For the Home: Cream Flowers

Regular readers will know that I have a passion for fresh flowers.  Nothing makes a room look more complete and welcoming than a spray of something gorgeous!

I'm having a moment of loving simple cream stems with just the foliage adding the zesty pop of colour.  I think they look fabulous sat in glass vases and the shapes below look modern, clean and chic.   

 I love these chubby hydrangea heads, they look neat tucked inside this silver vase. 

 

 

What is your favourite flower look for the home?

Easter Ideas

Easter is fast approaching and I can firmly say it is by far one of my favourite times of year.  Not only do you get to indulge in that perfectly thin Easter egg chocolate morning, noon and night...yes I do!  But it is also the perfect time to get your home looking spring fresh and to add a splash of colour.  Here are some of our favourite decorative ideas to bring some Easter fun in to your home... 

Wreaths seem to be everywhere this Easter.  We are loving the egg variety from Gisela Graham which you can bring out year after year, or if you fancy a fresh floral approach, these tulip creations are gorgeous.  Simply wire the flowers to a wicker wreath and hang with a piece of pretty ribbon.

                                                                                                   

Dying eggs is an Easter must.  At Butterfly Lane we used blue food colouring in warm water to dye this egg blue for our photo shoot.  

Here are some more pretty, decorative ideas for your home involving dyed eggs.

Eggs for breakfast?  It will never be the same again... 

We just couldn't resist these napkins folded in to bunny shapes...

View our Easter collection here.

A Stroll to Columbia Road Flower Market

After a lazy brunch on Sunday morning where I massively indulged on pancakes with a side of well...everything, the fiance and I (still feels strange saying that!), decided to have a walk to Columbia Road flower market, and brave the hectic central isle of the flower stalls.  I have been meaning to visit for some time now and the fact that it is only a short walk from the fiances London pad was an added bonus.  

However nice it is to have a Sunday stroll it was shortly ruined by the freezing temperatures, accompanied by our inappropriate clothing choices...ski gear anyone please!?  It was the sort of cold that cuts straight through you, so we had to stop en route and buy a very wooly hat!  

I was lured to Columbia Road not only by the prospect of stunning fresh flowers, but hopefully the 'reasonable' prices too.  

                            

I am always taken slightly aghast when my beloved hydrangeas cost £20 for a mere four, so I was very happy to see them on sale at Columbia Road for £7 a bunch!  

It's not all about flowers and it was nice to pop in to some of the lovely independent boutiques along the road and in the area.  We fell in love with a gorgeously elegant sofa and chair at Richard Ward at WAWA which would look perfect in our study, and there are some lovely looking tea and cake shops, although we didn't partake after our mammoth pancake indulgence at brunch.

So what did I buy...

I bought some pretty Cherry Blossom at £7.50 a bunch and I just love it.  

Columbia Road Flower Market is open 8am until 3pm (ish) every Sunday. 

Arrange In Style

The simple things in life can really make a difference to your mood and surroundings.  I'm here to talk about flowers!  Flowers make me happy, simple as that.  I love nothing more than receiving, or buying, a bunch of fresh blooms, they are always such a thoughtful gesture (hint to boyfriend), and are always welcome in my home.  

Now an extravagant, colourful display always look beautiful, but we are not channelling wedding day floristry here at Butterfly Lane, therefore my current obsession is a simple display of the same flower.  I just love, love, love Hydrangeas, Peonies at a close second and I'm absolutely loving Chrysanthemum's at the moment.  I recently used cream ones in a photo shoot and they worked so well, simple, understated and chic, just what was required.  

Image from Butterfly Lane  

I also used Papillion Lavender when styling the shoot.  The strong purple really gave the simple white vase a pop, and was a different take on using normal cut blooms.  I think a vase filled with a potted Papillion Lavender would look fabulous either end of a dining room table.

Pretty Papillion Lavender.  Image by Butterfly Lane

I truly believe that simple arrangements look so elegant and chic, so no need to get too extravagant, unless it's your passion of course.  But, with more and more of us being time poor but still want a pretty posy in our homes, below are some simple ideas that I will definitely be recreating at home.  

The use of zesty fruits within an arrangement is a look that I am completely in love with at the moment, especially for a kitchen.  Take inspiration from the below images.  

Slice limes to jazz up a plain glass vase

Love Limes

Use whole lemons and limes for a colourful alternative.

Everyone has a trusty glass vase tucked away in a cupboard, but why not experiment with different forms of 'vases'.  Watering cans and jugs are a classic choice for a country side, come French inspired look.  Why not give it a go?

This cream tin bucket looks fabulous full of fresh cream beauties.  What a centre piece!

