Yesterday’s post was all about drama and color impact. Today we take a look at a (mostly) natural design with a cream, silver and gold bow and plenty of pine cones and greens, with a few gold pearl and gilded cone touches. We love it. Customers shouldn’t shy away from “designer’s choice” as an accent – this doesn’t mean we’ll go wild with glitter and paint, unless you ask. Sometimes, though, as in this example, a bit of shine enhances the total look.
The Vendome Condominium hangs two large fresh wreaths flanking its front door. The wreaths are mounted high, and are beneath an underhang, so nothing too subtle will be visible. Our decorator took large scale glittery fruits – apples, pears, and pomegranates – and accented them with gilded elements and a bright green sequined bow. If you are walking by 160 Commonwealth Avenue, please do take a moment to admire them.
Here is an outdoor wreath anyone would be proud to hang. The sparkly red and gold striped bow is centrally placed at the top, magnolia, white pine and eucalyptus augment the balsam, red and brushed gold balls balance the bow, and a few painted pine cones, lotus pods, and milkweed pods add interest at the bottom. This wreath was meant to be hung outdoors, but would do equally well inside.
A former member, Florence Massimo, was known for her dried flower wreaths, intricately assembled from hydrangeas, roses, and any other naturally colored flower we had in the workshop. The work took hours, since the blossoms are fragile, but each was a masterpiece. One of our newer decorators is carrying on the tradition of the “Florence Wreath.” She made the one below for herself, and the textured brocade ribbon keeps the wreath design from being too Christmas – themed. This will look as pretty on Valentine’s Day as it does now.
Sometimes a beautifully decorated wreath leaves the workshop for delivery and disaster strikes. In one particular instance this year, the delivery crew was about to hang a wreath on a nail outdoors, at the customer’s request, when a bird flew over and deposited a gift – a large gift – smack dab in the middle of the ribbon. The ribbon was velvet, and no amount of cleaning would have sufficed. So back came the wreath for a new bow. The wreath pictured below was not the one described, but we discovered that this lovely red satin ribbon was unsuitable for outdoor use, since water would stain the fabric, so we used it only in indoor conditions. No birds will get to this one!
A New York City customer requested a wreath with a Yale theme, to be sent as a gift to friends in Cambridge. The blue and white fabric ribbon was specially purchased – we have blues, but blue and white was called for – and the wreath was embellished with fresh rosemary (for remembrance), since a good memory is helpful in a collegiate setting. There are also branches representing branches of knowledge, and pearls, for pearls of wisdom. We don’t do things by halves. The wreath was named “Lux et Veritas.”
We had quite a few orders this year for fruit themed wreaths, a number of which will appear on this website in the coming days. Real fruit is sometimes a problem if the wreath will hang outdoors – there have been instances of flies gathering around dried apples and oranges on a warm winter’s day. While we often steer away from artificial elements, the fake apple, white balls, and glistening pearls worked beautifully with the ribbon.
For the past few days we’ve shown some classic looks, filled with holly and plaid and berries, but we do many wreaths with a more formal or exotic theme as well. This wreath, suitable for indoors because of the gauzy burgundy bow and dried hydrangeas, showcases a dried protea blossom surrounded by magnolia leaves. The leaves are attached so their velvety undersides frame the flower. A bit of silver paint embellishes the lotus pods and sweet gum balls.
A customer asked for a classic Christmas wreath with a bit of childhood whimsy. The decorator chose a cheerful red, green and white ribbon, added classic holiday elements of pine cones, berries and holly, along with a birch twig, and as a final touch inserted a little Santa. The toy might not be to everyone’s taste, and can easily be removed without spoiling the overall design of the wreath, but we think it fulfilled the order perfectly.
We’re in the woodlands today, with a checked bow, pine cones, berries, shiny balls, and slivers of birch bark. A member discovered that soaking pieces of birch bark in water made the pieces pliable, so they could be shaped in curves and attached with thin wire to achieve a natural look.
