As we enter the home stretch of Thanksgiving preparations, (did it sneak up on anyone else?!) let’s all hit pause for a moment and share a deep relaxing breath as we gaze upon the beauty of the last installment in our fall florals guest series. Feels good, doesn’t it? I can’t think of a better grand finale than the work of Brooklyn-based Nicolette Owen, founder of Nicolette Camille Floral Design. Growing up in a family of gardeners, Nicolette channels her love of flora into airy, nature-inspired pieces that are unexpected and always stunning. In fact, one of the books that permanently resides on my coffee table, Bringing Nature Home, is chock-full of her seasonally-inspired creations, so I was thrilled when Nicolette agreed to design a Thanksgiving centerpiece just for us. Keep reading for the lush, organic results captured to perfection by Tara Donne, as well as Nicolette’s tips for floral arranging at home. And if you missed any of the others in this series, take a moment to peruse fall centerpieces designed by Poppies & Posies, McKenzie Powell and The Nouveau Romantics.
From Nicolette: Just like a wonderful feast, a floral tablescape should have a few essential components: color, texture, shape and warmth.
A good rule of thumb is starting out with with blooms & foliage that have different shape and structure. Here I used dahlias, carnations, anemones, spray roses, snowberry, corydalis & russian olive. It’s always best to start with a simple color palette and then add some subtle accent colors. I chose to start with silvery greens, ruffled white anemones and then gently brought in stages of blush to rose color with dahlias, carnations and spray roses .
A low shallow footed bowl is always my vessel of choice. It lends itself to a full, lush shape that works well on dinner tables. I like the juxtaposition of the antique brass bowl & candlesticks with the more modern shape of opalescent glass votives & metallic bud vases. I can’t say enough about the importance of good lighting and lots of candles!
With a nod to the Dutch masters, fruit on tablescapes add beautiful drama and off-handed elegance. Gather like fruits together and look for the most subtle color and just a couple varieties to avoid a cornucopia feel.
Quick side note about carnations: I’m on a mission to reinstate the long maligned carnation. I absolutely adore them with their infinite spectrum of colors and endless ruffles.
Thanks Nicolette! Oh, and did I mention that Nicolette is one of the ladies behind the renowned Little Flower School? I’ve been dying to take one of their classes…if you’re in the Brooklyn area, sign up and tell us all about it so we can live vicariously through you!
Floral Design & Styling: Nicolette Camille Floral Design / Photography: Tara Donne
