It's no secret that I love flowers and I love how they can decorate a home or celebration. But it can feel wasteful to cut fresh flowers only to watch them wilt a week later. On a practical note it takes a bit of work to trim, arrange, water and sweep those constantly falling petals. Cue the paper flower. Made well, paper flowers share the same beautiful organic forms and joyful colours, but they last! For years! With incredibly low maintenance!
A few years ago I was organising a hen party for a friend and we booked the lovely Susan from A Petal Unfolds who showed us all how to make a perfect paper peony. It was miraculous, literally to see the whole thing unfold. But the really lovely part is we still have the flowers as a reminder of that special occasion.
Recently there's been a real surge in enthusiasm for paper flowers and it's not hard to understand why. Not only does it feel more eco-minded to house these longer-lasting florals, paper flowers are works of art too. Combining elements of sculpture and origami, I'm a little enchanted by their delicate handmade blossoms. Some artists even hand-paint each leaf and petal for further detail.
Without further ado, here are some of the loveliest examples I've discovered and the people who make them.
The Green Vase, stocked at Cutter Brooks and John Derian
A Petal Unfolds, by Susan Beech who has just published a book about her work
Leo Flowers by Jessie Beaumont
Sourabh Gupta, a multidisciplinary designer based in New York
Miranda Sinclair, stylist for British magazine The World of Interiors
Update 18 months after writing this post in Spring 22' I discovered and collaborated with the wonderful Plants For Shade, you must look her up too! Keep an eye out for our Christmas '23 partnership...