A dramatic native dried flower installation for Holy Carrot
Last autumn we were commissioned by vegan restaurant Holy Carrot [https://www.holycarrot.co.uk/] to create large-scale dried flower installations for their event at One Marylebone Place. As we enter the first days of autumn for 2023, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on our response to this brief, with sustainability at the centre.
Holy Carrot’s ethos focuses on vegan plant-based food using ethically sourced, seasonal produce to reduce its impact on the environment. It’s an outlook we share at Design by Nature, and is the reason behind us working exclusively with dried flowers since 2022. Food and fresh flower production create a huge amount of waste, but by being thoughtful and considered with our choices of ingredients, it’s possible to reduce that impact, whilst creating something that’s just as beautiful in its own right. Whether that’s 100 per cent plant-based menus or dried flower bouquets (that can last for years instead of days), it was wonderful to collaborate with a brand that holds so much synergy with our own.
Leading with an autumnal feel, our dried flower sculptures focused on blooms with rich colours and earthy tones. Hydrangea, ornamental alliums, amaranthus, moss, grasses, shrivelled poppy heads, heathers, spindly magnolia branches and twisted hazel created dramatic sculptural forms that looked fantastic lit-up in the Grade I listed Soane Hall.
These installations were a testament to the power native dried flowers can hold on their own. By favouring them over fresh flowers, Design by Nature uses lower transport emissions and creates far less waste than the levels seen with fresh flowers.
Whether it’s for styling and shoots or a permanent installation, we’re always happy to discuss dried flower commissions.
