One of the things we love most about working with brands is that no two briefs are ever quite the same.
Sometimes we’re creating flowers as part of a brand activation. Sometimes we’re designing floral displays to enhance the space. And sometimes, as with Little Greene, the flowers become part of the experience itself.
Little Greene were hosting guests from paint companies around the world at Arley Hall in Cheshire and asked us to create a floral workshop that felt completely bespoke to them. That meant thinking not just about the flowers, but about the setting, the season, the colours, the brand and, importantly, what we wanted the guests to actually experience while they were there.
The aim was to create something that felt unmistakably Little Greene, while also giving guests the chance to switch off, get creative and connect with one another in a relaxed setting. It needed to feel thoughtful and on-brand, but still fun and easy to enjoy — and that became the thread running through the whole workshop.
Taking inspiration from Arley Hall
Arley Hall was a brilliant setting for the workshop. It’s full of history, character and beautiful detail, and of course there was also the added fun of everyone having a little nose around “Tommy Shelby’s house” thanks to its Peaky Blinders connection.
But it was the gardens that really helped shape the floral direction.
We wanted the flowers to feel as though they belonged to the venue and the time of year, so we leaned into that soft, abundant garden style and brought in flowers and foliage that echoed what was growing around us.
We used peonies, sweet peas and stocks, which gave the room the most gorgeous scent, alongside garden-style roses, herbs and other seasonal flowers.
Colour had to be at the heart of it
With Little Greene, colour was obviously always going to play a big part.
It’s such an important part of their brand, so we wanted the floral palette to feel rich and expressive without becoming overly styled.
We worked with lots of pinks, soft corals, fresh greens and gentle tonal contrasts, which meant every arrangement felt colourful and abundant, but still elegant and very much at home in the surroundings of Arley Hall.
And then there was our favourite detail from the day: using Little Greene paint tins as the vessels for the arrangements.
It gave the whole workshop an immediate connection back to the brand and meant that, once everyone had finished arranging, they were taking home something that felt completely unique to the experience.
Those are the sorts of touches we always try to build into our brand workshops because they’re often the details people remember.
More than just “an activity”
There’s something really lovely about what happens when you put a group of people around a table with flowers in front of them.
The pace changes a little. People start chatting more naturally, comparing what they’re doing, asking questions, swapping ideas and generally relaxing into the process.
And that’s exactly what made this workshop such a good fit for Little Greene’s event.
Their guests had travelled from different places and were coming together as part of a wider brand experience, so the workshop gave them something creative and hands-on to enjoy together, while still feeling very connected to the event itself.
Making the brand part of the experience
Often brands come to us with a very clear vision for their event, sometimes they are looking for creative guidance. More often than not it’s a team effort.
Every event is different – it’s about changing the whole experience so it feels like it was created for that particular brand, in that particular place, for those particular guests.
Thinking about flowers for your own event?
The Flower Lounge designs bespoke corporate event flowers in Manchester, Cheshire and across the UK, bringing creativity, impact and meticulous attention to detail to every project.
That might mean floral styling for a launch, dinner, press event or celebration, or a completely bespoke workshop or floral experience designed around your guests and your brand.
We’re proud to have created flowers for a range of recognised brands and events, including Adidas, Amazon, The White Company, Space NK, Gucci, YouTube and the Brit Awards, as well as independent businesses and agencies looking for something a little more personal.
Whether you’re an in-house event organiser, PA, PR team or events agency, we’ll work with you to create something that feels considered from every angle - from the flowers and colour palette to the setting, the guest experience and those small details people remember afterwards.
No two briefs are the same, and that’s exactly how we like it.
If you’re planning an event in Manchester, Cheshire or further afield and want to explore what flowers could add to it, we’d love to hear what you’re working on. Get in touch at info@theflowerlounge.co.uk or call 0161 446 2556.