LIVE IN CONVERSATION

PHILIPPA & COLLEEN COHEN KENNEDY

THE DETAILS

Philippa and Colleen Kennedy Cohen (leading Event Designer and Creative Director) recently discussed ways to create beautiful dinner party arrangements for your home. The conversation was part of a series of six live classes - the flowers with Philippa being one - where Colleen shared her unique design philosophy, process, tips & tricks, and the tools, to help you entertain like a pro.

 

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Below is a written version of Colleen’s questions and Philippa’s answers, PLUS a few extra questions and answers, ones that weren’t included in the original live conversation.

We hope these will be helpful and inspire design ideas for you, during the festive season:

 
 
“1. YOU HAVE SUCH AN AMAZING STORY – WOUD YOU MIND TELLING EVERYONE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PATH TO FLORALS?”
— After the birth of our first child, I launched a potted plant gift company, which morphed into a floristry business and a new found love for designing with flowers. I previously had an office job and really wanted to find a way to be able to be with my baby, whilst still bringing in a salary. It was very hard work, definitely more so than my previous job, it did though give me the flexibility I had hoped for, an incredible output for creativity and the huge enjoyment of variety and interesting challenges in my work life.
 
“2. WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR ANYONE LISTENING THAT MAY WANT TO START CREATING ARRANGEMENTS AT HOME EITHER FOR FUN OR FOR A SPECIFIC DINNER PARTY? HOW DO THEY START?”
— Simply start! Source flowers from local growers, a market or pick from your garden and play, have fun whilst you are doing it, experiment with different ideas, use different waterproof vessels that you have to hand, don’t buy specific vases until you know what you want – it’s better to first use simply what you have to hand. We have heaps of ideas on our website journal for you as a starting point. Don’t be afraid of something not being beautiful or it looking strange, it’s tricky to make beautiful flowers look bad.
 
 
 
“3. WHAT’S YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS, WHERE DO YOU SEEK INSPIRATION FOR YOUR DESIGNS AND DOES STORYTELLING PLAY A PART?”
— I love the idea of storytelling through designs, that’s such a magical and romantic idea! I take inspiration from the surrounding landscape, looking to bring the outdoors inside, and also from the architecture of spaces, following the lines. Thinking about storytelling – we created a wreath for a children’s charity last year which told the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, so yes, it can play a part.
 
“4. HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT COMPOSITION IN YOUR DESIGNS – EVERTHING FROM SYMMETRY, TO DEPTH, TO COLOR, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY DESIGN RULES THAT YOU FOLLOW? ”
— I first think of purpose, what’s the point of the designs, what are they there to do – is it to create an intimate space, is it to impress, is it to draw people in, and then the designs follow from there. I don’t follow any design rules, other than practical rules – the flowers can’t get in the way, they have to be balanced, they have to be safe (i.e. not to fall over). Look to create depth and texture, think about the movement in the design, the way it flows, the different components, the small details playing an equally important role to the large, focal flowers.
 
 
“5. WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU RECOMMEND TO HAVE AT HOME AND WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS FOR PREPARING FRESH FLOWERS?”
— As a start - a pair of sharp floristry scissors and one or two buckets that are easy to clean for conditioning (to let your flowers drink before you arrange them). Unwrap the flowers, remove lower leaves and cut a good inch from the end, at an angle and plunge into tepid water, leave them to rest for a few hours, and then arrange them.
 
“6. HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT SELECTING THE RIGHT VESSEL AND IS THERE A FOOL PROOF FORMULA YOU USE FOR THE NUMBER OF ARRANGEMENTS ON THE TABLE (EX. ONE LARGE VASE WITH 5 BUD VASES, ETC.)?”
— Odd numbers and focus on groupings rather than symmetrical layouts – sometimes though it is better to have a few vases and other times, you want to fill your table, the key is the groupings and not even spacing.
 
 
 
“7. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE “OUT OF THE BOX” OBJECTS FROM AROUND THE HOME THAT YOU USE IN LIEU OF A STANDARD VASE (WATER JUGS, ETC)?”
— I don’t have one favourite object, I look to use lots of different vessels, always on the hunt for something new – classic bowls, jugs, jam jars, fragrance bottles, recycled candle vases, condiment bottles, large, deep serving bowls, window boxes etc.
 
“8. HOW DO YOU INTEGRATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO YOUR BUSINESS AND WHAT ARE SOME BEST PRACTICES FOR SOURCING AND ARRANGING FLOWERS FROM AN ECO-STANDPOINT? (SEASONALITY, LOCAL FARMERS, ETC.)”
— When creating and installing designs, all our methods and techniques use either biodegradable and/or reusable props. We source flowers from a combination of small local growers and larger international farms that focus on environmental practices and Fairtrade. Tambuzi in Kenya is an incredible example, with their work towards improving soil structure, recently achieving their Carbon Neutral Gold Standard, becoming part of the UN Climate Neutral Now Initiative and their charity commitment to help and support their local community.”
 
 
 
“9. DO YOU HAVE ANY GO-TO RESOURCES FOR FINDING SEASONAL BLOOMS OR LOCAL WHOLESALE FLOWERS?”
— Most towns have large flower markets which anyone can visit, Covent Garden Flower Market in London for example, there are also plenty of smaller markets and heaps of small local growers – you will almost certainly find one close to you. Flowers from the farm is a great resource, and we also have a list of 100 or so growers on our website, from around the world.
 
“10. WHEN HOSTING A DINNER PARTY ON A BUDGET, WHAT AREAS WOULD YOUR RECOMMEND FOCUSING TO GET THE BIGGEST FLORAL IMPACT AND DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR CREATING BEAUTIFUL ARRANGEMENTS ON A BUDGET? ”
— Don’t spread your designs out; it is much better to have one beautiful display rather than diluting lots of displays. The most effective table designs on a budget are simple bud vases with one to three stems. Use a mix of bright tones to create brilliant impact down the centre of a long table or grouped in the centre of a round table, and mix with a mass of candlelight at differing levels, include both low tealights and taller pillar candles or tapered dining candles.
 
 
 

ABOUT COLLEEN KENNEDY COHEN

Colleen is a leading Event Designer and Creative Director who has curated events for top luxury brands and celebrities around the world. Colleen is best known for her work at Valentino, Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent and goop along with designing and planning notable weddings, including Gwyneth Paltrow’s. Colleen’s refined eye and timeless style has made her one of the most sought after event planners by top tastemakers worldwide. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair, French Vogue, Town & Country and NY Magazine’s The Cut. Colleen lives in London with her husband and two children.

ABOUT BRIGHTLIVE

Brightlive is an interactive platform, similar to Zoom, and enables both the presenters and audience to engage with each other. Incredible creatives, musicians and speakers appear on the platform each day, taking you straight into their homes and work places around the world. During the live sessions, you can ask questions and interact directly with the hosts. You also have the chance to be brought on screen to ask questions and talk with the hosts …

 

READ MORE

ABOUT COLLEEN KENNEDY COHEN & BRIGHTLIVE SESSIONS

 

MORE iN THE JOURNAL