Turning up the Heat

As we settle into deep midwinter and the temperature continues to drop, we crave warmth - withering heat in the midst of numbing cold. This juxtaposition of temperature is what inspired my work yesterday. My client hosted a dinner for twenty-four guests and wanted the look to be all reds:  rich, abundant, and sultry. The challenge was how to do this without making it look like Valentine's Day or gaudy.  And, given the time of year, I had to select available materials that looked wintery but not holiday.

I love the way these turned out - I used multiple shades and varieties of red flowers ranging from deep blackish burgundy to bright, almost orangey, red. All were arranged in silvery stone urns and julep cups I placed among the sterling silver candelabras which ran the length of the silk dupioni skirted table. As a finishing touch, I added the texture and shape of kangaroo paw, phontinia, miniature seeded eucalyptus, and lots of the herb, sage. Using the herb was both an aesthetic decision (I wanted to use silvery greens to offset the darkness of the flowers) as well as a nod to the dinner - a winter feast of hearty seasonal courses and wine pairings.

So on one of the coldest nights of the year, the guests enjoyed a night of repose from the frigid world in a lovely setting of glowing warmth. What a wonderful way to celebrate the midwinter!

Other material includes - roses: Gospel, Black Bacarra, Black Magic, Red Charlotte. Burgundy Aranal calla lilies, pussy willow, gerbera daisies, phontinia, kangaroo paw, sage, miniature seeded eucalyptus, burgundy snapdragons.

Dining Room -

Front Hall - for this, I added dried pods (I painted pewter) at the base and pussy willow shooting out of the top -

Great Room -

Powder Room -