BOTANICA

BY FRANKLINTILL

The ephemeral qualities of plant life are a continued source of inspirations for designers, architects and artists who are challenging conventional methods of floristry and botanical design. Foliage and flora is being harnessed and manipulated to create hybrid hyper-real environments and fantastical landscapes.

Living foliage takes over indoor spaces. Terrains of moss and foliage draped, suspended and bound create dramatic landscapes. The RainForest installation by Patrick Nadeau for Boffi comprises of hanging domes covered in the Spanish air plant Tilandsias which grows without soil. Living plants are turned upside down and suspended in mid air creating surreal hanging gardens. Fedor van der Valks ‘String Gardens’ are living floral crochets of self-supporting hanging plants. The hanging structures create the illusion of a magical floating garden.

Traditional floristry is being turned on its head by Flower Engineers such as Andreas Verheijen. His surreal floral creations within the ‘Engineering Series’ present proposals for new plant varieties and botanical hybrids, experimenting with colour, texture, shape and form. 

Designers take on the role of botanists and furniture is created from living items. Designer Kai Linke has been exploring how furniture could be grown from plant roots. By cultivating plant roots and channeling them into different shapes, the roots form complete structures in the shape of the mould.

Literally drawn from nature, the colour palette is formed of botanical shades of leafy greens and earthy browns, accentuated with highly saturated tropical pinks updating a stereotypical natural palette.

Colour Palette:

PANTONE 700 U
PANTONE 621 U
PANTONE 578 U
PANTONE 340 U
PANTONE 178 U
GFSmith: Gmund Alezan Boa Cuit 300 gsm
PANTONE Black 5 U