***Giveaway winner has been selected! Thank you for entering! :) ***
This post was brought to you in partnership with simplehuman. They gave us one of their new sensor open trash cans for the studio and another one to give away (details below!!)! Thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep LGN going. :)
Do you have a list of back up jobs? Like, jobs you have in mind just in case your current job ever feels old or stale? I have two back ups, just in case this designer/shop owner thing doesn’t pan out. The first is a Labor and Delivery Nurse (because BABIES!!!) and the second would be a Florist. But given how much I really love interior design, and that I have four kids and that I also do my best to squeeze in as much florist moonlighting as possible around here, it might just be that I have the best of all worlds right now! :)
We make between five and ten arrangements a week for styling our projects. So every Monday morning I go to the flower market and stock up. While our studio kitchen is under construction we set up a makeshift floral station using our beautiful new voice and motion sensor trash can from simplehuman and this standing desk we got in the IKEA as-is section. I didn’t notice until we got it back to the studio that part of the laminate had been torn off (eye roll). But I’ve always wanted to try the marble contact paper and this seemed like the perfect experiment. It was super easy to do and I love this little floral station now! We can just come over and grab whatever we need during the week for print shop shoots or client spaces. And our beautiful new trash can helps us keep the area clean and tidy! It comes in a ton of color and finish options, but I love our sleek white one!
Most of my arrangements end up being loose and more organic with lots of greenery. I thought you might like a little tutorial on my general approach to flower arranging here!
I almost always start with a floral frog or oasis to help keep the stems upright and in place, especially with bigger vessels.
I always start with greenery as my foundation. I like to mix it up sometimes, but I pretty much always just want to use silver dollar eucalyptus. The bluey green color is my absolute favorite and the smell is amazing!! I use shears to cut the stems to size, so they hang a little long and loose. I’m also sure to remove the leaves that would be under water to help the arrangement last longer.
One of my best tips is to keep a tidy work station and clean up as you go. You guys, our new simplehuman trash can opens when you say “OPEN CAN” (!!!!). I mean, we basically live like the Jetsons now!
ANNE STREET print // HYACINTH print // rug
It also opens when you wave your hand near the lid and it will stay open if it senses you are still using it! Crazy right? This trash can has been so handy here at the floral station and I’ve become so obsessed that I got one for my kitchen at home. It’s awesome when the can is just open and ready for you to dump right in those drippy messes (like chicken! :/) that are just a regular part of meal prep. The germaphobe in me absolutely loves the touch-free element. And can we just talk about how gorgeous and sleek the can is? What a beauty!
You can plug in the can or use batteries and there is a built-in liner storage compartment inside the can that I think is just the coolest thing!
The next step for the flower arrangement after the greenery is to place a couple of your biggest flowers. I used blush dahlias as my base flowers here as well as couple of bright pink garden roses.
A good trick for measuring what length you should cut your flowers to is to hold them upright and trim to the height of your vase. Remember that it’s always better to cut a little long and have to maybe come back to trim a little more stem off than to be stuck with a too-short stem and a flower that keeps sinking into your arrangement! (I like to snip the ends right into our new trash can! Here’s a little pro-tip for you though: no need to say “close can.” I was saying that for a while until I realized it closes automatically! Hahahhaha.)
After you establish a general shape with the big foundation flowers, I like to add color and texture and further define the shape of the arrangement with a couple of smaller flowers.
I always like to add a touch of either black or really dark oxblood red to almost every arrangement for a little bit of contrast. These anemones do just the trick here!
Tada!! All done! I would use something large like this for a big coffee table or an entry console. If we change the water every day, arrangements like this one can last for two weeks!
Tell me, what are you favorite floral arrangement tips? I’d love to compare notes! And if you’re not arranging flowers with an touch-free trash can near by, you’re not living!! :)
PS We decided to give one of these gorgeous automatic-open cans to you! YAY! To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post with your dream household invention or your favorite simplehuman product.
Thanks again to simplehuman for sponsoring this post!
I would love someone to invent an immovable dog bowl so I don’t have water all over my floor!
Love the flower arranging tips! Your blouse matches the eucalyptus. Cute!
I would love a robot/machine to change the bed sheets. I find that chore back breaking, but there’s nothing like climbing into a comfortable bed with crisp, clean sheets.
I’d love the Simple Human trash can to help keep my kitchen looking good!
Gosh wouldn’t I love a machine that folds clothes straitjacket out of the dryer! I love simple human products and would adore this trash can.
I have a simple human trash can but it isn’t as cool as this one.
I have a simplehuman butterfly lid trash can and it is amazing! Plus it resists fingerprints – I wish fridge manufacturers would take note of whatever material simplehuman is using.
Well, since you mentioned the Jetsons, I would like a Rosie the Robot maid, please.
My simple human trash can is 12 years old so I’d love a new one. This especially is great with kids as scraps of paper and food crumbs are constantly getting tossed…love the look
All I really want is a robot that brings the clean folded clothes up from the basement and puts them away then takes the baskets back downstairs. Or like a dumb waiter would be a nice low tech option too. We have a laundry chute so going down isn’t the problem… Why aren’t dumb waiters more of a thing?
