Florist Emily Thompson Shares Her Favorite “Curious” Items That Ground Her Home

When I ask Emily Thompson if there’s a particular title she prefers to go by, as someone who creates breathtaking sculptural works out of flowers and plants, she tells me "florist" suits her just fine. (To be fair, she’s also been described as "floral designer" and "floral artist." There is such grandeur to her work.) "I am attracted to both the humble origins of this formerly domestic art, and also ‘florist’ sounds like ‘forest.’ And I feel like we always bring the forest wherever we go," Thompson says. Her sprawling creations lean into the unruly wildness of plant life; the branches and stems are often harsh and wiry, only to be softened by gentle, overwhelming bursts of bloomed petals.

"It was a slow flip for me to have this realization that making things out of the living world was my medium—there’s no greater privilege than to get to use these materials," Thompson says of the plants that inspire her creativity. She initially got into florals by doing arrangements for friends’ weddings, initially for the joy of making "something for them that’s alive" but soon discovered how much she loved the intimacy of using her hands with nature’s colorful bounty. "I want to be a great champion for the earth, and for the flowers themselves, and find ways to give them a voice," she says.

Her interest in the types of flowers she works with is entirely grounded to the strict seasonality of what is happening locally—so all the bareness of winter foliage is something she gets excited by. "I find these limitations to be great opportunities. When the vast amount of infinite things you could be using are denied, your ideas are forced to be more powerful. I love the harshness of our seasons. In fact, I wish we had some snow," she says of New York City’s current dry spell.

In some ways, it seems unexpected that Thompson, who hails from Vermont and primarily works with flowers, would root herself in New York City. "I’m here to fight against the concrete," she says with a laugh, but tells me she’s found sanctuary in a Crown Heights, Brooklyn brownstone which she describes as "a very leafy, really beautiful spot with a garden, which is an absolute pit—a respite from the urban life." The way she has concepted her home also sounds like a fitting ode to nature. "I wanted the lower part of the house to feel a bit like a swamp, you know, puddles, this feeling of growth and depth. And then as you rise up to the top story, it dissipates like a mist."

Within the walls, Thompson’s eclectic interior style is informed by her travels, things made by fellow makers, and other "curious objects." "I’m very much an accumulator. I love to let my eye rest on an incredible object or piece of art," she says, which may explain some of her favorite home picks like an abstract-print Cold Picnic rug, cocktail napkins shaped like oversized leaves, and a Mark Gagnon urn emblazoned with his own interpretation of florals. Living with a large collection of books, too, is a must. "I have a home library and being immersed in literature and stories is a big part of what sustains me."

"I love Cold Picnic’s Sparrows print. Keep your eyes peeled for our super secret collaboration one of these days…"

"Dusen Dusen striped towels make everything more fun."

"I have a collection of my friend Frances Palmer’s vases—they are like a small menagerie. I love to twist stems through the handles."

"I treasure my papier mache pedestal and urn by my friend, artist Mark Gagnon. You can find his work at the great interiors shop KRB."

"These foliage cocktail napkins from Houses & Parties are so beautiful."

"I love trompe l'oeil deeply and these amazing Ted Meuhling candlesticks are entirely satisfying."

"For exquisite cookware, much of it Japanese, there is Nalata Nalata and Toiro. I love the donabes."

"These beautiful blankets from Brooklyn shop Front General Store are wonderful this time of year."

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