Being on the cutting edge doesn’t have to lock you into a look. And sometimes it expands your choices.
That’s the case with “trans-seasonal” designs – arrangements that blend elements from more than one season. For instance, a centerpiece with pine cones, evergreen and cinnamon sticks celebrates autumn and hints at a holiday look, even though it’s still November.
“It broadens your range of options because it allows you to incorporate those textures that are the beginning of the Christmas season,” says Carol Caggiano, freelance floral designer, AIFD, PFCI. “All these wonderful elements can be combined in so many ways.”
Color is key as well. Orange hues keep the focus on fall, whereas red and white are a floral fast-forward. Caggiano points out that red tulips, a flower we typically associate with spring, can make stunning Christmas arrangements.
What’s driving this development? Caggiano says it’s extra-eager consumers who decorate their homes for Christmas before Thanksgiving. (OK, full disclosure: I’m not one of ’em. But at least I get all my shopping done before Christmas Eve!)
Another trend that combines fashion and flexibility is metallic vases. “It’s huge,” confirms Caggiano. “We’ve been seeing metallics in home décor, fashion, shoes. It only makes sense to see it in florals.”
While silver, gold and bronze are staples, the latest metallics for spring ’08 are pink, lavender, blue and green. And because metallics reflect their surrounding colors, they’ll look slightly different in every spot they occupy.
Aren’t beautiful options a beautiful thing?
