It is a truth universally acknowledged that florists never receive flowers for Valentine’s Day. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we take it in stride. Instead, we turn our focus to decorating your kitchen tables and helping people express love to you. I mean, I love you a lot, too. If you were mine,…
Image by Jessica Pages I’m so thrilled to dedicate today’s Wild Love column to the wonderful talents of Jonathan Adler & Simon Doonan, a true power couple whose joyful vision has invigorated contemporary design. While Adler and Doonan have separate, independently strong careers of their own makings, it’s clear that their styles have greatly informed…
The only natural joy left in mid-winter (aside from citrus fruit) are forced bulbs. Now is the time when muscari start to show up in every grocery store and corner bodgeda for less than a latte. Sometimes called grape hyacinth, they are better know as simply the only fool-proof cure for seasonal affective disorder. Winter….
Image above: Illustration by Julia Rothman Happy March! Living in New York this winter has felt a bit like being caught inside a snow globe held by some angry child who just won’t stop shaking the darn thing. But now it’s March, and I’m feeling spring breathing down winter’s neck. I’m ready to eat outside,…
Catching a winter cold? There is only one cure — a little vitamin C. The same holds true in the floral world; the bright spot on our winter horizon is the mountains of fresh, seasonal citrus fruits being harvested in Florida and California. If you’re lucky, you can find kumquats, oranges and lemons on the…
Last fall I was waiting in line for brunch at Five Leaves and stumbled upon the cutest little pop-up flower table. Rows of tiny arrangements were being sold and taken home in petite cups, and it took everything I had not to bring them all home. I tucked the florist’s card in my pocket and…
Image by Julie Cope [Editor’s note: I’m thrilled to introduce both a new column and contributor to Design*Sponge. I met florist Mary Kathryn Paynter of Loretta Flower in Austin and instantly fell in love with her floral designs. So I was delighted to hear her fantastic idea for a new column called Wild Love dedicated…
In a post-holiday world, potted amaryllis languish forgotten and forsaken in the corners of every grocery store floral section. If you look past the holographic foil gift wrapping, there are some serious possibilities for unexpected and gorgeous arrangements when you boldly clip off the bloom. Now is the time, too, because bulbs and plants can…
Sometimes red and green flashing lights and an inflatable Santa perched on your roof are the best way to decorate for the holidays. Sometimes not. For those not times, I find myself really attracted to natural trimmings that don’t scream Christmas. Added bonus, your shame is lessened when you don’t get around to taking them…
Somehow, unbelievably, it has become the time of year when people put wreathes on their front doors. I must have left my brain back in mid-summer and instead am standing stupefied at the thought of snow on the ground. Nothing speaks to late fall like the arrival of bittersweet and rosehips, so to celebrate the…
If this morning’s summer colors seem a little far away in terms of seasonality, maybe this beautiful autumn birthday from Loretta Flower will be more fitting. Loretta Flower is the Austin-based floral studio of Mary Kathryn Paynter, who creates stunning floral designs that embody the sort of loose, organic feel that so many of us…
Look out your window right now. With any luck, you can see leaves. With a smidge more luck, they are changing color. While October riots here on the East Coast, nothing begs to be worshiped like fall foliage. Walking anywhere takes twice as long, as you’re constantly bending over to stash the prettiest of the…
It’s Amy Merrick here, mastermind behind Design*Sponge’s Living In column. Starting this week, I will be contributing floral posts to the site every other Friday, attempting to fill the big hole in our hearts left by the beloved ladies of Studio Choo. I’ll be wooing you with tips, tricks, triumphs and tribulations from my Brooklyn-based…
The best part of my job at Design*Sponge is getting to work with the amazing artists, designers, writers and crafters that make up our team. It’s been a joy and honor to work with Amy Merrick (our resident flower, Made with Love and movie style expert) for the past few years, and I’m overjoyed to…
When the weather heats up, those of us who can’t live without flowers in our house face a sticky situation- blast the AC even if we’d rather only use it for the hottest days or let our beloved flowers wilt when all we want is the windows down. After a trip to the Wave Hill…
If you know anything about me at this point, it’s that I like to give the people what they want. And typically, what the people want is exactly what I want. That’s why this week, “p” is for peony! I had so many requests to feature this bloom — and clearly it is one of…
Welcome back, readers! Although typically I struggle to decide which beautiful treasure to feature in the “a-z” posts, this week there was simply no dithering. ”O” is for orchid (in this case, the cymbidium orchid). This flower has many wonderful, versatile properties – it can appear feminine or masculine, fragile or sturdy. Designing with orchids…
This has been a week full of moments that I won’t forget for a long time: the excitement of launching a year-long redesign; the patience-building of absorbing the criticism that comes with a big change; welcoming new members to our team; embarking on an exciting special-edition summer project; and being part of an important conversation…
We have always been a tad obsessed with the tiny worlds inside beautifully frosted sugar eggs. When Jill was a little girl, she got one every Easter and set it on her nightstand to peer into long after the holiday was over (much too long — once it even attracted some new inhabitants . ….
Greetings from the flower alphabet think tank! This week, I thought to feature a quirky little bloom that is primarily used as an accompaniment in arrangements. “K” is for kangaroo paw! You can see the fuzzy paw-like flower above, nestled in among other friendly blooms. A native of Australia, the kangaroo paw got its name…
