What we want now: listening bars, hidden wet bars, Argentine grills, and spaces where every room pulls double duty for the party Every generation has its own way of gathering at home—the conversion pits and buffets of the ’70s, the formal dinner parties of the ’90s, the open-plan kitchens of the 2000s. So where are we now? Architectural Digest AD PRO surveyed top interior designers about their clients’ latest requests and consulted today’s most sought-after party planners and tastemakers. Today’s hosts want their guests to feel relaxed, whether that means serving dinner buffet-style, opening up unconventional rooms for gathering, or designing bars homeowners can tuck out of sight. Two clear trends emerged: First, entertaining spaces are becoming more experiential—think dedicated listening bars, sauna sessions with friends, and interactive outdoor grills. Second, formality remains off the guest list. Today’s hosts want their guests to feel relaxed and formality remains off the guest list. Listening bars, lounges, and speakeasies If you design the perfect bar at home, there’s no reason to go out. The demand for wine bars and cocktail lounges in private homes has continued to rise since the pandemic began. Rather than annexe off the living or dining spaces, these are dedicated rooms that recreate the enveloping feeling of a favourite neighborhood watering hole. The key to their success is highly personalized details, from custom cocktail menus to monogrammed napkins. A listening bar in a former sunroom or screened porch might become the hottest bar in town. You can have a hundred people over on a weekend. For an even more intimate vibe, some designers are creating at-home speakeasies, in the basement of their family homes. Wrapped in Schumacher grasscloth and emblazoned with a backlit sign reading “Le Bar,” the space functions as a “speakeasy-style guest suite where the homeowners ‘check in’ every Friday night to unwind. The cocktail buffet revival Dinner parties remain a staple of entertaining, but these days, homeowners are leaning into a more casual version than the seated multicourse dinner. Cocktail parties are on the rise with elaborate hors d’oeuvres or extravagant grazing buffet tables. Home bar requests are on the rise too, but many homeowners now want bars they don’t always have to see. One design element designers keep returning to is the hidden wet bar. Whether tucked off a living or dining room, it allows people to make drinks without needing to retreat to the kitchen. Concealed behind panelled doors or inside dedicated cabinetry, these bars can be integrated into the room’s larger material palette when closed. Open them up, and a statement colour or luxe material can offer a delightful jewel box moment. The cocktail buffet is another idea being embraced. It’s a great way to have a crowd for a delicious dinner without having to set up tables. The approach involves a mix of DIY and hired help: Set the dining table with elegant dishes of food, station servers nearby to help guests fill their plates, and let guests roam and find a place to perch around the house. The format allows people to mix and mingle and works especially well in smaller homes. People are asking for multipurpose living rooms with built-in open fire grills, integrated bars and adjacent outdoor areas, all designed to encourage conversation. A great example is the Palm Beach, Australian house featured in Melissa’s new book ‘Natural Living by Design’ (Vendome Press, $70). Photo: Simon Brown. Partially concealed kitchens While entertaining spaces are becoming more casual, kitchens are moving in the opposite direction—toward a bit more separation. Many people now prefer kitchens that are slightly removed from their entertaining spaces. It’s not about going back to the closed-off kitchens, but rather about creating a balance. They want spaces that allow for cooking and preparation without exposing guests to the inevitable mess or lingering smells. You can achieve this with framed glass pocket doors that create subtle partitions in room layouts that flow kitchen to dining room (or kitchen to patio) to help keep the focus on the social spaces while making it easy for a host or chef to work. For those who entertain frequently, up the ante with a full catering kitchen for out-of-the-way food preparation. Designs that encourage conversation Homeowners are embracing old-school room layouts with extra-long sofas and banquettes, multiple seating areas in a room, and conversation pits. It’s all about making spaces for conversation and mingling. People are also asking for multipurpose living rooms with built-in bars, custom banquettes, or adjacent outdoor areas, all designed to encourage conversation. Whether hosting two guests or 50, homes should feel welcoming, adaptable, and resilient, so that hosting feels effortless. Choosing beautiful materials that are durable enough to stand up to a lively evening—like leather or a performance velvet—helps the host relax and enjoy. During a more casual party, smaller tables can also be placed in different rooms throughout the house, something that keeps guests circulating and the party dynamic going.  