Monday Must: Paraluman’s Floral Design Musts!

THIS WEEK, KIM, OWNER AND FLORAL ARTIST OF @PARALUMAN.FLORA CURATES A MONDAY MUST FULL OF ALL THE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP A FLORAL DESIGN AT PARALUMAN FLORA! GET AN IDEA OF WHAT FLOWERS COULD LOOK LIKE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSIC BOUQUET.

Hey! My name is Kim and I’m the owner and floral artist of @paraluman.flora, and co-founder of @tahanan.studios. I’ve been designing flowers for almost three years, and it’s been the best learning experience ever! My friend @em.esquivel and I decided to open up Tahanan Studios so we can finally have a home for our art. Here’s my list of musts when designing!

Purpose and Intention

One of my absolute favourite artists Solange has a song called Nothing Without Intention and I’ve always tried to keep this in mind with everything I do, especially at work! I ask myself what the purpose is for the piece I’m creating. What is it for? Where is it going to be displayed? What do I want others to feel when they see the piece? I think this is the best way to show the essence of my work and connect with whoever will see my work. 

Colour

This is my favourite design element. It could easily change the whole vibe of any work, and make people feel different. It’s also the best way to play! My work is usually a crazy mix of colours, or very monotone. My favourite colours to play with right now are orange and blue, and I think you’ll notice that a lot on my Instagram!

Shape

The shape of the piece is so important too! It’s vital for me to have a conversation with my client about the space the piece will be on. This is a huge part of designing with intention. I like making sure that each flower is showcased individually, but making sure that they, as one, create a shape that works. 

Flowers

I’m not going to lie. My favourite flowers are quite a cliche! Roses and carnations. It’s because I want to break the idea that they’re boring, simple, and expected. There are a million different types of roses and carnations that your typical corner store flower shop would never use, and they deserve the spotlight too! My favourite rose is called Orange Crush, and my favourite carnation is dyed blue. But they’re not the only ones I like using in my pieces! It’s important for me to have at least three different types of flowers since each of them has a different purpose. To create height, I tend to use line flowers. My favourite are blue delphiniums but also work with a lot of dried flowers for this like pampas grass, bleached Ruscus, feathers, and more! Lastly, I use small and dainty blooms as the last touch. I call these “dance-y flowers” because they usually sit higher than the rest, and help give the arrangement an illusion of movement! 

Vase

The vase I design in is just as important as every aspect of my piece! Although it can be manipulated at a certain point, the vase usually determines the height, the size, and the shape of the design. I tend to lean towards simple vases just because I find it more important to showcase the blooms, but it’s key to make sure they work well together! I’m currently working on collecting vintage vases and create a vintage collection for Paraluman. Shameless plug, but make sure to follow me and watch out for that! ;) 

Just a few shout-outs to other Filipin* makers in Toronto that inspire my work one way or another! 

@em.esquivel

@ninaesca

@make_kwento