Date: November 18, 2008 |
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It seems that every holiday gathering is punctuated by an all-too-expected floral centerpiece on the dining room table. To take a fresh approach to this classic standby, we turned to David Kirkpatrick of Cabbage Rose in Little Rock, who chose to utilize traditional tones in a stylish and creative arrangement.
Kirkpatrick chose an oversized silver bucket adorned with a pair of stag-head handles, from Ellen Golden’s Antiques on Kavanaugh, as the base for his arrangement. “You have to start by choosing a container that’s proportional to your space, or else everything will be off,” he says. To fit the holiday theme and bring out the sparkle in the silver, he established a primarily white color palette, using white roses and lilies along with potted white orchids. Together, the three blossoms provide lovely contrast. “I also love to mix live plants with cut flowers,” he says. “Once the party’s over, the cut flowers will die, but the orchids will provide a lasting memory.”
Against this cool backdrop, Kirkpatrick added red rose hips, fresh greenery, seeded eucalyptus and natural pine cones. “The touches of color and texture are essential,” he says. “The rougher edges of the greener and the pine cones look even better against the smooth white petals of the three flowers.”
Most often, however, Kirkpatrick looks to the container and the location to steer his design. “I tend to design for a particular home more than anything,” he says. His own location is on the verge of changing radically as well. The space he’s shared with Antiques on Kavanaugh for many years is under renovation at press time, and he’s anticipating his much larger and more sophisticated space. “It opens it up so much, and it’s incredibly elegant,” he says. “Even the workroom is going to have pine floors!”