Sauna socials As bathing culture has expanded from a solitary soak to full sauna- steam-cold plunge circuits with friends, the pursuit of wellness has become an opportunity for entertaining too. Home yoga studios and saunas have become party spaces. A midday session with friends might be followed by lunch or smoothies. There is definitely an emphasis on wellness-focused design: gyms, cold plunges, and full spa experiences that make entertaining at home feel less like a typical party than welcoming guests to a private retreat. People no longer separate wellness from hospitality. They want their guests to feel nourished as much as they feel impressed. During a more casual party, smaller tables can also be placed in different rooms throughout the house, something that keeps guests circulating and the party dynamic going. Photo of Lauren Santo Dominigo entertaining at home. Open-fire grills While outdoor kitchens remain popular, homeowners are clamoring for one appliance in particular: an Argentine-style open-fire grill known as a parilla. With its adjustable cooking surface, wood or charcoal firing capabilities, and integrated drip pan for basting, it invites guests to gather around the flames, providing a more interactive experience than a standard American barbeque. A grill is included in an outdoor kitchen and dining area (similar to what’s known in Argentina as a quincho, a covered, outdoor social space designed for cooking and dining). A series of sliding doors and overhangs allow for versatility. Open-fire cooking also offers guests more input over ingredients and preparation – welcome news for those with dietary restrictions who can now guide their meal from raw to plate. Cooking becomes a whole event with an Argentinian grill. Australians have been practising this custom for decades. Games tables Games tables are back in a major way. With Mahjong’s rise as the preeminent game du jour, a home would be remiss without one. But designers are also thinking strategically about how such tables—whether used for poker, bridge, or Settlers of Catan (no judgment)—can maximize a home’s square meterage and engage non-traditional rooms. It’s about how to create entertaining spaces outside of the dining room or formal living room. Add a games table to your family room, and you can serve appetizers to your guests here. Entertaining now means abandoning traditional ideas about what each room should do. Every room now has a double life: A library can be a cocktail lounge or dessert bar.  Photo: Lauren Santo Dominigo. Flexible tables Flexible space is particularly important for hosts who throw large holiday gatherings. Doubling up on dining room tables has become a go-to strategy. For those who don’t formally entertain it’s an ideal way to occasionally host large gatherings for the holidays. You can source a pair of identical square tables so dining spaces can easily expand or contract as group sizes dictate. During a more casual party, smaller tables can also be placed in different rooms throughout the house, something that keeps guests circulating and the party dynamic going. Hosting events across several connected rooms allows you to have a drum roll and open the door to the next stage of the party. Parties can last for hours, and no one wants to stay in one room all night. Throw out room rules In that spirit, entertaining today means abandoning traditional ideas about what each room should do. Every room now has a double life: A library can be a cocktail lounge, on a folding table covered in a custom tablecloth and pulled up to a sofa. If you’re going to go to the effort to create a beautiful environment in your personal spaces, it’s a shame not to share it with people. Regardless of which rooms you use, every successful party benefits from a dose of lagniappe, a Cajun word meaning an “an unexpected extra, given or obtained gratuitously.” Dress the table, step back, and add a little surprise. Your guests will thank you—and have a darn good time. It’s not how much money you spend for your tablesettings; it’s how much you don’t spend. The blood sport of competitive table setting Many people battle fiercely in the competitive art of table setting – and the best abide by certain rules. It’s not how much money you spend; it’s how much you don’t spend. Use unique plates, found objets and coloured glasses unearthed in back alleys and market fairs here and abroad. Whatever your income or background, you score on originality and style. Whether placing antique jars on vintage cloths in the countryside or violet Venetian glasses on an upmarket urban tablescape, the feeling you want to project is, I’m cooler than you. The goal of the finest tables: Mix and match a cohesive still life on your dining table that would stop Henri Matisse in his tracks. You can’t walk into a Hermes flagship, admire the napkins of a highly curated tablescape and say, “Just send me everything on that table. Sixteen of each.” That’s cheating. The stakes always rise around major holidays. Christmas is just around the corner. At Easter, it’s not about little colonies of Herend china