In Full
Bloom
We asked celebrity florist Emily Thompson to design three spring arrangements in our newest Burleigh ware—here, her custom creations
Emily Thompson—the New York City–based florist whose wild, rambling arrangements have decorated the White House and MoMA in addition to countless chic homes—is known for subverting the expected. A classically trained sculptor (she holds an MFA from UCLA), Thompson plays with structure, proportion, and unconventional greenery (think garden shrubs and common weeds) to create one-of-a-kind arrangements that master the line between structural discipline and free-form botany. “What I’m after is to show people how interesting the natural world is, rather than just giving them the satisfaction of a big-headed peony,” she explains, while circling a batch of ranunculus stacked on a counter in her Chelsea studio.
Today, Thompson is working on three unique arrangements custom-designed to pair with Ralph Lauren’s newest wares made in collaboration with famed British pottery maker Burleigh, inspired by vintage Americana textiles. “The expression we use around here is that ‘we want to eat the vase,’” Thompson explains of an approach that sees buds and branches strategically spilling over in novel ways. “In the case of these Burleigh vessels, which have really beautiful botanical prints, they don’t need to be anonymous, but their character needs to play with the materials,” she says. True to her style, the pieces Thompson selected— a fruit bowl and two pitchers—are ideally equipped to hold combinations made not only to catch the eye but also to hold it. “The proportions of these are easy, and the scale feels really good in the home,” Thompson says. She adds, “If I were to instruct someone trying to work with these materials, I would say that the exaggeration of proportions and restraint of materiality should be the leading concepts when approaching yard clippings, a supermarket stash, or the vast selection that the flower market has to offer.” Below, Thompson’s breakdown of her three creations and tips for bringing them to life at home, just in time for the easy, sunny days ahead.
Butterfly Ranunculus and Begonias in a Faded Peony Etruscan Pitcher
Epimediums, Leucothoe, and Philodendron in a Garden Vine Tankard Pitcher
Flowering Dogwood, Lenten Rose, and Begonia in a Faded Peony Medium Fruit Bowl
- Photographs by Deirdre Lewis