Where Floral Art Meets Commercial Success with Geertje Stienstra

The Flower Circus recently hosted an unmissable online show, diving deep into the powerful and profitable intersection of fine Floral Art and Commercial Floral Design. This time, we were joined by the incredibly innovative designer, Geertje Stienstra, who demonstrated how large, artistic showpieces can be translated into easily scalable, everyday designs for the modern florist. Geertje's show proved that floristry doesn't have to choose between stunning artistry and market viability - it can and should have both!

Here is a recap of Geertje's inspiring designs and the innovative techniques she shared:

Design 1: Rhythm of Nature

Geertje kicked off the show with a stunning, flowing floral piece built on a flexible, wired wooden and paper base. She emphasized the speed and commercial viability of the construction, relying on basic materials like screws, tape, and hot glue for quick assembly.

Crucially, Geertje showed how this artistic design can be effortlessly scaled down from a grand centerpiece to a compact, cost-effective commercial arrangement, making it accessible for any client budget.

Design 2: Wild Harmony

Next up was "Wild Harmony," a design where Geertje utilized her signature technique with Rattan stripes. The structure was supported by a wire frame, incorporating glass tubes, tape, and hot glue for quick, efficient construction. The final piece was lush yet rustic, providing florists with a versatile concept that allows for endless variations in size and price point while maintaining a sophisticated, natural aesthetic.

Design 3: Angelic and Sunny

The third design was an enormous, circular bouquet. Built on a foundation of recycled Styrofoam and layers of paper, the showpiece featured around a thousand hand-folded paper rounds, which added an airy texture and rhythmic movement to the whole composition.

This piece brilliantly demonstrated a key principle for large-scale installation: achieving maximum visual impact with minimal weight - a clever solution for both delivery and installation.

Design 4: Steel & Velvet

Geertje then moved to a concept focused on quick, trendy table arrangements with "Steel & Velvet." Using aluminum frames, glass vases, and her "secret weapon"- elastic bands - she built a modern, high-impact commercial design.

She strongly advised designers to skip the glue! By using a tight elastic band and a straight-sided vase, everything is held perfectly in place, making the design easy to adapt, disassemble, and reuse.

Design 5: Whispers of the Meadow

The final piece was a beautiful house model arrangement where the base was shaped from repurposed Styrofoam and covered in a papier-mâché pulp, creating a lovely, earthy, and natural texture. Geertje masterfully used contrast-toned flowers, adding elements like pampas grass, sticks, and rope to tie the composition together while keeping the overall feel airy and lightweight, evoking the feeling of a sun-drenched meadow.

In one inspiring show, Geertje Stienstra proved that ingenuity in design and commercial viability are two sides of the same coin. Her unique approach to construction from leveraging elastic bands for quick table pieces to maximizing impact with recycled materials provides powerful takeaways for any florist looking to elevate their offerings.

Missed seeing Geertje's innovative techniques in action? Don't worry, you can see the show (again) on our YouTube channel, and don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more exciting floral content!