bunnies and painted eggs from Hungary. Many influencers like to think they are Ph.D-level table setters. You want your people to ask, “Where did you find these?” Then you can answer, “Oh, some island off Croatia.” The more far-flung the location, the better. Even if all the plates have a pattern, the way we set the table has to have some sort of improvisation. Cut some branches and pile clementines in a dish if you haven’t got flowers. Imagine Renaissance paintings with garlands of figs. Candles are essential. A warm mood transpires in a table collected over the years. It’s the feeling of ‘Time is going to stand still”, and we are going to have this wonderful time and conversation. Put miniature apples in piles. Replant long vines temporarily in wine glasses, artichokes in shot glasses so they stay straight, Brussels sprouts laid out, but only if still on long stems. Our go-to is unusual fruit and vegetables, in groupings of three. Never the same flower arrangements, even if the same vases are on the table. For true table champions, it’s unappealing to try too-hard. You want your friends leaving your dinners smiling. You want to care, but not so much that it loses the fun. Don’t try too-hard. You want your friends leaving your dinners smiling. You want to care, but not so much that it loses the fun. Photo of Hudson Valley interior by Steven Gambrel. The post AT-HOME ENTERTAINING TRENDS FOR 2026, SERVED! first appeared on Melissa Penfold.

Not only do fresh flowers bring joy and delight into a home, they’re also a symbol of important moments in life: they are the decoration of choice at weddings and funerals, and also the ultimate gift of love on Valentine’s Day. Their delicate nature, however, can make it tricky to get them right; think extreme changes in temperature and variability in when and how buds will open, and cost is an important factor, too. So we’ve created a directory of the most imaginative, masterful Australian florists we know of. These designers often have wildly different styles, ranging from understated to experimental – we’ve tried to offer a range of ‘classic’, ‘earthy’ and ‘unusual’ offerings. But if these florists’ aesthetics are diverse – informed by everything from old master paintings to modern dance – they all bring a singular vision to the centuries-old art they practise. Many are united in rejecting the globalised flower trade, embracing sustainable techniques, championing local growers and avoiding harmful substances like floral foam. Here then are the go-to florists we can’t live without, and the best blooms used by leading designers, PRs and stylists. Among them are the names whose signature looks and influence have been monumental in our homes. In a land where unique species thrive, local florists are developing a gloriously twisted aesthetic all their own. Melissa’s apartment in Sydney’s east is filled with fresh globes of Queen Anne’s Lace from local Southern Highland grower, Oxley Hill Farm. Photo: Abbie Melle. SYDNEY BESS The flowers here are the closest we’ve found to those from a wild meadow. Florist Bess Scott grew up around flowers: both her father and grandfather are growers and her Paddington store is filled with native wildflowers straight from her NSW Central Coast family farm. In a world climate crisis, Bess responds to what’s in the field, with wild, wind-tossed flannel flowers, lichen, moss or yellow bells. That mixed-medium ethos gives Bess a signature, wild, unexpected style in an organic palette. besspaddington.com  The company’s lovely website has a helpful section on what’s in season each month. COLOURBLIND Benjamin Avery’s colour blindness is what, paradoxically, makes his work so vibrant and irreverent. His Sydney-based studio crafts gravity-defying arrangements, from hydrangea and phylica twisted into thick cords, meandering like alien coral, to volleyball-sized globes of alliums, ferns and grasses, which seem as though they might float away. colourblindflorist.com  DR COOPER STUDIO Dr Lisa Cooper holds a doctorate in philosophy and fine arts, often turning the very idea of a bouquet on its head with her otherworldly arrangements. Her work is where art, nature and culture fuse. She might group tomatoes with cumquats or craft white lilies into an abstract mountain. Lisa sources the most unusual specimens she can, often visiting local farms to select and cut them herself. doctorcooper.com.au  Fresh and pretty foraged flowers elevate a simple desk. Photo: Sean Anthony Pritchard GLASSHAUS  Paul Hyland opened the rainforest-like sustainable flower shop, Glasshaus, in Melbourne’s Richmond back in 2011, that has evolved to include an indoor-plant nursery and events space – in neighbouring locations. His arrangements have featured at some of the city’s best restaurants and cafes, but Glasshaus still has a great mix of special blooms made for gifting to loved ones. glasshausfloristonline.com  GRANDIFLORA The queen of blooms, Saskia Havekes, and her statement branches, succulents and fab flowers have inspired books, exhibitions and many a copycat stylist. And her illustrious client list reads like a who’s who of the fashion