One part of the sister trio behind The Star Sydney’s favourite florist, Floral Desire Studio, shares her top tips to creating the perfect flower centrepiece.
Meet Olivia, Trish and Danielle, the sister trio who own and run Floral Desire Studio in Pyrmont, one of Sydney’s top luxury floral boutiques. Olivia and her sisters have been supplying florals to The Star Sydney for around nine years and absolutely love what they do. Together they create stunning floral installations for various public areas and venues within The Star Sydney, including the hotel lobby and the VIP-only Sovereign Room. They also create floral arrangements and centrepieces for bespoke events big and small.
It’s Olivia’s privilege to go to the Sydney Flower Markets regularly to collect the flowers. “I’ve been doing the markets for the last 20 years and I love it! It’s such a busy place early in the morning and I’m surrounded by amazing flowers and people who share my passion. I love when the first bunch of flowers of the season hit the market.”
With winter well and truly underway we asked Olivia what flowers she’s loving for the season. “We love Cymbidium orchids,” she says. “I love using them during winter because it is their peak season in Sydney; they’re amazing and it’s great to buy from Australian farms!”
Oliva reveals Lily of the Valley or Gardenias are among her favourite blooms, but admits that it changes every season. We caught up with Olivia to find out her top tips on how to create a stunning floral centrepiece with real wow factor.
Create a mood board of inspiration
If it’s a big-ticket event you’re planning, you’ll need to consider how the look and feel of your flowers will come together. “When we’re creating flower centrepieces for an event for The Star Sydney, we will meet with the team to discuss the styling and designs or if they have any colour preference and budget,” says Olivia. “We then go back and create a mood board with ideas to present.”
Consider the colour wheel of your flowers
There are so many colour combinations that work well in floral centrepieces, says Olivia, but one of her favourites is hot pink and orange. “I also love white/ivory and greens – it’s clean and elegant. Monotones are also very on trend, and we love that!”
Work from the base up
It pays to be diligent and take your time in the world of floral centrepieces. “Make sure all of the mechanics that you are creating the base and frame of your floral installation with are absolutely perfect and secure before the flowers are added,” says Olivia. She also recommends always having the brief for the installation on hand, too.
Make sure the water is always clean
This tip applies no matter if you’re creating a DIY flower arrangement for your coffee table, or a gorgeous artistic flower installation for a milestone event. “The average life span of a flower is five to seven days, depending on the temperature of the room that the flowers are in,” says Olivia. “Make sure the water is always clean and change it every two days – that will remove any bacteria living in the water. No foliage below the water line is a great tip, too.”
Nurture your flowers like babies
The flower ordering process for big events is tricky, tells Olivia, as the sisters need the flowers open on the day of the event. “Flowers can start arriving for an event four days prior,” says Olivia. “We personally inspect all flowers when we pick them up from the suppliers and bring them back to the shop. We then nurture them like babies to ensure they are perfect on the day of the event.”
Want to plan an event at The Star Sydney featuring Floral Desire Studio’s blooms? Find out more information on event planning at The Star Sydney.
We thought you might also like…
