February Installations
Lucy Vail - 1 min read
In addition to weddings and events, LVF also specialises in installations and through this aspect of the business we have been lucky enough to work with some of the most prestigious brands and venues in London. Whilst event flowers only last for a day or two, installations can be up for several days, weeks and even months which means we have to be crafty with the materials used; including substituting real flowers and foliage for faux when necessary.
Often we are asked to do a themed installation in a restaurant which is always so much fun. In these instances we are usually told to just 'go mad', an opportunity which naturally we grab with both hands! One of my personal favourites was being asked to dress the entire space of the brand new Pergola on the Wharf restaurant. LVF was involved at the building stage so we were able to follow the project from the outset which, for someone not in that industry, was completely fascinating. We wrapped 25 trellises with a combination of tropical and local silk foliage, created two enormous trees with over 400 stems each, planted up 20 metre troughs and gave the facade a tropical makeover. And these installations were all in addition to supplying plants to dress in the rest of the venue inside! was a massive project but it was such a delight to follow the journey and work so closely with a client, both of us were thrilled with the outcome.
Our most recent commission was to build three trees for a Mayfair restaurant's Chinese New Year celebrations. Each tree comprised a metal structure wrapped in faux bark and moss, topped with stems of faux foliage and magnolia branches. In keeping with the theme we then hand-tied 500 oranges and ribbons to the trees - our team worked until the early hours of the morning sewing them together! I think that when we turned up with the metal structures, branches and a box of oranges nobody quite knew how were were going to get to the finished product but once in place the effect was truly magical.
As much as I love the creativity and longevity that comes with a faux flower installation, I always relish the opportunity to do a real one and the potential challenges that it can bring. Chelsea in Bloom is a great example of this because flowers are installed on the Sunday and have to last the full week. In 2021 we created two completely different installations and due to RHS Chelsea Flower Show taking place in September we were able to use dahlias, one of Floriston Flower Farm's finest stems. We built one archway in front of a wallpaper shop, crowning its entrance in a gorgeous rainbow of dahlia pompoms. The second installation was a collaboration between King's Road restaurant Rabbit, Hendricks Gin and Double Dutch who gave us the theme 'extraordinary voyages' to work with. Inspired by the companies' branding we created whimsical figures from dried flowers which then floated through clouds of gypsophila above a towering pillar of dahlias.
Installations are such an incredible way to elevate a brand. You can use them to create a truly unique customer experience like Pergola on the Wharf, or they can help you to celebrate and market your brand to a whole new customer base as with Chelsea in Bloom. If you're hoping to do something a little different with your space this year, please do get in touch. We'd love to help.