I’m sure I could lay here for hours, listening to the gentle ripples of the water…

We’ve just placed fresh flowers in all of our rooms and it really makes a difference to the mood!  I love the bright colours… perfect for cheering you up on a rainy day.  Why not think of new ways to display your bunch, such as in a watering can (above), colourful tin bucket (below) or milk jug?

Beautiful, bright summer fabrics look fantastic draped over white furniture

images via decorativecountryliving.com and Country Living magazine

All biscuits are handmade, baked using the best well-sourced ingredients.  Each range is lovingly designed and iced by hand to perfection. 

Stevie Congdon and Harriet Hastings are also co-directors of leading London catering company Lettice.

posted by Emily

Hanna works mostly with patterns that change shape, focusing on when something beautiful transforms into something new or acquires an unexpected function.

 The wallpaper below is designed so that the user peels back a select section of the wall, allowing customization of the the pattern and giving each wall its own identity.

It’s amazing how fabric can be manipulated to look as fabulous as this, below!

Origami folded fabric, in collaboration with interior designer Marie Dreiman

Picture taken by Cali Kay.

First up, the fabulously decadent Mayfair Hotel in London…

Talk about co-ordinating… Even the shoes match the cushions! I have to say, I think the colour is just amazing. A paler pink would make it all very sugary. The darkness of this however adds a touch of sophistication.

Speaking of sophistication, I think I might be a little bit in love with the spa in the Watermark Hotel…

It just looks like the perfect place to relax with your partner. The muted colours, the plants, the candles… On second thought, it looks like the perfect place to relax on your own! And while we’re on the topic of bathing away the stresses of the day, check out the bathroom in The Bale hotel in Bali..

Now that is pure indulgence! Once again, it’s all about the candles and the flowers. Is there anything those little things can’t improve?! And fortunately, this little talk of candles brings us seamlessly (ahem…) to this little picture of paradise, courtesy of the Bucuti beach resort in Aruba…

I realise of course that this is not really interior design, but I just couldn’t help myself. This for me, is just the essence of romance. But I should probably stop staring at it and just post this!

This next vase is just too 007 not to be included here…

And while we’re on the subject of things you wouldn’t normally think of using as vases, who would have thought that a fish could smell like flowers!

Two fish vase by Christofle $315, at vivre.com

And finally, my favourite. As the two pieces of this vase, created by industrial designer Alessandro Beda, are separate, you can make it as long or short as you want. It really is a gorgeously unusual vase!

Whale vase, by Alessandro Beda

1. Cube Vases

Cube vases are the simplest of all vases to use and are great for presenting a bunch of short stems in a clean, modern way – think anemones, tulips or peonies. All flowers can be used in a cube vase, but what’s important is having enough blooms to fill the vase. If you don’t have many flowers, or the stems are very long, try tying them together just below the flower heads to create a massed effect. If your flowers need a little help to stay upright, use a grid of sticky tape across the top (this will work on larger vases too), making sure the spacing is regular. Insert stems through the holes in the grid; but put the water in first, as wet sticky tape does not stick.

2. Very Large Vases

If the flower stems are shorter than the depth of the vase, scrunch up some cellophane and push it into the base of the vase to support the stems. Then use florists’ tape to make a grid across the top of the vase for support.  Finally, add the flowers in the vase in colour groups. as they would grow in the garden.

3. Flared Vases

The flared vase is probably the most common vase available, yet it can be the most problematic vase in terms of shape. Use too few flowers and your stems will fall to the side, leaving the centre of the vase empty. Start by placing stems around the edge of the vase, working in a clockwise direction. Continue in this manner, using large blooms towards the centre and smaller flowers or foliage around the edge of the vase. The rule is that stems should be no longer than the height and a half of the vase. You can go shorter than that, but not taller.

4. Bud Vases

How often do you break a flower head off when arranging flowers, yet can’t bring yourself to throw it away? This is when the bud vase come into its own. Bud vases have a narrow neck that’s designed to hold and showcase one perfect bloom. I have been known to use test tubes, tea cups, milk bottles and pretty vintage scent bottles as bud vases – experiment with different vases and see how a single flower can bring them to life. Increase the impact by lining a series of bud vases along a mantelpiece or choose vases of different heights and pop a single bloom in each one before grouping them together in the centre of a table.

Grouping vases

Instead of using just one vase, divide your flowers into groups according to variety, height or colour, then arrange them in separate vases of different shapes and heights – it will make more of the flowers you have. Or, if you’ve been given a bouquet with an odd mix of flowers, this idea will make them work together much better.

This month’s edition of Easy Living also features our bestelling Safi bowls in pink! See p.216 on the mirrored dresser next to the Fishtail lamp and small glass vase.

Images & text from Easy Living Magazine November 2008.

Indeed, we should think of vases and flowers as decorative accents in their own right and display them to that effect. I quote from the book: “Vases are like rooms within themselves; they are what houses the flower or objects. If you think of a vase in this way, it frees up the mind to come up with new, creative ways of furnishing it. One of my signature pieces is the globe glass bowl filled with white sand and coral or filled with nothing more than a coil of natural rope…”

In fact, most of Kelly’s arrangements are quite simple so you can easily replicate them. Our Orb vase is perfect for displaying orchids and tulips or for sprinkling rose petals (as in the photos above), whilst lining up many of our Tall Stem vases in a row will create a striking effect, or try our Bullet vase for a stunning architectural centerpiece.

Useful Tips:
- alcoves, shelves, tabletops and windowsills are perfect for displaying vases and flowers.
- group lots of vases together for an increased wow effect, but don’t mix and match otherwise the result will look cluttered and messy.
- use one type of flower and colour in each vase.
- don’t just stick to flowers – leaves, grass, celery, sand or rope all provide a great visual result.