in vintage crockery too!

In the flower world we are spoilt for choice with coral coloured blooms. The magic of the coral peony is unmistakable….but seeing is really believing.

Peonies are always held in high regard, but I know that the ‘Coral Charm’ peonies hold a special part of most florist’s hearts. Why? The bloom is an EXTRAORDINARY colour. The large blooms open to unravel a deep, intense shade of coral, as it ages and opens further it begins to fade to peach and finally to a creamy colour , leaving you with an almost lemon toned bloom.

Other flowers available in coral include; roses, fruit blossom sticks, ranunculus, poppies, gerberas, snap dragons, dahlias, gladioli…the list goes on.

So whether you like to use coral as your bright accent colour amongst softer shades, or create a colourful scheme inspired by nature, coral is a wonderfully, fresh and fun tone to include.

It is a great colour tone for summer soirees because it seems light, fun and carefree….but it can lend itself to autumnal affairs if combined with some warm company (Think rust, terracotta, burgundy, Marsala, mustard, chocolate etc.).

And all those gorgeous spring Coral Charm peonies will easily be gobbled up, with or without the addition of crisp whites and light bright greens. Winter weddings needn’t miss out- coral is the perfect way to add vibrancy to lift the mood of richly textured materials and deeper colour tones.

Coral really is versatile

Fwf x

Image of a Coral Floral from instagram — Source: Nicolette Camille Floral on Instagram

Image of a Coral Dahlia by Jardine Ravec Jean Paul — Coral Dahlia. Source: Jardine Ravec Jean Paul

Image of Coral Snaps by David's Garden Seeds and Gardens — Coral Snaps. Source: David’s Garden Seeds and Gardens

Image of Coral Blossom from Pinterest — Coral Blossom. Via Pinterest

Colour Your Life – Baby Blue

July 27, 2018August 21, 2018 admin Leave a comment

Soft pastel tones are popular because they appear more delicate and gentle. Sometimes, a more muted colour palette seems like the more ‘appropriate’ choice; whether it be soft pink or baby blue for the arrival of a precious new child, or whites and lemons for a funereal arrangement.

I guess for the same reason, muted tones are popular for weddings. Visually, a soft colour palette will look more gentle against a white or cream gown. Where adding dark or more rich colour tones will add drama to your event, soft pastel tones add a gentle touch, and a romantic and intimate feeling to your wedding or event.

Baby blue is always a popular choice for wedding flowers, and this is (at least partly) because many of the natural blue flowers available come in softer tones.

Globally blue is one of the most popular colours. It represents confidence, calm authority, intelligence, peace, productivity and trust.

Blue is an almost universally liked colour, and has many ties to our natural environment making it more appealing. Men favour blue also.

Blue is believed to have positive effects on both the body and the mind. It is believed that it improves mental clarity, produces a calming effect, inspires creativity, lowers the heart rate and even slows human metabolism.Pale blue is especially related to health and healing, peace, tranquility, and understanding.

Baby blue was successfully combined with a soft rose pink by Pantone in 2017, as ‘dual’ colours of the year. The two pastel tones worked wonderfully well together and inspired soft, and delicate palettes reminiscent of vintage tea sets.

Baby blue with Powder pink — Colour palette inspiration

Blue also works beautifully with other colours that have a blue base such as mauves, and greens. A ‘cool’ colour scheme like this will further the feeling of calm and tranquility.

Cool colour tones, all with a blue base. Source: Design Seeds

If you like to add contrast to your arrangement, when using pastel colour tones, the contrast is more subtle. Blues opposing or ‘complementary’ colour is orange. So, for baby blue, peachy apricot tones work as it’s complement.

Baby blue, blue, peach and apricot blend — Contrast: Blue, peach and apricot. Source; Southern Living

The choice of baby blue flowers is not extensive by any means, but what they lack in variety, they certainly make up for in beauty. Check out these glorious specimens…

Blue Sea Holly. Source; Holland Bulb Flowers

Blue forget me nots — Forget me nots are such a sweet, sweet addition to a bouquet

Blue hydrangea is such a stunning flower, used alone or in combination with other flowers too. Source The DIY Lighthouse

Blue needn’t be artificial or garish. Using natural blue tones will give you a beautifully soft and delicate aesthetic. If choosing another colour is difficult for you, and you really want the blue to be the feature, consider using a very natural colour palette, teaming the blue with browns or beiges. This works well with the groom’s suit colour choices as well 😉

Fwf x

Colour Your Life – Wonderfully White

July 12, 2018 admin Leave a comment

White is a colour with special significance, and I truly believe that it will forever be popular. At present, ‘Hamptons’ styling has firmly positioned white flowers and accessories in the spotlight, but even when that dies down, sophisticated white will remain in some other capacity.

