Styling Notes from The Suffolk Nest

This Valentine’s Day, I’ve created a selection of faux flower arrangements featuring irresistibly romantic powder pink blooms. Read on to find out more about this very special seasonal collection No matter whether you’ve found a partner or happily single, Valentine’s Day is a fantastic excuse to treat yourself to an extra-special floral arrangement. Everyone celebrates the day differently, but Chris and I tend to have a quiet celebration, setting aside time for a date night and decorating our space with seasonal flowers. This year, I’ve absolutely loved creating our Valentine’s Day collection; each of our faux flower arrangements will feature blush-tipped eucalyptus stems alongside real-touch roses, ranunculus, and dahlias in the most incredible shade of soft power pink. While we all have our own favourite flowers, I personally don’t gravitate towards traditional red roses at this time of year. Instead, I prefer to choose florals that are in keeping with our home décor and think there’s something inherently romantic about these everlasting faux flowers. Small but perfectly formed If you’re looking to bring a little love into your home this February, I’d recommend our smaller Valentine’s Day arrangement. We have two designs available, and both look amazing displayed on a bedside or dressing table. I think they look particularly good in our Henley vase; the soft grey ribbed design of this piece does a fantastic job of grounding the soft pink blooms without dimming their impact. Place an order online and your Valentine’s arrangement will arrive at your door beautifully present and hand-wrapped by me. Then, it’s time to get creative. When using clusters of the same flowers, I think they look best – and more natural – if you take time to vary each stem’s height. This technique also allows you to show off the intricate rose head from multiple angles. Make sure you regularly take a step back to assess the full arrangement and ensure you’re happy with the result. To help you get started, I’ve prepared a video with all my top tips for creating the perfect arrangement. A grand gesture Whether you’re planning a Valentine’s Day proposal or just keen to go all out, you’ll probably be looking for a show-stopping arrangement. I’ve created two hand tied bouquets designed to make an impression. Each is a 360-degree arrangement featuring an abundance of roses, ranunculus, and dahlias. Not only will these bouquets delight their recipient, but they also make fantastic centrepieces for your dining or coffee table.  None of the faux flowers in this collection are pre-cut, meaning that experimentation is encouraged. When transferring your bouquet into a vase, don’t be afraid to bend the stems. You may even find you want to bend them back on themselves to make sure that they sit in the vase correctly. Spend some time fluffing out each stem; this helps them to look more natural and gives the arrangement a unique personality. Long-lasting love Valentine’s Day is celebrated on 14th February, but your floral arrangements can last much longer with a little attention. Like any good relationship, faux flowers need some tender love and care to look their very best. The good news is that maintaining these blooms couldn’t be easier. Our Valentine’s arrangements feature real-touch flowers that look and feel incredibly realistic. The best way to keep them clean is to invest in a pack of baby wipes. As a Mum of two girls under four, I always have a pack handy, and every so often, I’ll use a wipe to dab each stem and individual petal to remove any dust. I find that each wipe holds just the right amount of moisture and won’t damage the petals, even if you need to apply some pressure to remove stubborn marks. I hope you’d agree that these faux flowers are so stunning that they can be displayed in your home year-round, but if you’d prefer to store them away until next year, simply keep hold of the packaging that they arrive in. This box is the perfect size for storage and will help each flower look fresh until you’re ready to bring them out again. Finally, I’d like to wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day from Chris and I.   

Faux flowers are a fantastic, low maintenance alternative to fresh and it’s easier than you might think to keep them looking their best for longer by following a few simple steps. Here are my top tips for caring for artificial flowers If you love having flowers in your home but sometimes struggle to keep them looking fresh, faux flowers and plants can offer a fantastic alternative – and there’s no watering required! Faux flowers can enhance your space and need little to no maintenance. Even so, there are a few simple steps that you can take to get the best out of your blooms and help them stand the test of time. Read on for my quick guide to how to care for your faux flowers: Displaying faux flowers One of my favourite things about faux flower arrangements is that they can add life, texture, and an organic touch to any room. Whether you choose to make them the centrepiece of your dining table, the focal point of a disused fireplace, or a beautiful addition to your bookcase, the best way to care for artificial flowers is to love them just as much as you would the real thing. If possible, it’s best to avoid displaying your faux floral arrangements in direct sunlight. While a ray of light can make your blooms look even brighter, it can take its toll over time as UV causes discolouration and fading. If you can’t keep your flowers out of the sun completely, try to rotate them regularly to avoid one side becoming more faded than the other. When creating an arrangement of faux flowers in a glass vase, cutting the stems rather than bending them can help your artificial blooms appear more authentic. I recommend using strong wire cutters to create a clean break. You may also wish to complement your faux arrangements with fresh flowers, which will need to be placed in water. Before adding water to your vase, double-check that you are working with plastic stems as unfortunately paper-covered alternatives aren’t suitable to be submerged in water. If you’ve chosen to cut the faux stems, this often exposes the wire, which can become rusty over time. The best way to avoid this is to simply seal the end with a light coat of clear nail varnish or super glue. How to clean faux flowers Dusting is the best way to keep your florals looking fresh, especially if you have white or light-coloured blooms. Use a standard duster or a dry microfibre cloth to carefully dust the petals, leaves, and stems. You can swap your cloth out for a soft-bristled paintbrush if you want to really get into all the small nooks and crannies. An even quicker method of cleaning your faux flowers is to take them outside and gently shake them to free any dust. If the weather isn’t on your side, you can replicate this effect by using a hairdryer on the cool setting to blast cool air at the stems and loosen any stubborn dust particles. If an accident does happen and your artificial flowers get stained, don’t head straight to the sink – water can easily damage delicate silk and other fabrics. Try removing them gently with a baby wipe first, but stubborn stains might mean bringing out the big guns and investing in either a specialist silk flower wash or making a diluted mix of laundry detergent and warm water. If you do go down this route, pour the liquid into a spray bottle so that you can control how wet the fabric gets and use a clean microfibre cloth to rub the detergent in. How to store faux flowers If you’re someone who likes to swap out your décor seasonally, storing your faux flowers carefully can keep them looking fresh year after year. When storing faux flowers, I recommend keeping the box that your faux flowers arrived in. The Suffolk Nest’s shipping boxes are all 100% recyclable and have been carefully selected to ensure they are the best fit for the stems you’ve chosen. No matter the size of the arrangement, our boxes allow you to store your artificial flowers and plants safely, securely, and neatly. If you’ve purchased faux flowers elsewhere, follow these easy storage steps: Make sure that you clean the flowers thoroughly first Pick a place that’s not too hot and is out of direct sunlight, like a wardrobe or cupboard Choose a container that is durable and airtight but also provides enough space between each bloom to avoid them bending out of shape If you’re storing long stem flowers, use a wrapping paper box and pack each flower head in an opposite direction Add a cedar block to keep everything fresh