world. Think Cate Blanchett, Toni Colette, Hugh Jackman, Sarah Photograph of Bess, Paddington, by Alana Landsberry. Murdoch, Sass & Bide and Kylie Kwong. Ordering from Grandiflora is virtually frictionless: I (Isabella) love to send my mum (Melissa) three big bunches of tulips on her birthday. grandiflora.net The arrangements are in a different class altogether with modern, expertly composed blooms that easily transfer into vases. HATTIE  Clients include Aesop, Chanel, COS, Mecca, Louis Vuitton and Valentino. Hattie Molloy often makes impressionistic, sculptural arrangements that highlight local flora’s otherworldliness, including a cluster of scarlet umbels from the firewheel tree, which evoke spirographic renderings, and a spray of golden wattle cascading over tiny orange squashes like a bunch of grapes. “I very much want to transport people, to make it a bit surreal,” she says. “Like, is this even planet Earth?” hattiemolloy.com.au Colour is among the defining feature of flowers. Photo: Sean Anthony Pritchard HARRIS FARM MARKETS Good pricing for full, lush bunches, but there are trade-offs. Deliveries aren’t daily. The flowers aren’t as modern or stylish as those from top florists, but they’re fresh and pretty. We’re often amazed by the value and impressed by the freshness and choice, such as alstroemeria, lisianthus, daffodils and gum leaves. Also, affordable pots of mint, rosemary, lavender, hydrangea and cyclamen. harrisfarm.com.au HERMETICA Long revered by magazine stylists, this hotspot located in Darlinghurst is as modern as the name suggests. Inside the crisp layout and wall of hundreds of coloured roses is Jai Winnell’s signature informal style. Simplicity and freshness are key. hermeticaflowers.com.au IF THE FLORIST  Hot PR company, Whispr, is a fan of the Maroubra-based florist, for its fresh natural approach. They’re not necessarily trying to mimic how things look in nature, and yet the abundance of huge, towering arrangements highlights perhaps the most beautiful thing about flowers – their ephemerality. iftheflorist.com.au KIKO DESIGN  Armani, Bulgari, Chopard, Garnier, Guess, Miu Miu, Penfolds, Skoda, Ralph Lauren, Rolls Royce, Zimmermann and Snapchat have all collaborated with Kiko Design on a wide range of events. It was founded in 2017 by creative duo Kowsh and Josh Rawson, who create striking focal pieces – for every kind of occasion, activation or gift. kikodesign.com.au MANDALAY  The kind of flowers that look good anywhere. Fresh-cut, relaxed but dramatic enough. A fave with well-heeled Eastern Suburbs’ types. Unusual specimens, too, such as smoke bush that you can’t find anywhere else. Top designer Kate Nixon’s choice. mandalayflowers.com.au The bunches are generous, the flowers will last, and there’s always an abundance of fresh offerings.  MY FLOWER MAN  Kieran Birchall’s oversized, dramatic bunches often combine classic flowers with mod foliage and natives, so expect to see English roses mixed in with showier leaves and blooms. Instead of combining flowers evenly, he often keeps each type distinct in the bunch, so there are pockets of light and dark. Same-day delivery around inner Sydney. Online only. myflowerman.com.au A reminder that floristry at its most sublime and imaginative is ultimately the art of escape. Photo: Sean Anthony Pritchard MY VIOLET  One of Sydney’s go-to flower shops for homegrown flowers arranged in owner Myra Perez’s signature informal vintagemod style. A fave with the fashion crowd for weddings and events. Myra believes that Australia has until recently been hampered by local growers’ reluctance to bring less common offerings to market. Their reticence in turn created a generation of clients who were never exposed to avant-garde possibilities So Myra decided to explore the potential of the unexpected, using vegetables and fruit, and turning to foraging. Think lichen-covered branches, rosehips, wild cosmos and fragrant mock orange. She also got to know her growers, convincing them over time to reconsider what they’d dismissed – passionfruit vines, frilly gerberas and begonia leaves. myviolet.com.au SAMAMBAIA  Seasonality is key for this sustainable Bronte-based floral studio that has removed plastics from its wrapping and believes bouquets can be more than pretty – they can convey deep feeling. Any offcuts and greenery are composted; chicken wire, glass or ceramic containers are used instead of floral foam; and the shop reuses the rubber bands that flower bunches come bundled in, or donates them to neighbouring Iggy’s, which uses them to secure egg cartons. From 2022, the Samambaia team has moved from selling individual bunches to focusing on events, floral sculptures and large-scale installations. samambaiaflowers.com SEED FLORA This Glebe florist was responsible for many years for the annual epic David Jones Spring Flower Shows. Seed can make magic happen with just a few magnolia or cherry blossom branches and orchids. Its distinctive aesthetic is sculptural, playful and fiercely modern works that are also often defined by their height or their width. In their stretch, there is optimism. @seedflora Rigour and clarity are the focus with a mix of modern and more orderly classic blooms. Fresh cosmos at Melissa’s apartment in Sydney’s East, sourced from local grower, Oxley Hill Farm. Photo: Abbie Melle SEPTEMBER STUDIO  September Studio opened in a sunny corner spot in Rushcutters Bay in 2021, and its creative director, Bryce Heyworth, has quickly gained more than 1.5 million Instagram followers who can’t get enough of his entertaining, colourful arrangement dance videos. Bryce is one of the rising stars on the local floral scene, pushing the art of flower arrangement in exciting directions by experimenting with forgotten varieties and unconventional colour combinations, shapes and forms.  