Hamptons inspo — Hamptons Styling. Source: The girls of Lincoln Park

White is incredibly versatile in styling, it brings light and sophistication, simplicity and elegance. It suits most decors and makes a safe choice when sending flowers as a gifts when you are unsure of someone’s taste.

It is a colour I would also recommend sending when using an unknown florist in an unfamiliar area, particularly if you are unsure of the work style. Basically you can’t get white and green wrong , can you? There is no danger of mixing the wrong shades together, so it keeps things simpler.

White is a colour associated with cleanliness, such as in hospitals and with doctors. It is also associated with heavenly creatures such as angels.

Most significantly, white is utilised in wedding celebrations. This is because pure white is symbolic of innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the colour symbolic of perfection. A white wedding dress, or white wedding flowers used to be commonplace, it was even expected, but these days, the colours used within weddings does vary.

There are many flowers available in white, BUT there are also some special flowers that are ONLY available in white such as Lily of the Valley.

Other beauties available in white include; Queen Anne’s Lace, agapanthus, magnolia blooms, Tuberose, Snowdrops, Astilbe, Buddleja, Frangipani, Pieris, Tulips, Lilies, Calla lilies, Stock, Snapdragons, Roses, Lisianthus, Freesias, Hydrangea, Peonies, Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, Carnations, Delphiniums, Gladioli, Protea, Fruit blossoms, Gardenia, Baby’s breath, Anthurium, Daisies, Orchids (Dendrobium, Phaleonopsis, Cymbidium, etc)

Often, when you choose your wedding gown, it is tempting to try to match your flowers to that shade…..but the reality is there are probably hundreds of shades between ‘Bridal white’ and ‘Cream’. Nature, well…it just isn’t like that. But more than that, by attempting to match something that is reproduced via formula with something that is influenced by weather, soil conditions and mineral content, rain etc… you are asking for trouble.

Varieties of David Austin roses for example, that are ordered as white, might throw just a hint of soft pink at some times, influenced by low temperatures at the beginning of the season. That same variety may appear pure white when the temperatures warm up.

By the same token, some of the whites flowers available can appear to look yellow against a pure white dress fabric. That is simply because white in nature is not a pure white when compared to something that is bleached or created artificially.

I think we can all agree there are some stunning cut flowers to choose from in white, the hard bit is deciding where to start…

Magnolia bloom — Magnolia. Source: Style Files

Queen Anne's Lace — Queen Anne’s Lace. Source: Shabby Cottage Studio

Fwf x

Colour in Your Life – Royal Purple

July 6, 2018July 6, 2018 admin Leave a comment

Some colours command attention, and purple is a colour that certainly does that. Originally, purple was an incredibly costly colour to produce which contributed to it’s exclusivity. The reason for this was that the mucous from 9000 Mediterranean sea snails was required to make just a small quantity of natural Tyrian Purple dye.

Queen Elizabeth I, implemented and enforced Sumptuary Laws; laws which regulated the colours, fabrics and clothes that society was either able or unable to wear based on their class. During her reign, the colour we now know as ‘Royal Purple’ was reserved for the royal family. Queen Elizabeth I forbad anyone outside close members of the royal family to wear it.

Then, some 150 years ago, purple began weaving it’s way into society’s lower classes when an 18 year old chemist accidently created a synthetic purple dye whilst attempting to make Quinine, an anti-malaria drug. Whoops! Whilst he was not successful in making Quinine, he became incredibly well known and successful after his fortunate discovery. When he noticed that what he had concocted in his home lab could be used to dye fabrics, he quickly patented the dye and produced it under the name aniline purple.

Purple is a colour that looks great with various shades of itself. Monocramatic colour schemes work well as they play with differing shades of one colour.

Monocramatic

An analogous colour scheme uses a collection of colours that sit side by side on the colour wheel. These tend to work well together and look harmonious.

Analogous

For whatever reason, purple seems to be a colour people like to use with highly contrasting colours like orange, or bright yellow. While they certainly make an impact, these bright colour schemes do not suit everyone.

Contrasting colours

One of my favourite colour schemes using purple is when it is combined with shades of green. It works particularly well when you also use mauve along with the royal purple.

