Holiday Transformation of a Chic Soho Residence, 2010
Now that the holiday season is fully upon us, we wanted to give you a taste of In Bloom New York’s own favorite holiday décor for Winter 2010. First in line is the transformation of chic Soho apartment we decorated from corner to cornice in colors, textures and combinations we find unexpected yet steadily in line with the holiday spirit.
The grand loft-style apartment combines living, bar, kitchen and dining areas into a single space. As such, our designers tailored every installation to its individual environment, giving special effects to each while seamlessly combining the various designs into a cohesive whole.
The display on the main entrance table featured an antiqued urn spilling over with red grapes, fresh pomegranates and freeze-dried red & black roses. As the first look of the party, the feeling was festive without making a blatant holiday statement.
Looking ahead to the centrally located bar, guests approached a lit wreath embellished with freeze-dried roses, dried pomegranates & lotus pods, pheasant feathers and eucalyptus. The richly decorated wreath hung as an appropriate alternative to the standard holiday tree.
The environment immediately to the right of the bar became the DJ both whose set-up we framed with a snaking, partially-gilded magnolia leaf garland and fresh red roses. The asymmetrical line of the garland moved the eye along and around the impressive cabinets de curiosités and down towards the decadent food station.
The food station became another focal point looking down the length of the room past the bar and DJ booth -- the grand statement being a 4 foot tall arrangement of rose hips, ruby red roses, tall ilex berries & red dogwood branches in a sterling silver bowl. We served up mixed florals in smaller silver containers combining magnolia leaves, purple & red anemones, hot pink peonies and dried pomegranates. A twisting, handmade white pine & redwood branch garland completed the table design.
Complimentary arrangements for the kitchen combined elements from the table such as redwood branches, purple & red anemones, hot pink peonies and ruby red roses.
In an area nearest the kitchen and entrance, we draped a life-size Grecian marble figure with gilded laurel & holly strung with ruby, black, and two-toned red roses. The result not only embraced but transcended the holiday spirit, allowing the owner the choice of keeping the garland on display for as long as desired.
Reaching far across the space to where guests could lounge, the seating area incorporated timeless and seasonal elements such as red poinsettias and a mantelpiece garland. Instead of obscuring the fireplace with florals we sought to accentuate its design elements by wrapping the columns with more white pine & redwood branch garland. The mantel's cornice of magnolia branches, red dyed eucalyptus, dried pomegranates, lotus pods and hundreds of freeze dried rose came together by the hands-on efforts of Eric, Roshy and Parker. We added glittered birds with exotic plumes as the finishing touches.
And finally, exotic orchids with red dogwood branches paired nicely with ilex bunches in the guest bathroom.
-Parker Voss
Dolce & Gabbana Holiday Window Display 2010
Since late November, In Bloom has been decking the halls with florals at Dolce & Gabbana’s Madison Avenue location. Incorporating live flowers and fruits, the current display features a traditional Sicilian tablescape featuring the Italian fashion house’s own antiques, linens and most importantly - their impeccably tailored clothing. Our floral designers and crew faithfully executed their own design whose aesthetic this season reflected the decadency of a Sicilian dessert table – wine goblets and pastries included.
The garland consisted of fifteen feet of gilded holly and laurel garland carefully draped to reveal the embroidered D&G insignia in lace. Fresh clementines and black-tipped wheat topped off the draping. For the tabletop, the design asked for scattered mounds of whole walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans between collections of fresh pomegranates, lemons and oranges. Red and green grape clusters brimmed over an antique ormolu container at the same level as trays of marzipan fruits, candied cherries, cannolis and other favorite Sicilian delights.
The antique, predominately green glassware spouted loosely arranged ruby red and black magic roses. The varying shapes and heights of each container provided added interest to the grouping of a single type of flower. Overall, the display turned out to be a delicious mouthful for the eye, and we were thankful to be part of the taste-making.
-Parker Voss
Campari 150th Anniversary Party: Design & Planning
Negroni? Campari & Soda? Campari & orange juice? Which is your favorite Campari drink? I am a sucker for a Campari on the rocks with a splash of soda and orange...always delightful on a hot summer day like today...
I'm regressing now! Back to the topic at hand - Campari! Dating back to 1860, this aperitif is one of the most recognizable in the world, primarily due to the brand's beautiful advertisements that have been captivating consumers and art collectors alike for over a century now. This past May, Campari celebrated their 150th Anniversary at The Bowery Hotel and In Bloom New York was asked to create the flower displays as well as the environmental decor for the fete.
The evening was produced by the Art Production Fund, with a special musical performance and never-before-seen works of art by Kalup Linzy. Co-hosting the event were mixologists Tony Abou-Ganim, Jacques Bezuidenhout, Marco Dionysos, Francesco Lafranconi, Lynnette Marrero, Eric Alperin & Allen Katz as well as Manhattan Cocktail Classic and United States Bartenders' Guild.
There were a many elements that we needed to design for this event including bar displays, floral decorations for their vintage advertisements, a large-scale logo for stage backdrop, a photo booth display, one significant entry table design as well as several table centerpieces. We knew we wanted to create something entirely new and fresh while still maintaining Campari's classic brand and image.
Our immediate inspiration came from an antique birdcage at our hands as well as Alexander Mcqueen's 2008 Spring/Summer Butterfly headdress. We wanted there to be whimsy and also an element of darkness in this Campari garden.
First, we began brainstorming for the main installaion that would set the mood for the additional design elements. Envisioning the large antique birdcage coupled with a mannequin on display, we quickly put together a mock-up to get a feel of the layout. We conceived this display based on the image of a beautiful woman who lives in a garden with hair of butterflies and dresses in a bodice of flowers. Reaching out, she embodies an eternal desitre for this bottle housed behind the overgrowth of the antique birdcage.
As for producing this imagination, we first needed to create the bodice for the mannequin. After mapping out the pattern in pencil, we individually hot-glued every petal and ruscus leaf onto the heart shape-leotard. We simply used two elements to keep the design clean and fresh: dark green Italian Ruscus and red rose petals.
We built the boddice from the bottom upward with Italian Ruscus to achieve the effect of organic growth. Ruscus ended up being the perfect plant to achieve this goal.
Next, we added the rose petals one by one. Since the hot glue changed the color of the petal, we needed to ensure that we covered these areas by an overlapping petal. We initially thought to use silk flowers instead of fresh florals but decided against it, keeping in mind that we would have to house the mannequin in our floral refrigerator until the following day to keep the petals fresh.
The last element that we were able to prep in advance was the wisteria and branch design on the antique birdcage. We used branches varying in width, choosing the most twisted and interesting pieces.
Part 2 to follow with photos of the event!
In Bloom Spotlight on the Ostrich Egg
We've set a mission for ourselves to always include an unexpected and memorable element in our designs. Last October, we used ostrich eggs purchased at Dry Nature and used them for small touches of flowers and placed them around the main table display. We filled the eggs with flowers used throughout the display, including black calla lilies, black baccara roses, deep burgundy dahlias, thistle, and amaranth. The eggs were a chic addition to the party and were extremely well received. Check out additional pictures in our Gallery
