Get the Look: Fall-Inspired Floral Centerpiece
Photos: Carrie Patterson
For the fall edition of Dinner Studio—a suppertime party series in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, hosted by interior designer Jennifer Visosky (Grace Home Design)—florist Emily Lacoste (Lily & Co.) created whimsical centerpieces brimming with garden roses, dahlias, and ranunculus in rich autumn hues. Here, she shares how to get the romantic look.
1. Start with an inspiration source. Lacoste began with an image of an overflowing bouquet that mimics the style of 17th century Dutch paintings. “The painting is gorgeous, it could inspire anyone,” she says. “I took color inspiration from the image, and paired it with what was available this time of year and what felt fitting for the event.”
2. Pick your vessel. Lacoste chose a short, distressed vase with a wide mouth for its functionality and antique look. “If you want a looser arrangement, a wide mouth is better. If you want something tighter and compact, a smaller mouth is better,” she says. “This particular one is pretty wide and short, so that guests can see over the centerpieces and still have a conversation.”
3. Gather your blooms and fillers. Lacoste used a combination of bright, leafy greens and deep burgundy, golden yellow and soft cream-colored blooms. From left: blush garden roses, yellow ranunculus, crab apple sprigs, burgundy dahlias, fern and Diablo leaves.
4. Create a grid. Lacoste opted out of using Styrofoam to hold the bouquet in place. “I wanted this particular bouquet to look more wild,” she says. Instead, she started with the Diablo and fern leaves, laying the stems one on top of the other.
5. Fill in with flowers. “The thing about flowers is that it’s like art; it’s your personal opinion,” Lacoste says. “Whether you want it jam-packed with blooms or you want it more whimsical and loose and use blooms sparingly—that’s up to you.” One by one, she added dahlias and garden roses, the biggest blooms of the bunch, to fill out the vase. “Then you take a step back, look at it, and then add to your liking.”
6. Add texture and pops of color. “I used a few crab apple sprigs to create that cascading look,” she says. “Then I added the ranunculus, which is the gold flower. It gives it such a nice pop and is a focal point of the arrangement.” For the finishing touches, Lacoste sprinkled fern leaves and ranunculus buds throughout.
7. Water, trim and repeat. To get the most life out of your blooms, Lacoste suggests replacing the water and trimming the stems every day. “When the stems are in water, they close up,” she says. “So every time you cut the stem, it reopens and hydrates faster.”
