Edgy floral designers Rebel Rebel share their top tips for Autumn florals at home
Athena Duncan and Mairead Curtin, founders of top London florist Rebel Rebel, give TOAST their top tips on for fabulous florals this autumn, as well a step-by-step guide to creating their signature ‘Flowers in a Vintage Handbag’ arrangement at home.
Rebel Rebel's Top Tip For Autumn Florals at Home
What’s in this autumn?
Tropicals and orchids are returning but this time mixed in with garden flowers - a bit of added exotic. There are some amazing dark Vanda orchids which, twinned with beautiful British autumn leaves, will be the dogs’! Also, we really think lilies are going to make a comeback – it’s their time.
Vases and vessels
Anything is lovely, but we recently got a gorgeous lot of marble column vases that came from the marble mountains in Carrera. Bottles, jars, ceramics are all great. Our lovely wedding specialist Phil has also been experimenting with concrete recently.
Keeping flowers fresher for longer
Cut stems at an angle and put in deep cold water. Change the water regularly – at least every two days and don’t keep your flowers near a window or a radiator. If your hydrangeas flop – put the head upside down in deep water for an hour or so.
Create your own Rebel Rebel-inspired centerpiece
Here are some tips if you want to do ‘Flowers in a Vintage Handbag’ – our signature dish!
- Go on eBay and buy yourself a vintage Kelly bag
- Get a brick of oasis and some cellophane
- Line the bag with cellophane soak the oasis and put in
- Get yourself a mix of foliages from the garden and whatever flowers you like. A mix of bigheaded flowers, some smaller flowers, some with a bit of bounce and something a little trailing.
- The key is not to cut anything too short until you are sure that is how long it has to be.
- Don’t do anything too uniform, and try not to make it so you can see it is a handbag – you are trying to make it look like some flowers have unaccountably landed in a handbag rather than you have made a flower arrangement and the bag is secondary.
To learn more about Athena Duncan and Mairead Curtin, founders of top London florist Rebel Rebel, read our recent Spotlight interview with the duo over on The Edit now.