septemberstudio.com Melissa’s choice for the dramatically simple flowers and foliage that feature in the Australian houses in her new book, Natural Living by Design (Vendome Press). SOPHIA KAPLAN If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, Sophia Kaplan could be your first port of call. She is an artist who likes her bouquets to look as natural as possible. Working from a shared studio space in Alexandria, she textures each arrangement with unexpectedly shaped foliage. Nothing too stylised. Minimal plumes, such as a few stems of celosia and allium or magical iris. Online only. sophia-kaplan.com Wild flannel flowers, ferns and grasses, which seem as though they might float away. Photo: September Studio. MELBOURNE ALCHEMY ORANGE Aboriginal-owned and operated botanical design studio run by proud Yorta Yorta woman Shahn Stewart, whose custom botanical sculptures, floral arrangements and activations feature extraordinary natives. You might recognise her past work from Strawberry Fields festivals, the Australian Open or events by Ralph Lauren and more. Custom designs that elevate events and spaces, including homes, galleries, performances, set design and more. alchemyorange.au AZALEA FLOWERS Founder Michael Pavlou wrote the book on using Australian bush flowers expressively, Bush Flowers, in 2023. Find him at the Coventry Street side of South Melbourne Market. He’s not trying to mimic how things look in nature – just putting an emphasis on his love of natives with a studied approach to botany, colour and scale. azaleaflowers.com.au BUSH This Carlton North-based florist is highlighting overlooked forms of natural species or revealing something ordinary in a new way. It also takes sustainability seriously, with a strict reuse and recycle policy and no floral foam in sight. Plus, the focus on Australian natives helps support biodiversity in farms around the country. bushflowers.com.au Bush works with independent growers to source small batches of rare and diverse flowers across Australia. FLOWERS VASETTE Since opening in 1989, Flowers Vasette has taught us that flowers don’t need to be grand to be striking. Whether it’s the scent of spring blooms or autumn’s vivid palette, there’s inspiration year-round. If you’re excited by nature, you will love the ever-changing jungle of house plants and fresh blooms on offer. Its elevated arrangements highlight natural presentation over unnecessary frills. flowersvasette.com.au Photo: Sean Anthony Pritchard GEORGIE BOY Georgie Boy’s Gina Lasker is part of the new wave of rebel florists finding a new language in flowers and fresh ways to engage with nature. A firm favourite in Melbourne’s creative floristry scene … a spray of golden wattle cascading over tiny orange squashes like a bunch of grapes. hattiemolloy.com.au “I very much want to transport people, to make it a bit surreal,” she says. “Like, is this even planet Earth?”  POLLON FLOWERS Renowned for its window installations, this colourful shop on Flinders Lane is hard to miss. Vibrant, tightly packed arrangements and densely grouped blooms spill out onto the laneway from the heritage-listed Chapter House building in the St Paul Cathedral precinct. Nicholas Minton-Connell first opened shop in the late 1990s, and has since gained a loyal following for his signature style of classic arrangements that blend old and new.  pollonflowers.melbourne THE BEAUTIFUL BUNCH The not-for-profit believes in the basic human need for natural beauty and in the importance of the emotional connection that a bunch of fresh flowers offers. Sourced daily from local growers, The Beautiful Bunch is a social enterprise that trains young women who are experiencing barriers to employment in the art of floristry. Go for elegant bouquets and all the classics, such as hydrangeas, peonies and lilies, all packaged in biodegradable paper. thebeautifulbunch.com Wild flowers are in demand. Even species that florists have traditionally overlooked or dismissed as too unremarkable are now trending. Photo: Sean Anthony Pritchard ADELAIDE ADELAIDE FARMERS’ MARKET Every Sunday, locals raid the showgrounds, according to our friend Tim Bowring, owner of Living By Design in Adelaide. They all come for the same thing: fresh, native flowers from Kidman Flower Co, direct from the Adelaide Hills. Peter Day and Alison Wallis run the 40-year-old company, which caters primarily to the trade. A great place to come to fill your vases with all kinds of scarlet