Book Review of Decorate with Flowers by Holly Becker & Leslie Shewring

I hope you had a lovely weekend. You may remember that a couple of weeks ago I featured interviews with Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring…the authors of the new book, ‘Decorate with Flowers’? Well, I was delighted to receive a review copy and today, I’d like to share with you my take on the book. It starts with an introductory section covering tools and equipment, an overview of flowers, herbs and containers, plus three step-by-step floral arrangements. Then, there are eight ‘flower stories’, which take you through a variety of home styles, showing you how to use blooms in every interior:

1. Natural: A pure and simple day in the country in tones of white, yellow and lilac
2. Pastels & Neons: Feminine pastels with energetic jolts of neon for pizzazz
3. Market: Floral prints and a lively palette with a handmade, nostalgic touch
4. Happy Brights: Cheerful & modern with retro touches in primary hues
5. Coastal: Explore the shore in bright whites, sea glass tones, yellows & cream
6. Neutral Pop: Clean upscale urban designs in beige, with shades of lush purple
7. Girly Glam: Fresh and happy with a flair for mid-century glamour and gold
8. Black & White: Crisp white and graphic black is softened with natural greener

What I love about the book is the accessibility of the floral designs. Nothing is too complicated. Holly and Leslie make flower arranging look so very easy-to-do and demystify the technical aspects of creating designs. Their enthusiasm and passion for all things floral leaps from the pages. So much so that they’ve inspired me with ideas of how to style photos for Flowerona. I’m going to New Covent Garden Flower Market today and plan to buy some flowers, which I’ll experiment with this week. For those of you who are fond of crafting, there are projects and ideas showing you how to adapt and decorate containers to complement your blooms, using ribbons, paint, string and fabric. Here are some of the beautiful images from the book…

And here are a few pages…

Whether you’d like to make the most of freshly picked blooms from your garden or a bought bunch, Holly and Leslie’s book will show you how to arrange flowers with ease and enjoy the process of adding a floral touch to your home. It really is one of those ‘un-put-downable’ books that will inspire everyone…from those with no floristry experience to seasoned professionals. ‘Decorate with Flowers‘ is published by Jacqui Small and is available from all good bookshops.

(Images : Decorate with Flowers)