Styling Spaces & Florals

At A&C, creativity is at the heart of everything we do—whether it’s curating beautiful products or designing thoughtful in-store experiences, One person who brings this vision to life every day is Jane - our talented VM & Birkenhead Store Manager. Not only does she transform our stores with inspiring displays, but she also channels her creativity into crafting our mini dried flower bunches, which have become a much-loved addition to our stores.

In this journal, we sit down with Jane to talk all things styling and florals.

If you were to describe A&C in three words, what would they be?

Curated. Aspirational. Home.

How do you create a sense of warmth and comfort through visual merchandising or in your home?

The grouping of colours and including earthy tones, a signature palette of A&C since the beginning—and a rich variety of textures are what bring these spaces to life, creating the warmth and comfort you want in a home. Rugs that ground the space, sofas you can truly sink into, plush feather-filled cushions, and a statement occasional chair or lighting all come together to make our spaces feel like you could  move right in! When it comes to the beds in store, we regularly switch out the linen to highlight our colour ways and the versatility of our range—often pairing shades you might not have considered. More often than not, customers walk in and want to take home the entire display.

What are some key elements that make a strong and interesting display?

Repetition of colour creates impact in a display and points of focus. I'm all about straight lines, (no jaunty angles for me!), so I favour squared off rows and stacks of items, neatly spaced so they all have their moment to shine. Variation in height, grouping of multiples of an item, and some small styled vignettes all create interest.

What does “thoughtfully designed” mean to you?

These are key pieces of design, whether objects or clothing, that you know you’ll have for years to come. I think as you get older, you become more confident in what you truly love, and it’s those versatile pieces, the ones you can mix and match in countless ways, that you really want in your life!

At A&C we like to create small ‘moments’ in-store to inspire customers and show them how to imagine products in their home.  Tell us about why these are important?

These little scenes in store really give customers a starting point to help them make decisions. Not everyone can visualise how things will look combined together so we try to make it easy for our customers! As staff, we are all passionate about interiors and it is fun for us to put pieces together in different ways seeing we can’t own it all ourselves!

Do you have a favourite store to Merchandise and why?

Each of our four stores are quite different physically and it can sometimes be a challenge to create a sense of consistency in displays across the stores. They are all beautiful spaces but I think the location, newness and use of materials in our Christchurch store at The Crossing is particularly beautiful. Birkenhead is another lovely space to work with because of its large windows and authentic aged timber floors, they have a realistic homely feel.

Now onto flowers, do you have a favourite dried flower or colour palette that you love working with?

I think dried flowers offer such interesting shapes and textures that hold their form. I tend to stick to a combination of natural/earthy colours that are closest to their original tones, although the number of dyed preserved options these days do make them easy to fit into all interiors. I love the geometric perfection and cuteness of a Billy Button or Scabiosa. On a larger scale the simplicity of three Banksia in a simple vase or vintage vessel would be a go to for me.

What’s your process for selecting and combining flowers to create the perfect mini bunch?

I like a combination of larger, more structural flowers with clusters of whispier/strawlike pieces. For me there always have to be some Bunny Tails in there - they’re such a nostalgic Kiwi beach holiday must collect.

Fresh or Dried

I can’t help but have a bit of a loyalty to fresh flowers and foliage, having worked as a florist in the past, with memories of the colours and smells of working with large quantities for weddings and other events. Obviously, there is a temporary aspect to fresh flowers, which can be viewed as a disadvantage but can actually be part of their appeal, but also where the long-life of dried flowers come into their own.

And finally any tips for creating a home you love?

I’m a bit of a collector and I really favour a mid-century vibe (I find it very hard to walk past any Crown Lynn at a market or charity store!) I think those quirky pieces you love and that hold memories, combined with some coveted newness that you might have splurged on, will come together to make a home that is really you. Regular restyling is fun and means you can bring out pieces that have been hiding in cupboards and give them a new focus.

You can find and purchase Jane's beautiful dried flowers in our stores.