umbels from the firewheel tree, which evoke spirographic renderings, and a spray of golden wattle cascading over tiny orange squashes like a bunch of grapes. “I very much want to transport people, to make it a bit surreal,” she says. “Like, is this even planet Earth?” adelaideflowerhouse.com.au FLOWER HOUSE Adelaide Flower House is the go-to place for those seeking beautiful bouquets and statement arrangements. It’s Living By Design’s longtime choice for events, photo shoots, specials occasions, birthdays and table settings. A quick visit to its lovely website will convince you. The owner has an impeccable eye. Check out the ‘Ladies Who Lunch’, ‘Classic New York’ and ‘Miss Connie’ posies. adelaideflowerhouse.com.au BRISBANE AVALON FLORALS Anna Spiro says this is one of the florists of the moment in Brisbane. The New Farm-based floral studio is known for its field-to-vase bouquets, event and wedding florals, set design and everything in between. Works with everything from classic roses, delphiniums and hollyhocks, to wild foliage and smoke bush for nature-lovers who want an elegantly undone style. avalonflorals.com The art of the silk flower via Apartment387.com HACIENDA FLOWERS Anna Spiro’s choice; top-drawer flowers for every occasion. Choose from a selection of seasonal bouquets that favour generous, soft-petalled blooms such as orchids, roses and tree peonies, mixed with textural flourishes such as puffs of Queen Anne lace, smoke bush or bottlebrush. haciendaflowers.com.au THE STONE WILLOW STUDIO After studying at The London Flower School in 2018, Ani Wilson moved to Brisbane and set up The Stone Willow Studio. With an emphasis on using Australian-grown flowers or materials that are foraged, everything is seasonal, unexpected and often unconventional. Ani draws inspiration from the natural world and ikebana’s core aims to express the impermanence of beauty and to showcase beauty that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. thestonewillow.com Something as simple as banksia and tree needles is regarded as great material by Ani. Magic happens with just a few branches, via Apartment387.com BYRON BAY BRAER One of our most forward-thinking florists, used by Aesop, Loewe, MCM House, Bassike, Raes on Wategoes, Tigmi, Tamsin Johnson and Whispr. ‘Braer’ loosely translates for a tangle of wild roses where stems and leaves are sometimes emphasised over leaves. Look at its arrangements and you can almost see the whole universe, contained within a single flower or plant. Precisely the point of ikebana (the Japanese art of floral arrangement), which is the guiding principle. “Flowers become human in ikebana,” according to Braer. Lovingly and brazenly revives everything from persimmon to palm fronds, flannel flowers to fennel and wild grasses. braerstudio.com STAIN Donna Stain likes to think of her flowers as performance events, paying the kind of attention to detail that evokes an emotional reaction. By featuring unusual varieties and unusual combinations, Donna is casting flowers in new ways with her striking ‘botanical art’ arrangements. You might find a bed of sprawling orange marigolds carpeting the ground. A stylised tree of mandarins espaliered against a wall. Or floral arrangements that reach new heights with drama in tall, statuesque obelisk compositions and columns of hanging Gloriosa lilies. Anna Spiro is a big fan.  stain.design  HOBART JARDINE BOTANIC If you like your flowers to look as natural as possible, not as if they’ve come out of a glasshouse, Jardine Hansen’s loose, freeform arrangements will strike a chord. The emphasis is on botanical varieties and the look of haphazard, wildly spontaneous arrangements. Jardine offers floral stylings for weddings, events, corporate spaces and private homes acrossTasmania, Sydney and the NSW Blue Mountains. jardinebotanic.com.au Think like an artist – look for the beauty and possibilities at hand. Photo: Sean Anthony Pritchard STYLING TIPS & TRICKS The vase is vital. The best have a belly and a neck, but build up your own collection of shapes: jars, jugs, low bowls, sugar basins, shells, tureens, glass goblets, high urns and old teapots. Match flowers to the receptacle Flowers don’t stand straight in nature, so they need a vessel that allows them to tilt and cross over. You want your flowers to look as natural as possible, not as if they have come from a glasshouse. Pick what’s in season Be confident and imaginative with what’s available locally. Choose seasonal blooms with a scent to add sensory delight to a room. Use low, pretty milk jugs and place the blooms on a desk or a side table where they can fill the whole room with their scent. Play with colours and textures. Think like an artist – look for the beauty and possibilities at hand. You can stick to one or two hues for maximum impact. (The more elaborate the arrangement, the less you look at the individual flowers.) Allow space for each bloom If flowers are too bunched up, their form is lost. Use a variety of flower shapes to prevent heads from banging against each other. Extend flower life Keep vase water clean, change at least every two days and keep foliage out of it. You don’t have to fill a vase to the brim. It often looks more elegant half or a quarter full. Magic happens with just a few magnolia or cherry blossom branches and orchids. Its distinctive aesthetic is sculptural, playful and fiercely modern works that are also often defined by their height or their width. In their stretch there is optimism.  