Craftsman homes were built to show off natural materials: dark wood trim, stone fireplaces, built-in cabinets, hammered copper and handmade tile. Fresh flowers belong in that picture, but the wrong arrangement can fight the architecture. A tight ball of bright roses in a crystal vase looks out of place next to an oak mantel. These ideas keep the flowers in step with the house.
1. Borrow the palette from the house
Craftsman interiors lean on earth colors: moss and sage green, ochre, rust, cream and deep red. Flowers in those tones look as if they grew there. Think of coral and apricot roses, rust chrysanthemums, golden yarrow, cream hydrangea and plenty of green foliage. Save neon pinks and electric blues for a more modern room.
2. Choose a vessel with weight
The Arts and Crafts movement loved pottery, and a matte green or brown stoneware vase is still the most natural partner for this style. Copper, hand-thrown ceramic and thick amber glass work too. Skip cut crystal and mirrored containers. If you buy one piece for the house, make it a low, wide ceramic bowl that can sit on a mantel or a dining table.
3. Keep arrangements loose and horizontal
Craftsman houses are all about long, low lines: wide eaves, broad porches, bands of windows. Arrangements that spread sideways echo that shape. Ask for a garden-style design with stems at different heights, some foliage trailing over the edge and a little air between the flowers.
4. Use branches and foliage
A few tall branches in a floor vase do more for a wood-paneled room than a dozen stems on a table. Olive, eucalyptus, magnolia leaves and flowering quince all suit the style. In fall, branches with berries or colored leaves stand in for flowers entirely and last for weeks.
5. Dress the mantel
The fireplace is the center of a Craftsman living room. Place one low arrangement off-center on the mantel and balance it with a pair of candlesticks or a piece of pottery on the other side. Symmetry is not the goal. Keep flowers clear of a working fire, since heat dries them out within hours.
6. Put something on the built-ins
Built-in sideboards and bookcases have deep shelves made for display. One small vase with three or four stems is enough for each. Repeat the same flower in two or three spots around the room to tie the space together.
7. Welcome people at the porch
The deep front porch is the signature of the bungalow. A pair of potted plants by the steps and a small arrangement on a side table make the entrance feel lived in. Choose sturdy flowers for outdoors, and bring cut arrangements inside overnight when the temperature drops.
8. Light the dining table gently
Under a Craftsman pendant lamp, a low centerpiece in a ceramic bowl looks right at home. Keep it below eye level so guests can talk across the table, and choose flowers with little scent so they do not compete with dinner.
Where the style comes from
Southern California has some of the best examples of this architecture in the country. Pasadena is home to the Gamble House and to Bungalow Heaven, a neighborhood of hundreds of preserved bungalows, and the city is known for its roses as well. Homeowners there who want flowers designed for this kind of house can order from the Pasadena florist Pink Clover, which delivers the same day from its Los Angeles studio and sends a photo of the arrangement first, so you can check the colors against your room.
Keep them fresh
Old houses can be dry in winter and warm in summer. Recut the stems every two days, change the water and keep vases away from heating vents and sunny windowsills. With that care, a garden-style arrangement should look good for about a week.
