We catch up with creative force & founder of floral emporium Wild At Heart... read more
Nikki Tibbles is the creative force and founder of our favourite floral emporium and creative floristry hub ‘Wild At Heart’. Each month Nikki will be bringing you her guest blog post ‘The Nikki Tibbles’ Monthly Floral Masterclass’ showing you how to create stunning seasonal arrangements for your home. To set the scene we caught up with Nikki to find out more about her and what has inspired her along the way from an early career in advertising to a floristry virtuoso and entrepreneur…
What inspired you to get into floristry?
Honestly, I can’t write, sing, paint or draw – and flowers to me are such a painterly medium, it seemed like the perfect way to express my creativity. I’ve always loved art and am filled with the burning ambition to create something beautiful. Every time I enter the flower market I’m confronted by a new palette – it’s so freeing to be able to make new creations every day, I love that about flowers, there’s always an element of chance and surprise and no two days are ever the same!
Tell us about the most beautiful thing that you have ever seen…
There’s always so much every day that I find completely beautiful, and it’s nearly always inspired by nature. Recently, my partner and I went for a walk in the Sussex countryside and as we rested for a moment, I was completely captivated by the emerald green trees against the brilliant blue sky. Other things that I find beautiful in the traditional sense are copper beech trees next to pink flowering blossom and awe inspiring catholic churches. On a personal level, my gorgeous dogs Maizie, Rose and Reuben are the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
What flowers would we expect to see in you own home?
My own personal favourites to come home to are gorgeous pink scented garden roses and blousey hydrangeas, but sometimes there will be a humble bunch of garage flowers, brought home by my partner. In my field of work, you don’t tend to get given flowers often so it’s wonderful to know he was thinking of me!
Tell us about your favourite flower market…
My favourite flower market is the colourful Marché Aux Fleurs (flower market) on the Ile de la Cité. It is the oldest and one of the largest flower markets in Paris. It’s blooms brighten up the area between the stark walls of the Conciergerie and Hôtel-Dieu with everything from orchids to orange trees. It’s such a treat for me to go there, I also adore the flower markets in Holland, the sea of tulips are a spectacle not to be missed!
What do you need to consider when choosing flowers for your home?
There are many things that you need to consider, it’s great to start with the season and think about what’s readily available at that time of year. Of course anything can be sourced but it’s a good idea to keep with what’s around, not just for the sake of the environment, but for your pocket too. Once you know what’s available, you’ll need to think about colour, proportion and texture – bearing in mind your ability, and of course, it’s vitally important to use the right vase!
Tell us about your all time favourite floral creation…
I absolutely love the home made feel of re-using and finding wonderful vases and thinking of the best flowers to put in them. We recently worked with the wildly creative Meadham Kirchoff fashion design duo, creating a pop up store selling beautiful floral creations – single stem flowers tied with ribbon and little toy trinkets, and blisteringly colourful bunches in hand painted pots and jars splashed with glitter.
At the other end of the scale, there’s nothing quite like bringing a lavish wedding or fabulous event to life, and I’m always overwhelmed by the gratitude that I receive for work that I love to do.
I think one of the most beautiful scenes that we’ve created was a wedding in Santorini. The venue was a glorious whitewashed building with outstanding views and we were charged with the daunting task of making this place even more beautiful…! We did it though, and it truly was one of the most romantic scenes we’ve ever set, but it wasn’t without it’s tricky moments – we watched with our hearts in our mouths as the precariously balanced boxes of roses wound their way up the hill on the back of a truck – I think that they would have been safer coming by donkey!
To create a scene that the bride would just adore, we completely filled the venue with the most gorgeous locally sourced white roses that I knew would take on the ever-changing colour of the skies and set them off with hundreds of candles. I find candlelight so soft and flattering, and it created a gorgeous transition when the fiery oranges and searing reds of the sunset cooled into the indigo of the night. We can create many beautiful things, but when nature is on hand to enhance what we do it’s nothing short of spectacular!
What is your favourite floral print from Laura Ashley’s AW11 collections and why?
It’s hard to choose! There are lots of subtle print choices that are going to look fabulous working with the furniture, accessories and wall coverings that make up the schemes – you really can’t go wrong, but I’m (as always!) being drawn to the bold choice.
The Gosford floral print with the black background from the ‘Gosford Brights’ collection has really taken my eye. There is something timeless about this print but it’s also bang up to date with it’s sizzling palette of strong, bright oranges and pinks. I love to be inspired and the exuberant tulips set against the black background remind me of the striking flower paintings by Rachel Ruysch, a wonderfully strong and inspiring 16th Century Dutch artist. I love this floral print!
Are you a fan of Nikki Tibbles floristry? Let us know in the comments below.