TIPS How to arrange flowers & get proportions right • Unbalanced arrangements can distract from the overall beauty. Place larger flowerheads low and in the centre of an arrangement. • Flowers should be roughly one-and-a-half times the height of their vase if the arrangement is tall, and one-and-a-half times the width, if it’s low. • Always arrange your flowers in the room they will be placed to see the exact size and shape of the space you have to fill. • Don’t put large flowers one above the other, nor side-by-side. Allow some air through your arrangements – tight little topiaries are a no-no! • Uneven numbers of flowers make the best arrangements. Even numbers look too geometric.  Our favourite flowers – We love anything fresh and in season. Favourites include roses, tulips, hydrangeas, anemones, ranunculus, hellebores, daffodils, freesias, cosmos, chamomile, violets, hyacinths, lily of the valley, daphne, viburnum, magnolia and blossoms (preferably white). Smoke bush and copper beech are our current go-to choices to fill big spaces. Pinning down these choices to one season is tricky as availability fluctuates due to weather, climate and other factors.  Choose seasonal blooms with a scent to add sensory delight to a room such as the Boscobel roses via Sean Anthony Pritchard. The post WHERE TO FIND EXCEPTIONAL FLOWERS IN FIVE DIFFERENT CITIES first appeared on Melissa Penfold.

Flashy indicators of affluence are easy to spot. But these often-less-expensive decor items signal true wealth in more subtle ways. The quietly ultra–rich live with subtle indicators of affluence—and most aren’t actually that expensive.  Wealthy people don’t have “stuff” The more money people have, the less cluttered their life is. Their homes are not filled with useless knickknacks. They can actually park their cars in the garage. Their homes are often downright minimalist. Look for unique and original pieces of art (not necessarily something well known or something very expensive). They opt for unassuming pieces and seemingly inconspicuous objects. These things are favoured not by the rich, but by the genuinely, generationally wealthy—forget trust funds, think family foundations. The textiles and designs are impeccable, the colours are neutral, and the finishes are subtle and logo-free. The biggest shift is toward what was once dubbed stealth wealth. Or “the classics.”  Its definition: the kind of interiors that don’t advertise their value in obvious ways (overdone decoration, logos, bright colours) but instead rely on plushness of fabric and rigor of line — on insider information rather than influencer information — to suggest value. That don’t shout, but whisper. The superrich signal domestic chic with decorative details like a $220 light switch manufactured by the English company Forbes & Lomax.  Nothing should be noticed. Discretion is a key value. Wealth is noticeable, but only to those who know what they’re looking for.  Greenwich Village house in New York by Steven Gambrel. For the average home renovator, of course, a $22 Leviton light switch from Home Depot or Bunnings does the job just fine. The elegant 1930s-style switches made of nickel, bronze and brass are house jewellery. So subtle you only notice them if you already know how expensive they are.   Nothing should be noticed. Discretion is a key value. Wealth is noticeable, but only to those who know what they’re looking for. You telegraph status without seeming to do it. Light is always honeyed. Interiors are played down, low-key.  Antiques date to 18th Dynasty Egypt. There are objects like a Gustav Klimt sketch study of a Gorgon. Chic but anonymous designs. The really wealthy want something that other people haven’t got. Something only one person on earth will have—something they can talk about at the Polo Lounge. It’s an immediate conversation starter for them.  A few witty touches? A work by Damien Hirst in the entry hall. The status symbol has swung on homes. Flaunting wealth at the highest levels is frowned upon.The homes are extensions of the owners’ presence and persona. It’s on a much different level from posting your bling on Instagram. That’s not status. That’s showing off glitz. For the ultra-wealthy, discretion is the ultimate flex. The power move is knowing where to go first, what to buy first, pivoting away from the crowd, not in any way following it and not showing off.  It’s quieter. Because money is valued. Things are quality but not usually popular designer brands. The quality of things is recognised.  Real money talks in terms of quality and privacy rather than prestige. It’s not flashy. It’s the opposite. Greenwich Village house by designer Steven Gambrel, pictured. Portraying how the ultrawealthy really live — with all their subtle signals and status cues —is not just about sprawling homes. Real money talks in terms of quality and fake money talks in terms of cost.  