I like the trash can too. My kids can’t not touch everything all the time so our basic white one is always covered in fingerprints.
I love all your flowering arranging tips – oh how I love fresh flowers in my home – I’ve never used any simple human products (yet!) but the idea of a voice activated garbage can is simply so liberating! I mean I can’t even imagine it so that’s pretty cool. Thanks for sharing this amazing invention!
oh i would just love it , if there was something that would put all my laundry away for me!
Sweet! My parents have simple human soap dispensers in their bathrooms and kitchen. Same thing–it has a sensor so you don’t have to touch it! It feels weird to ask for a soap dispenser for Christmas, but I was thinking about it for this year. Haha
And your floral arrangements always look effortless and have great movement. I have a lot of trouble achieving this, so thanks for the tips.
I’ve had a Simplehuman trash can for years and it’s been great but this would be quite the upgrade!
I have a little super human trash can for my bathroom and love it! As for my dream invention – I’d love a laundry machine that washes, folds and most importantly puts away clothing.
love simplehuman! they have wonderful customer support too.. we’ve got their under the sink trash can, dish rack, and shower caddy. if they could make a tray for their dish rack where the water drips from the short end instead of the long end, i’d be so happy!
I have an “old” simple human trash can that could stand an upgrade. It has been a trooper.
My dream houshold product is the “shoemba”. Like a little roomba vacuum but it picks up everyone’s shoes and puts them away. Tripping over my boyfriend’s shoes is my number one cause of bruises and Sunday morning grumps!! :)
I’d like something that will make dinner for me, but I realize that’s basically a crock pot! I think I’m just hungry right now….
I would love a device that follows my husband around & cleans up after him. He leaves crumbs everywhere he goes.
Such a cool trash can! I would love a robot chef that makes delicious yet healthy foods and comes with a clean-up setting! One can dream right?
Oh I’d love a robot to come do all my dusting!! ☠️☠️☠️
I have had a simplehuman trash can for years that I love-but I’d love an upgrade!
Dream household invention? A trash can that walks itself out to the curb!
I’ve always wanted a fancy trashcan. Lovely arrangement and thanks for the giveaway!
I think an invention that would automatically keep socks together in the wash. Missing socks are a pet peeve and with 5 kids, they are in abundance around here:)
My dream household invention is a thermostat that I can change from bed and it exists- the Nest!!
sf washing windows would be amazing
Oh what a pretty trashcan! My dream household invention has always been a washer/dryer combo. Washes the clothes, then drains and somehow switches to a drying function. I mean how has this not been invented yet?! As a cloth-diapering mama of 3, that would save my sanity. But this trashcan might be the next best thing. :)
Give me a house cleaner robot and I’d be a happy camper for life ;) have a similar trash can in chrome but love the looks of this one in the color and could use another for other spaces. Thanks!
Having a laundry folding robot would give me hours of my week back!
I would love a self-sterilizing cutting board (germaphobe here!).
This trash can is pretty amazing, especially since we’re the ones with the broken foot pedal on our trash can! I always hate having to tell my guests!
A self cleaning toilet or a fingerprint resistant fridge would be awesome. Or that trash can.
A laundry folder! 3 kiddos sure do make for massive amounts of laundry.
Would love to have a dishwasher for all the things that won’t fit, are hand wash, or are just generally awkward to wash. And love this trash can!
I need a robot maid
I have a prettiest simple white trash can from Simplehuman. I adore it!
I never realized that leaves that would be under water should be removed to improve the longevity of the arrangement! Makes perfect sense now that I think of it…. Now I just need to win this amazing bin to put those extra leaves in. Thank you!
Also, a dream household invention would probably make the bed every morning. That’s just one of those things that I don’t do often enough that makes me feel so much better!
Oh man this looks amazing! I seriously need a robot to wash and change all my sheets!
Also, a dream household invention would probably make the bed every morning. That’s just one of those things that I don’t do often enough that makes me feel so much better!
A self cleaning bathroom like the Exeloo!
If someone could invent a robot that cooks I will take that! Sounds too ambitious, I guess so will just settle for a gadget that sorts paper mail.
We love our simple human trash can we’ve had for years.
This trash can is amazing. If my cabinets and drawers could open, and close by voice my husband would think it’s the greatest invention- he always complains I never close doors!
I’d love to have something help with the doggie footprints on my wood tile. I need the perfect mop or robot mopping system. I would love that beautiful trash can.
Wish there was something that would wash and put away all the dishes for me =D
Eucalyptus is one of my favorites too and luckily my mom has a giant tree I can steal from! I need some sort of robot to cleanup my dogs water dribbles down the hall
Ever since I was little, I always envisioned a self making bed. I understand that is a reality now, or a prototype has been made, so I’m all, like…where do we go from here?
Laundry folder/ putting away robot! Love when companies make everyday items beautiful!
Dream household invention: an intercom system throughout the house that you can operate from your phone!
I love simple human trash cans.
My dream household invention would be a way to save all the grey water when rinsing veggies or dishes to use in your garden! I would love to be able to flip a switch and have the drain water be saved in a tank outside so that a lot of the rinse water could be reused.