The colour purple combines the energetic strength of red and the stability of blue. It symbolises nobility, dignity, royalty, prestige, luxury and ambition. It conveys both wealth and extravagance. It is also associated with creativity, mystery and magic. It is a colour that resonates with creative souls and humanitarians, it promotes mental balance and harmony of the mind, encourages sensitivity and compassion. But beware, too much purple is believed to exacerbate depression in those vulnerable to it. It is a colour that should be used in the home sparingly.

If you feel like Purple is the colour for you, you certainly have some beautiful options. Just remember that the season will affect what is available to you for your event.

Royal Navy (purple) sweet pea — Sweet Pea. Source: Eden Brothers

Bearded iris — Bearded Iris. Source: Comanche Acres Iris

Purple tulips — Deep purple tulips. Source: Jbirdny

Purple Lilac blooms — Purple Vanda Orchids

Purple Lisianthus. Source: Danisa Flowers

Various purple hyacinths — Various purple toned hyacinths. Source: Garden Design

Pretty purple carnations — Gorgeous purple carnations. Source: Pro Flowers

Butterfly buddleja — Butterfly Buddleja. Source: Not Cutts

Purple and mauve roses. Source: Gold Florist

Summery hydrangea. Sourced via Pinterest

Deep purple delphinium — Delphinium. Source: Walters Garden

Another gorgeous colour to kick off your inspiration. Enjoy!

Fwf x

Colour In Your Life – Burgundy

June 28, 2018 admin Leave a comment

For whatever reason, individuals seem to be drawn to certain colours. Maybe it is entrenched from a young age; perhaps you were told that a particular colour really suited your complexion, you liked the way that felt, and before you know it, you favour that colour in almost every aspect of your life.

Or perhaps you like the way a colour makes you feel. Green, for example, I find very soothing and calming…and who doesn’t need that kind of influence in today’s world?! Being surrounded with natural greenery or accessorising with green through my home, helps create a feeling of Zen.

The benefit of favouring a colour, is as you become more comfortable with it, you build confidence in playing around with it, trying different combinations, and experimenting with different ‘looks’.

A colour can dictate a theme within a home, or create a scheme for a wedding, or party. It is not necessary to match your flowers to the other elements, instead, you use the flowers to tie the other elements together. Perhaps you like a particular colour flower….well, you can use that as your inspiration and build your colour scheme around it.

This week, we take a look at BURGUNDY. Burgundy gets its name from the colour of Burgundy Wine, and often the terms Burgundy, the French term “Bordeaux” and Wine are interchangeable to describe the colour tone.

Burgundy is a shade lighter than maroon, and became the most popular hue for lipstick back in the 1990’s. It is a rich deep red to brown colour with a purple tint. It is a rich and sophisticated colour associated with a love of the luxurious. It is thoughtful and controlled, serious, rested, yet warm and comfortable.

Burgundy looks great with:

Deep violet, burgundy, gold, antique blush and soft grey tones; the perfect balance of rich and soft colour tones. This mix has a touch of vibrancy with the addition of the gold.

Rich burgundy teamed with sage green, navy blue and blush pink is a grounded combination that features earthy tones together with the soft femininity of blush pink. Depending on how much of the blush tones you decide to use, this mix could be fairly deep, dark….even moody, making it quite a dramatic choice.

The combination of mauve, soft pink and soft grey would be very soft and pastel. In fact, if not played against something rich, it could end up looking rather insipid. But, put together with the deep sophistication of burgundy, the mix is rich and romantic.

Check out the gorgeous burgundy flowers that you can choose from if you decide to use it as your inspirational feature colour.

Amaranthus is also known as love lies bleeding — Amaranthus, aka Love lies bleeding. The colour and texture make this such an interesting choice. Source; Swallowtail Garden Seeds

Burgundy peonies are stunning — Peonies are always a popular choice, but the stunning burgundy is something extra special. Source; Ali Express

Burgunday dahlias — Dahlias are always an explosion of colour, and the burgundy version is no exception. Source; Ali Express

Deep burgunday gladioli will make a statement in a vase — Burgundy gladioli. Source; Stargazer Perennials Catalogue

Ranunculus are available in many colours including burgunday/wine — Burgundy/wine ranunculus

Snapdragons are available in a wide variety of colours including this rich red burgundy tone — Burgunday Snapdragons.

Bordeaux Anenome — Stunning burgundy anenomes. Source; Zulily

Burgundy calla lilies are often referred to as black in colour — Burgundy Calla lilies are sometimes referred to as Black in colour.

Like everything in nature, colours will vary, and what may be considered burgundy in one flower variety could vary wildly to another burgundy flower. Colour schemes are not as straight forward as picking from Pantone colour charts, it is impossible to match things in nature like that. Instead choose a scheme and understand that matching colours is not imperative to make a scheme work, but rather working with tonal variations.