A dream of mine is to have a dedicated section in my garden, that is free to pick for flowers at any time to have in my house.  The plan is that it will save money at the florist and will also give me no excuse whatsoever to have fresh and pretty flower arrangements in my home.  With this in mind, I love the image below, full of wild, unkempt flowers.  Simple and just lovely.

Remember to let us know if you have any top flower arranging tips, always great to hear from you.  

  

Wedding Table Settings For The Wedding Guide

I write a monthly blog post for The Wedding Guide and July's addition is all about creating fabulous and above all, individual table settings.  I hope you like it...

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Everyone wants a spectacular wedding day, full of beauty and elegance, and here at Butterfly Lane we think it’s so important to inject your individuality in to your special day.  The finishing touches and design details are statements that can truly express your personality and should not be overlooked. 

A Fairy Tale Wedding

Table settings are one of many ways to add style, glamour and elegance in to your wedding day.  The wedding breakfast is a focal point of the reception and a place where you and your guests will be sat for many a happy hour toasting you and your partner, so you better make it as fabulous as possible…no pressure at all!

Today I am going to be talking about centre pieces.  A fabulous centre piece really showcases the style of your wedding, especially as it is paramount to your colour theme.  Here are some images that are really fuelling my inspiration at the moment. 

The long tables on these images are elegantly set for socialising.  The dramatic flower arrangements are tall enough not only to make a fantastic first impression but also enables guests to easily converse.   Add in lots of sparkling glassware and hey presto a wedding breakfast to die for! 

Elegant Sparkling Glass with Tall Vases

Sparkling Glassware - Divine!

Hydrangeas are the flower du jour for me, and this exquisite centre piece adds an understated elegance to a very plain and simple table design.  Just gorgeous!

Dramatic Hydrangea Centre Piece

A vintage tea party theme is forever popular with brides-to-be and the pretty flower displays in this image adds a whimsical and romantic feel to the table.  Finish off by filling vintage style teacups and saucers with fresh blooms to sit next to each guest, divine!  Who needs favours…

Vintage Tea Party Anyone?

For an understated and oh so chic look, multiple arrangements look just fabulous on a table.  Keep the bouquets low and stumpy, to give a gorgeous and extravagant look to a table.   Intersperse long, tapered candles for added elegance.   

Multiple Flower Arrangements Look Just Stunning

I hope I have inspired you to create a stand out table setting for your wedding day.   If you require any help for your wedding day styling please contact me for further information on  nikkiwright@butterflylane.co.uk

Chelsea Flower Show 2012

This week the fabulously floral Chelsea Flower Show is in town and it is a must for all you garden lovers.  Or if like me, you don’t particularly have a green thumb, you are sure to appreciate the stunning floral displays on offer.  You might just stumble across a new flower to include in your arrangements at home.   Nothing makes a home more welcoming and cheerful than a flower display in my opinion. 

I don’t think you need to be of a ‘certain age’ to enjoy the event, as The Telegraph harshly reported this week.  Here at Butterfly Lane we think that everyone can appreciate the beauty that is showcased at this unique show.  I visited the event a couple of years ago and loved the array of styles, stunning outdoor furniture and initiative lighting concepts on display.  It is inspiring to say the least.  I am off later in the week for my second Chelsea Flower Show adventure, as a guest of one of the Butterfly Lane suppliers. What a treat! 

Cleve West's Garden, Chelsea Flower Show 2012

I do not have the gardening gene (well, it hasn’t sprouted yet), but I completely love and appreciate a pretty, stunning and most of all, neat garden and it is something that I’m sure I’ll learn more about along the way.    

As summer days are here at last (for the moment anyway) I have abandoned the interior of my house renovation and am completely dedicated to create a floral haven!  However, a haven it is not!  The patio has been dug up and is currently being re-laid.  Concrete, brick dust and lots and lots of noise, is not what I envisaged for one of the hottest weekends of the year!  Where is my sanctuary of calm to accompany a chilled glass of Chardonnay?  Hopefully soon it'll be ready and will be transformed in to a CFS worthy garden...erm, here's wishing!

Here are, in my opinion are the fairest gardens of them all.  Courtesy of The Chelsea Flower Show and many talented and green-fingered folk. 

In ode to my favourite of favourite beverages, I just love the simplicity of the Laurent-Perrier garden.  Full of dusky pink flowers to complement the sponsor's champagne.  It is gold award winning too!

The Mediterranean hits Chelsea with the gold award winning L'Occitane Immortelle, Corsican rocky inspired garden.  Give me some olives, a bit of bread and leave me in this garden please, just divine!  

What’s been your favourite garden on show?  It would be lovely to hear from you.