Their houses are not significant because they are so large and impressive, though they might certainly both, but because their extravagance has a subtlety that makes it almost understated. There’s usually a kind of quiet wealth embedded in the location that doesn’t necessarily scream at you. It’s not flashy, but it’s deeply exclusive — the kind of feature that signals a level of access and control money affords without ever needing to show off. It’s not flashy. It is the opposite. It is more about quality and privacy than prestige. The houses are often imposing, yes, but also strangely intimate — a place that could hold both grandeur and silence. They feel like they have a history, even if they are newbuilds.  Stone walls and cedar paneling to cover up some of the house’s bare walls, and he was responsible for details like art and furniture and a $300 toaster.  Most have no need to impress anyone. You’d be surprised how the very wealthy, live on a day-to-day basis. They have money and power and status, but their lives are more mundane and normal than you’d think. They’re eating from Ikea plates.  People who have a lot of money often have certain habits. They also tend to buy multiples of everything. They just want to be sure that no matter what they need, it’ll be ready for them. Lots of plates. Lots of glasses.  They might have the same plate in white and blue and striped — probably 40 or 50 of them.  On TikTok, moguls flaunt wealth conspicuously—the crystal is Austrian, the marble gleams so brightly you can see it from space. But the quietly ultra-rich live with subtler indicators of affluence—and most aren’t actually that expensive. Here, some comparisons. You telegraph status without seeming to do it. Light is always honeyed. Interiors are classic. Greenwich Village house by Steven Gambrel. Showy: Sferra Giza 45 Egyptian Cotton Sheets, which range from $788-$2,713 for a single flat sheet, have garnered over 35.6 million TikTok mentions—more for their extraordinary price point than their softness.  Discreet: For British royal residences,  London & Avalon’s Heritage Egyptian Cotton Sheets ($204-$277 per flat sheet), and has them embroidered with a stripe across the bottom corner: red for king-size, blue for queen. “True luxury is time,” said Charles, “so why not save it?” Showy: For $399, Venus et Fleur yokes 42-49 identical preserved roses into a branded satin box. Noted in a description of Paris Hilton’s home in Tatler magazine. Discreet: Buy any local flowers two days before visitors arrives so they have time to open and wilt a little. In her New York apartment, Fendi heiress and fine art adviser Paola Saracino Fendi apparently  sets her humble bouquet in a vintage Roseville pottery vase ($200-$500).  Showy: All-white Diptyque Gardenia candles ($76 for 6.5 ounces) boast the heady scent of the flower, as seen in Architectural Digest tours of Kim Kardashian’s home. Discreet: Soul Cycle founder Elizabeth P. Cutler tells us she stocks up on Flamingo Estate’s Roma Heirloom Tomato Room Spray ($58 for 4 ounces), a lighter version of Loewe’s cultish tomato-scent line, with notes of tarragon and citrus as well as the uncanny after-aroma of a tomato vine in summer. The houses are often imposing, yes, but also strangely intimate — a place that could hold both grandeur and silence. They feel like they have a history, even if they are newbuilds.  Greenwich Village house by Steven Gambrel. Showy: Hollywood types take to social media to tout the “electrolyte-balancing” benefit of cooking with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.   Discreet: “You know someone has a trained personal chef when there’s a giant box of kosher salt in the kitchen,” said Licia Householder, a trusted cook for Morgan Stanley VPs and their families during summer in the Hamptons. When working, Householder loads her car with boxes of stuff. Kosher salt which is less salty than other types, so there’s more control over the taste. Showy: Staged for real estate ads, the skyscraper penthouses on New York’s Billionaires’ Row sport vaguely art deco crystal chandeliers (those from Lalique run about $114,000). Discreet: Modernist metal lamps like those from Oluce (about $1,975) light the Miami Beach and Hamptons homes of Melissa Barrett MacLean, a partner at AOI Capital and former design director at Harper’s Bazaar and Elle Decor.  The post 5 DISCREET SIGNS YOU’RE IN A WEALTHY PERSON’S HOME first appeared on Melissa Penfold.

In her best-selling book, Living Well By Design, Melissa Penfold addressed the basics of interior decorating.  Now she turns her attention to demonstrating what a powerful force design can be in boosting our physical and emotional well-being in her newest book, ‘Natural Living By Design’, Vendome Press, launches in April and available for Preorder now,  Continue Reading The post HAVE YOU PREORDERED YOUR COPY OF MELISSA’S NEW BOOK YET? first appeared on Melissa Penfold. The post HAVE YOU PREORDERED YOUR COPY OF MELISSA’S NEW BOOK YET? appeared first on Melissa Penfold.