Fwf x

2018’s Ultra Cool Colour of The Year

January 4, 2018January 4, 2018 admin Leave a comment

As we begin another year, fresh and filled with promise, for us creatives we also get a glimpse into what the year ahead may look like. This year Pantone has announced a blue based purple dubbed “Ultra Violet” as the years unique colour. It is a colour that will feature heavily throughout 2018 in all facets of design; clothing, furniture, decorator items, homewares and of course will influence what clients choose to decorate their homes, and lives with.

This in turn will influence the bridal industry and will determine the colour palettes we will work with when creating a theme for bridal parties who are dressed in this year’s colour of the year.

Inventive and imaginative, Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.

-Pantone

Purple has been a colour for individuality and non conformity for some time. It symbolises experimentation, imagination and enables an individual to truly accept what makes them unique. Ultra Violet has also been a colour associated with the mystic and the mindful. It is often used for lighting in meditation to energise and inspire connection. Ultra Violet is also associated with being intuitive and spiritual. It is exploratory: outwardly as well as inwardly.

Over the years, designers have eagerly awaited the announcement of Pantone’s colour of the year. More recently though, the interest has appeared to spill over to the general public. It is true that we all do take more interest in colour, design and aesthetics nowadays, and perhaps it is as simple as that, however, Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Colour Institute believes that is has come to mean far more than that.

“The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today.” He says.

For florists purple is a lovely colour to work with. It is a colour that lends itself beautifully to a variety of themes. Create a soft cottage garden affair with a combination of ultra violet, silver, soft pink and whisper whites. It is equally as stunning with deep fushcia and lime green with more of a tropical feel. Or, using a selection of blooms in varying purple tones, create a gorgeous monochromatic design. And when demure is not your vibe, pairing Ultra Violet with her true opposite orange, will create a display that will demand attention. It is clashy, contrasting and unapologetic.

It isn’t just brides who will want a bit of Ultra Violet in their lives this year: Florists cater to a variety of customers. A vase full of fresh flowers in Ultra Violet by the bed, in the bathroom or in an entranceway can add just the right amount of Pantone’s chosen colour to be ‘on trend’ without having to rush out and change your complete decor. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it doesn’t even have to be mixed. A vase of fresh flower ‘en masse’ as they say, looks fabulously stylish, and anyone can do it!

Check out some of the gorgeous flowers that are available in Ultra Violet: hyacinth, stock, tulips, kale, sweet peas, anenomes, orchids, iris, asters, carnations, roses, and much much more.

So whether purple is your colour or not, we hope to see your faces back in store throughout the year,

Fwf x

It’s Never Too Late To CREATE!

October 5, 2017October 5, 2017 admin Leave a comment

“Creativity is intelligence having fun”– Albert Einstein

Some people are street smart, others are book smart, and some other people are smart in a way that many are envious of…they are creative. Creative people have a unique way of looking at the world, and at looking at problems….coming up with solutions that others could not contemplate.

A 91 year old Czech woman has spent the last 30 odd years beautifying a small village, turning it into her own art gallery by hand painting flowers over the facade of the houses. It looks like Louka, a small town of only about 70 people in the Czech Republic, is set to become the next village famous simply for being charming and beautiful. Anežka (Agnes) Kašpárková, paints the window and door frames of the houses throughout spring and summer, slowly covering her hometown in her ultramarine designs. After working for years in agriculture, cultivating plants to support her family, Agnes turned to painting about 30 years ago having being mentored by Manakova, a local women. When she passed away Agnes decided to continue her work. She uses bright blue paints which contrast the white walls of the Moravian homes. Creating intricate designs free hand, without drafting, her inspiration is from the traditional Southern Czech (Moravian) artworks. The chapel enjoys an annual touch up each May, when the artist spends 10 days decorating the freshly whitewashed chapel walls.

Why does she do it? “I am an Artist. I just enjoy it and I want to help.” Agnes says. “I’m just doing what I like,” she adds, humbly. “I try to help decorate the world a bit.”

paint 2 — Image by Obec Louka via Bored Panda

paint 1 — Image by Obec Louka via Bored Panda. Agnes seen here painstakingly painting the floral motifs

paint 3 — Image by Obec Louka via Bored Panda. “I am an Artist. I just enjoy it and I want to help.”

It is not the first time something like this has been done….do you remember the little Polish village that is also adorned with flowers?

