Pretty Isn't Really the Point

Obviously, we want things to be beautiful.

That feels like a fairly reasonable expectation when you're hiring a florist.

But lately, we've been thinking about how pretty and interesting aren't always the same thing.

Something can be perfectly beautiful and still be completely forgettable.

And something can be a little strange. Slightly off-balance, wildly textured, too tall, unexpectedly sculptural. And suddenly you can't stop looking at it.

That's usually what we're after.

Not ugly.

Let's be clear.

We're not trying to make anyone uncomfortable at dinner.

But we do like a little tension.

Something soft next to something structural.

Something refined next to something wild.

A perfectly beautiful flower next to the weird stem everyone else would have thrown away.

Those combinations tend to stay with you.

We've noticed the same thing outside of flowers, too.

The most interesting rooms aren't usually the ones where everything matches perfectly.

The best outfits aren't always perfectly coordinated.

The spaces we remember often have one thing that feels slightly unexpected.

Maybe that's why we keep coming back to the same words when we're designing lately.

Sculptural.

Movement.

Texture.

Scale.

A little weird.

Not because we're trying to make flowers complicated.

Quite the opposite.

We're trying to pay attention to what makes something worth looking at twice.

Sometimes it's an enormous installation.

Sometimes it's one strange stem.

Sometimes the answer is restraint.

And sometimes the most important thing you can do is leave a little space.

Pretty is great.

We simply don't think it should be the end of the conversation.