What do you say to
an empty vase?
We asked seven of the most inventive floral designers and artists we know to design flower arrangements using our newest vase collections. Check out their wildly inventive responses, and pick up some tips to inspire your own.
Sophia Moreno-Bunge, ISA ISA Los Angeles
@isaisafloral
@isaisafloral
The arrangement:
“Playful, seasonal, and quirky.”
The inspiration:
“I love the simplicity and effortlessness of the clear glass Monoblokk Vase. I love seeing the stems, and the wide shape of the vase allows for an arrangement that feels like a canvas of florals.”
The elements:
“Camellia, the winter rose – one of my all-time favorite flowers – and yellow brugmansia: There’s nothing more special to me than a bell-shaped hanging flower, and these smell incredible. I wanted the arrangement to feel like you just picked it from the garden. Citrus branches weight the arrangement while the blooming quince branches give it airiness and height.”
Advice: “You really can’t go wrong with this type of vessel; the narrow dimension helps. It might seem difficult to get the stems to stay put, but once you add a few stems, they help hold each other in place.”
“Playful, seasonal, and quirky.”
The inspiration:
“I love the simplicity and effortlessness of the clear glass Monoblokk Vase. I love seeing the stems, and the wide shape of the vase allows for an arrangement that feels like a canvas of florals.”
The elements:
“Camellia, the winter rose – one of my all-time favorite flowers – and yellow brugmansia: There’s nothing more special to me than a bell-shaped hanging flower, and these smell incredible. I wanted the arrangement to feel like you just picked it from the garden. Citrus branches weight the arrangement while the blooming quince branches give it airiness and height.”
Advice: “You really can’t go wrong with this type of vessel; the narrow dimension helps. It might seem difficult to get the stems to stay put, but once you add a few stems, they help hold each other in place.”
Marisa Competello, MetaFlora New York City
@metafloranyc
@metafloranyc
The arrangement:
“Sculptural”
The inspiration:
“The Cobra Vase is quite large, so I wanted to create a dramatic volume.”
The elements:
“I used a variety of dried palms. This vase doesn’t hold water, so it’s the perfect vessel to create a long-lasting dried arrangement.”
Advice:
“Have fun! There are no rules.”
“Sculptural”
The inspiration:
“The Cobra Vase is quite large, so I wanted to create a dramatic volume.”
The elements:
“I used a variety of dried palms. This vase doesn’t hold water, so it’s the perfect vessel to create a long-lasting dried arrangement.”
Advice:
“Have fun! There are no rules.”
Sophie Parker, WIFE Brooklyn, NY
@wifenyc
@wifenyc
The arrangement:
“A botanical extension of the vase, I see it as having a soft geometry, playfulness of form, and an expressive personality.”
The inspiration:
“With the Kink Vase, where the shape and scale is so unique, it’s an opportunity to let the blooms take on a more sculptural quality. I created an airy negative space between stems by using two large ikebana floral pin frogs to secure them. As I painted the leaves, I channeled the shape of the vessel into the brushstrokes and composition.”
The elements:
“Elephant ear philodendron leaves and anthuriums became geometric canvases, snake allium echoed the curvilinear language of the vessel, and Icelandic poppies literally pop with color.”
Advice:
“With a vessel like this, approach an arrangement more like a sculpture. There is so much geometric potential in this simple U-shape that can be in dialogue with the plants and flowers you choose. Experiment with simple lines, unexpected colors, and expressive forms.”
“A botanical extension of the vase, I see it as having a soft geometry, playfulness of form, and an expressive personality.”
The inspiration:
“With the Kink Vase, where the shape and scale is so unique, it’s an opportunity to let the blooms take on a more sculptural quality. I created an airy negative space between stems by using two large ikebana floral pin frogs to secure them. As I painted the leaves, I channeled the shape of the vessel into the brushstrokes and composition.”
The elements:
“Elephant ear philodendron leaves and anthuriums became geometric canvases, snake allium echoed the curvilinear language of the vessel, and Icelandic poppies literally pop with color.”
Advice:
“With a vessel like this, approach an arrangement more like a sculpture. There is so much geometric potential in this simple U-shape that can be in dialogue with the plants and flowers you choose. Experiment with simple lines, unexpected colors, and expressive forms.”
LaParis Phillips, Brooklyn Blooms Brooklyn, NY
@brooklynbloomsnyc
@brooklynbloomsnyc
The arrangement:
“It’s funky and free. I didn’t have many dried blooms on hand, so I wanted to challenge myself: Let’s see what beauty I can make.”
The inspiration:
“With the Sphere Bubble Vase’s slim neck, it led me to choose blooms with slender stems and movement for impact. The vase has a very modern yet handmade, natural feel to it, so I wanted to play off that simplicity.”
The elements:
“Purple caspia, dried eucalyptus pods, dyed palm spheres, preserved bunny tail, and sweet hawk branches.”
Advice:
“Lay a good foundation with your foliage so your flower stems have something to intertwine with. I like to have my stems at various lengths to create depth and movement. Keep it loose!”
