I don’t know what your view is on flowers? Some people love them and others hate them! I have a friend that hates it if she is bought around a fresh bunch of flowers, I think she is crazy! To me, flowers make a home. They create an atmosphere in a room and they make me happy. I am so flower obsessed that when I got married I could barely walk down the aisle because I had gone so OTT on the flowers, but that to me just made the church look even more perfect!

I love nature and I love that it is so easy to bring flowers into the home. Obviously for different occasions or during different times of year the flowers are different and have to reflect or create the mood and ambience you want to perceived. Living in Singapore was the ultimate highlight, I could decorate the coffee table with dramatic Birds of Paradise and Orchids galore at a fraction of the cost of similar flowers here in the UK. You adapt and adjust to what is available and what you can afford. I know flowers are considered a luxury to many but I consider them a necessity.

Recently I have delved into my first faux flowers, This has always been a big no no to me. I have always had an association with the horrid posies found on top of a crotchet doily in houses of my grandparents generation. But over the years I have noticed that the quality and the variety of faux flowers is getting better and better. As mentioned earlier I love orchids and I have come to learn over the years that orchids love sun and dampness (in Singapore I never killed an orchid, they kept flowering year after year and I’m sure that had more to do with the climate than me suddenly becoming a savvy plant owner), they do not like hallways with little natural light or coffee tables in the centre of the room away from windows. I decided to create my own pot of fake orchids to add drama to my console without the fear of the petals dropping and the plant looking sad. I think it looks quite effective and I’m really pleased with it.

Seeing how well it can work and how effective the end result is I am really excited about Abigail Ahern’s new product launch, a range of natural looking faux botanicals . Abigail Ahern has got quite a following in the interiors world. She is bold and strong in her aesthetic, not afraid to shy away from new and exciting realms of design. She also has a shop in Islington and is one of the top UK Interior bloggers around, she seems to know no limits. Having been frustrated in the quality and variety of fake blooms and plants out there she has created her own new line which are being launched this week. She has really stepped out of the comfort zone and has created everything you can imagine from huge banana plants to cacti to delicate peonies and succulent ferns. The quality is amazing and the price is just about affordable, although I might be saving for a while to invest in one of the large banana plants. The flowers can be seen in her new shop attached to Heals on Tottenham Court Road, where I was lucky to have attended her launch party on Wednesday night. Such a fun night where I met Abigail and managed to buy some of her new blooms. The shop is like a dark little treasure trove with fab little spots high lighting the blooms. It looked great and I’m certain will do very well. I wish Abigail and her team the best of luck with this new venture.

For me this new collection is very exciting, these are plants and flowers that I won’t be afraid to use in my design projects knowing that their impact within a scheme will be just as effective and fresh a month after I have finished my installation. Amazing for styling and photo shoots, awesome as presents. Ooh and a little secret, they even sell made up bouquets of fake flowers perfect even for my friend that doesn’t like fresh flowers! I will definitely still be having fresh flowers in my house but this new new range by Abigail Ahern has got me all of a flutter!

Whats your view? Fresh or faux, or mixing them up a little?