Styling Notes from The Suffolk Nest

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    

If you’re looking to prepare your home for summer and are looking for interior inspiration, my summer home décor tips will help you create that fresh feeling year-round As temperatures rise and the sun begins to shine, it’s time to make the most of the long summer days and create memories that will last a lifetime. Alfresco dining, relaxed gatherings with friends and family, and removing the barriers between indoors and out all contribute to making summer our most sociable season. I like to make the most of that summer feeling by making our home feel as spacious as possible, embracing minimalist décor to create a light and airy atmosphere throughout.   I hope that my summer home décor ideas will serve to inspire you and show that small seasonal changes can simply transform your home. Embrace a neutral colour palette   I love to use neutral tones in our home year-round, but they can be particularly effective in the summer months. White and light neutrals can help to open your interior space and provide a cool and calming oasis on warmer days. Playing with texture and layers adds depth to your rooms without making them feel overly cluttered or constricting. Incorporate linens, cotton, lightweight knits, and soft furnishings with subtle patterns in complementary soft shades.      Make space When the winter nights start drawing in, we all want to hunker down in a room that’s cosy and warm. But as soon as a heatwave hits, we start craving the light, airy feel that’s more often found in Mediterranean villas. To recreate this look at home, take some time to simplify and declutter your space. Don’t worry; you don’t have to get rid of everything. Preparing your rooms for summer can be as simple as storing your heavy blankets, putting away your ornaments, or moving some piece of furniture into the garage or attic. Alfresco dining There’s nothing I love more in the summer months than inviting our friends and family around to enjoy a meal (any excuse for Chris to crack out the barbecue!). Summer tablescapes can elevate your dining experience, especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion. For place settings, I like to take inspiration from the beach with durable rattan and seagrass placemats while keeping the surrounding glassware minimal. Large oak serving boards make fantastic sharing platters while light throws, cushions, and lanterns can keep guests comfortable well into the evening. Summer socialising should feel relaxed and unhurried so it’s best to choose floral arrangements that set the scene but don’t obstruct anyone’s view or interrupt conversation. I recommend selecting a few glass bud vases, which can be filled with fragrant white Stocks, soft summer grasses, delicate white Sweet Peas, and freshly cut garden Roses to create a look that’s timeless and elegant. Take inspiration from nature For our family, summer is all about making the most of the weather and exploring the great outdoors, but why not bring the outside in? Take style notes from nature by embracing natural materials and items gathered on day trips. If you love nothing more than a trip to the seaside, consider adding a beautiful shell that your children have found on the beach or a piece of driftwood that has been washed ashore to your shelves or mantlepiece. Dried seed pods foraged during walks through the woods or a work of art by a local artist can also become unique style pieces as well as holding cherished memories. Try a summer scent There are some scents that instantly evoke that summer feeling. For me, it’s freshly washed linen, citrus, coconut, and lights florals. You could choose to bring these fragrances into your home with a candle, room spray or diffuser. Of course, fresh flowers are a wonderful way to add a fresh and light summer fragrance to your interiors. In my opinion, you can’t beat the scent of freshly picked sweet peas and fragrant garden roses. Desdemona David Austin, Queen of Sweden David Austin, and Olivia David Austin are just a few of my favourites. Pop them in a bud vase on your bedside table, next to your kitchen sink, or on a side table. Choose summer floral arrangements In the summer months, I like to keep the floral arrangements in our home loose, textured, and a little bit wild. I tend to include plenty of foliage, such as Olive, Rosemary, and tall billowing grass stems, and add in some focal flowers such as fragrant white Stocks, white Peonies, or white Agapanthus. Our kitchen doesn’t feel complete without an arrangement on the island, whether it’s a simple bunch of foliage or a statement piece in a large ceramic vase. If fresh flowers aren’t for you, invest in high-quality faux stems to make that summer feeling last the whole season. I’ve designed an array of faux summer floral arrangements if you’re in need of inspiration.