“It’s funky and free. I didn’t have many dried blooms on hand, so I wanted to challenge myself: Let’s see what beauty I can make.”
The inspiration:
“With the Sphere Bubble Vase’s slim neck, it led me to choose blooms with slender stems and movement for impact. The vase has a very modern yet handmade, natural feel to it, so I wanted to play off that simplicity.”
The elements:
“Purple caspia, dried eucalyptus pods, dyed palm spheres, preserved bunny tail, and sweet hawk branches.”
Advice:
“Lay a good foundation with your foliage so your flower stems have something to intertwine with. I like to have my stems at various lengths to create depth and movement. Keep it loose!”
Rebecca Bartoshesky New York City
@bartoshesky
@bartoshesky
The arrangement:
“Elegant, sculptural.”
The inspiration:
“The process of how the Charred Vase was made inspired me to choose foliage with earth tones. It was made using the vanishing Portuguese art of Barro Preto, where the pottery is buried and fired in an underground pit to achieve its charred finish.”
The elements:
“I used preserved leatherleaf and dried bougainvillea. The shape of the vase is quite nontraditional, so I chose unusual foliage to complement it. I wanted to use sculptural branches that would visually balance the unexpected shape of the vase.”
Advice:
“Sometimes less is more. One beautiful stem can make as much of a statement as a whole bunch of flowers.”
Photo credit: Heami Lee
“Elegant, sculptural.”
The inspiration:
“The process of how the Charred Vase was made inspired me to choose foliage with earth tones. It was made using the vanishing Portuguese art of Barro Preto, where the pottery is buried and fired in an underground pit to achieve its charred finish.”
The elements:
“I used preserved leatherleaf and dried bougainvillea. The shape of the vase is quite nontraditional, so I chose unusual foliage to complement it. I wanted to use sculptural branches that would visually balance the unexpected shape of the vase.”
Advice:
“Sometimes less is more. One beautiful stem can make as much of a statement as a whole bunch of flowers.”
Photo credit: Heami Lee
Manu Torres, Florescent Portland, Oregon
@uunnaamm
@uunnaamm
The arrangement:
“Flamboyantly colorful and dynamic. The palms’ gestures remind me of the arms of a flamenco dancer ready to dance.”
The inspiration:
“The shape of the Sphere Vase reminded me of an ikebana vase. I knew I wanted to make something airy with strong structure and graceful shapes.”
The elements:
“Dried palm cuttings, which were spray-painted; a paper fan; dried monstera leaves hand-painted with iridescent metallic paint; a dried artichoke flower [in the center] which was spray-painted and dip-dyed; preserved grasses, dip-dyed pink; and feathers.”
Advice:
“I love this vase and its versatility! At one point I filled it with tall pampas grasses and it looked stunning. In another instance I had just a single dried fan palm in it for a minimalist look and it looked just as great. My advice is to be bold.”
“Flamboyantly colorful and dynamic. The palms’ gestures remind me of the arms of a flamenco dancer ready to dance.”
The inspiration:
“The shape of the Sphere Vase reminded me of an ikebana vase. I knew I wanted to make something airy with strong structure and graceful shapes.”
The elements:
“Dried palm cuttings, which were spray-painted; a paper fan; dried monstera leaves hand-painted with iridescent metallic paint; a dried artichoke flower [in the center] which was spray-painted and dip-dyed; preserved grasses, dip-dyed pink; and feathers.”
Advice:
“I love this vase and its versatility! At one point I filled it with tall pampas grasses and it looked stunning. In another instance I had just a single dried fan palm in it for a minimalist look and it looked just as great. My advice is to be bold.”
Alyson Fox Neskowin, Oregon
@alyson_fox
@alyson_fox
The arrangement:
“Things collected while walking to the beach – we recently moved from Texas to the Oregon coast.”
The inspiration:
“I have been doing a series of ikebana arrangements made from things found on my walks. I love the idea of picking up things around you that remind you of your day or make you slow down. The Guggenheim Vase looks like sculpture, and I loved that its ‘feet’ felt like a pedestal to place something on.”
The elements:
“Just what I found on my walk – an interesting shape of bark, some feathery branches, white firework-shaped flowers, a pine cone and some tiny dried brown foliage – whatever was calling me.”
Advice:
“Have fun! This vase is a stunning object on its own, so all it needs is something very simple. I love to watch the journey of flowers, so putting them in the vase and letting them dry tells a nice story. Things have many lives.”
“Things collected while walking to the beach – we recently moved from Texas to the Oregon coast.”
The inspiration:
“I have been doing a series of ikebana arrangements made from things found on my walks. I love the idea of picking up things around you that remind you of your day or make you slow down. The Guggenheim Vase looks like sculpture, and I loved that its ‘feet’ felt like a pedestal to place something on.”
The elements:
“Just what I found on my walk – an interesting shape of bark, some feathery branches, white firework-shaped flowers, a pine cone and some tiny dried brown foliage – whatever was calling me.”
Advice:
“Have fun! This vase is a stunning object on its own, so all it needs is something very simple. I love to watch the journey of flowers, so putting them in the vase and letting them dry tells a nice story. Things have many lives.”