Zalipie, in Poland was just an isolated small town; bleak and somewhat forgotten. The smoke blackened huts of the village provided the local housewives with the appropriate inspiration. Initially, the women began painting the houses to disguise the black and sooty scars left by the smoke filtering out from the stoves. The women would hide the spots of soot within the intricate flower designs; a unique floral motif designed for each house, therein transforming the village into a kaleidoscope of colour and creativity. Gradually the designs began to make their way onto the outside of the houses, allowing the world to see the colour and intricacies. The quaint village has now become one of southern Poland’s best kept treasures, bringing visitors to the once quiet town.

As modern cooking methods improved, the need for these designs was lost however the town has kept them and continued to adorn any structure they can with the colourful designs; houses, bridges, chicken coop….there are no limits.

paint 4 — Zalipie, Poland- a quaint village adorned with unique floral motifs designed and executed by the town’s housewives

paint 5 — Image; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

paint 6 — Intricate designs. Just look at the detail in each of the flowers and leaves. Image ; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

Beautifying the world around you brings a sense of calm and contentment. But more than that, Agnes reminds us that it is never too late to do something that you love, and be guided by the creativity within.

Not everyone has the option of painting a whole village, but a vaseful of fresh cut flowers or a lush indoor plant can beautify your little world. Check out what we have online via the links, or come in store to say ‘Hi’.

Fwf x

Wedding Inspirations; Pina Colada

August 31, 2017 admin Leave a comment

When people think weddings- it is easy to assume that it needs to be white all the way. Tradition says it is so, so it must be, right? But these days really anything goes. A wedding is a celebration that brings together two peoples styles (well, in theory anyway) so essentially no two weddings need be alike.

For those who enjoy, nay love a bit of colour, a wedding can feel quite restrictive if you let your head get filled with other people’s ideas of what your day should look like. So this week, I am sharing with you a colour scheme I refer to as ‘Pina Colada’- a mixture of pink, orange and gold tones. Certainly it is not for everyone, but for those brave enough to saturate their day in vibrant colour, well, this combo may just win you over 😉

I guess something that you may take into consideration when choosing a colour palette that is a bright and vivacious as this one, is that it can dictate the vibe of your soiree also. Indian weddings are notoriously brightly coloured, and they do it so brilliantly. Using brighter colour tones can bring joy and exuberance, and less formality. Give this some consideration when you are in the planning stages.

Get the look;

Colours; I like to think of this colour palette as a gorgeous sunset which means that it can cover just about anything from soft apricots, lemons and powder pinks, to mid pink, burnt orange, coral, salmon, mango, gold and hot pinks- take your pick!

If you choose to go for the more pastel colouring, the result will be far softer and can suit more vintage theming. Brighter exotic flowers will suit a coastal/beach themed celebration.

pina 9 — Image; Luna and Chloe Weddings via look o on flickr

pina col 1

bouquet 1, Marquee,

pina col 2

cake, bouquet 2, bouquet 3

pale pina 2 — Image; Flowers by Anthomanic via Grey Likes Weddings

Flowers; Depending on whether you prefer the bright vibrant hues or the paler tones you will obviously have different options of flowers to use within this theme. Of course seasonality will ultimately dictate what is available at the time of year you get married.

Poppies would be an awesome choice within this colour theme as well as peonies, roses, billy buttons, ranunculus, freesias, David Austin roses, pink or red hypericum, dahlias, freesias, orchids, jasmine, cumquot branches, calla lilies.

Accessories; This vibrant, vivacious theme lends itself to fun and funky accessories and decorations; thongs, petal confetti, lollies as favours, coloured beverages, windmills etc. Or what about water-coloured invitations, place cards and table numbers, floral table runners and gold plated cutlery? Delicious!

Red, Pink, and Orange #candy #favors — Image; Via Pinterest

Now if this page has had you dreaming of the coming summer, keen to walk barefoot on the beach, and (gasp!) perhaps even have a dip…. then I have done my job. Perhaps it has inspired you to get some fresh cut flowers and brighten up your home with winter behind us TOMORROW! Spring flowers are blooming and we have a magical selection available in-store and for local Sydney delivery, so come in and say Hello!

Fwf x

Colour

2019, The Year of Living Coral

A Home Among The Gum Trees

Colour Your Life- Coral

Colour Your Life – Baby Blue

Colour Your Life – Wonderfully White

Colour in Your Life – Royal Purple

Colour In Your Life – Burgundy

2018’s Ultra Cool Colour of The Year

It’s Never Too Late To CREATE!

Wedding Inspirations; Pina Colada

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