Tag: floral

Color Profile : Orange

Ever wonder where flowers got their “meanings”?

Color psychologist don’t. And they have loads of studies backing up their theories. The general model of color psychology relies on six basic principles:

  1. Color can carry specific meaning.
  2. Color meaning is either based in learned meaning or biologically innate meaning.
  3. The perception of a color causes evaluation automatically by the person perceiving.
  4. The evaluation process forces color motivated behavior.
  5. Color usually exerts its influence automatically.
  6. Color meaning and effect has to do with context as well.[1]

Over at Starbright Floral Design, we get to work with lots of colors everyday and all of us have our favorites. But why are they our favorites and what does that say? Up this week :

Orange

mini pumpkins
Orange comes in all sorts of forms here at Starbright Floral Design
“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.” Wassily Kandinsky

The color orange has a special place in Starbright’s design palette even though it is the most contested colors here in the US; people generally have a “love it” or “hate it” reaction to orange. Here at Starbright, we tend to collectively lean towards loving it. And what’s not to love? According to Color Wheel Pro, “Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation”.

What makes orange so special?

Orange is a vibrant and energetic color that is highly visible to the human eye. It is often used catch attention and highlight important elements of a design. For a similar reason, orange can also be considered a “bargain” color – in floral design, this means orange flowers will make an arrangement feel more present.

The shade of the color is extra important when considering the symbolic associations of orange. Because the color was named for the fruit, orange is often associated with health and vitality. While in a muted tone, burnt or greyed oranges that can be commonly spotted in the color of changing leaves are most often associated with Autumn. Because of the close connection to nature, more subtle shades of orange are often used to represent change, movement, and comfort.

 

For Encouragement
Orange explosion
Orange you glad you did something for yourself today?

Are you trying to start a new project? Quit an old habit? Beginning a journey? Orange promotes a positive perspective on life and help to motivate people to look on the bright side of a situation. According to the color symbolism of ancient heraldry, orange represents strength and determination.

This perky shade is your best bet when you want to rev yourself up so you can hit the gym or channel creativity for a work project. “Orange is said to stimulate enthusiasm” 

 

For the Kids
Gerbera Daisies
Great big orange gerbera daisies

Looking for something for someone young? Kids and teens are especially down with the color orange.  We’re guessing it might because orange tends to carry a sense of adventure about it.

 

For the Hostess
Walk on an Autumn Day
Walk on an Autumn Day

It’s not always easy to say what you want to say. The color orange is associated with social communication. Studies have shown an increase in two-way conversations while the color orange is present. According to color theorists, “this color is both physically and mentally stimulating which gets people thinking and talking!”

 

Starbright Logo

 

Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Color Profile : Red

Ever wonder where flowers got their “meanings”?

Color psychologist don’t. And they have loads of studies backing up their theories. The general model of color psychology relies on six basic principles:

  1. Color can carry specific meaning.
  2. Color meaning is either based in learned meaning or biologically innate meaning.
  3. The perception of a color causes evaluation automatically by the person perceiving.
  4. The evaluation process forces color motivated behavior.
  5. Color usually exerts its influence automatically.
  6. Color meaning and effect has to do with context as well.[1]

Over at Starbright Floral Design, we get to work with lots of colors everyday and all of us have our favorites. But why are they our favorites and what does that say? Up this week :

Red

Red is for Romance
Roses, amaryllis, orchids, hypericomb berries and autumn leaves

Did you know that red is the most common color used on national flags?  Or that red is generally considered to be a good luck color in Asia? Or that red is the traditional color for 40th anniversaries?

What makes red so special?

Red is the color of extremes. It is a warm color with a lot of energy. It is the second most visible color to the eye, though about 8% of the male population cannot see it. Many people think of red as the color of action. To the ancient Greeks, red was the color of super-human heroism. And while we’re certainly not going to knock that association, it’s also worth mentioning the color’s current day connection – romance.

 

For Someone Special
roses are red
Roses are red

“As it happens, red is an exquisite ambassador for love, and in more ways than people may realize. Not only is red the color of the blood that flushes the face and swells the pelvis and that one swears one would spill to save the beloved’s prized hide. It is also a fine metaphoric mate for the complexity and contrariness of love. In red we see shades of life, death, fury, shame, courage, anguish, pride and the occasional overuse of exfoliants designed to combat signs of aging. Red is bright and bold and has a big lipsticked mouth, through which it happily speaks out of all sides at once. Yoo-hoo! yodels red, come close, have a look. Stop right there, red amends, one false move and you’re dead.”

From NYTimes.com

If you’re not convinced, check out this article, “Red Alert: Science Discovers The Color of Sexual Attraction”  from Psychology Today. It’s action packed with useful information.

For the Home
Orchids
Orchids

 

Decorating a home means balancing style and utility, favorite colors and what’s available, space and lack of space. Red is one of the top two most popular colors, but many people stay far away from it when picking their color schemes. Contrary to popular belief, red is a great color to bring into your space. Whether your looking to add feelings of warmth and comfort or richness and luxury, red is a favorite of feng shui experts and interior designers alike. Known for increasing appetites, red details are especially great for the kitchen and dinning areas as well as the bedroom. But be careful to use reds in moderation – too much red can be over stimulating and cause restlessness.

 

For Body, Mind, and Soul
Starbright Arrangment
Inspire Me

Dealing with life can require an extra kick sometimes. If you’re not a big coffee drinker, consider adding a bit of red to the area. Physically, red can cause a bump to your blood pressure, speed up your heart rate, and motivate you to action. Red flowers can also increase the sensitivity of your senses and lend feelings of boldness, courage and action.

If red is your favorite color, you might be a strong person who craves independence. And if you have a particular aversion to the color red, it could mean you tend to be impulsive and could use some calming influences. Mixing reds with teals, blues, and greens (as in the arrangement above from StarbrightNYC) can balance strong red shades enough for even the strongest red-dissenter.

 

Starbright Logo

 

Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Nice to meet you!

New York is full of opportunities and possibilities.  It rewards the curious, embraces the eccentric and teases the complacent.   With an open mind anything is possible.

I first wandered into Starbright Floral Design back in 2007, while I was a student at the nearby Fashion Institute of Technology.   That spring, I spent hours every week walking New York’s one block flower district on 28th street.  I loved the sights of the bright blossoms against the cold concrete, I loved the smell of the dirt popping up in midtown, I loved the sounds of the delivery men yelling across the street while the 1 train rumbled under my feet.  My New York dream was literally a concrete jungle.

After FIT, I did what one does with a fashion degree – I became a designer.  I did a couple seasons at Bryant Park and Lincoln Center, and realized the people who looked the happiest were the ones in charge of the flowers.  I decided to try my hand at getting into the flower biz.  The thing about working in New York City is that if you can back it up you can work wherever you want.  I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more than to return to the stomping grounds of my college years.

And a couple months later – here I am at a desk in the Starbright Floral Design office.  Thanks to Nic Faitos, the founder and senior partner here at Starbright, I was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the experts.

Nic has given me permission to post about all of the knowledge I’m picking up on my journey to floral fluency.  A few times a week I’ll be sharing what we’re getting up to here at the shop and what I’m learning on the job.

Orchids
The design table at Starbright Floral Design -look at all those beautiful fuchsia and white orchids!

 

Along with the blog, I’m also blowing off the dust on our Instagram – StarbrightNYC – so you all can get an in process look at what goes on here at the shop.  For finished examples of our work, visit our Pinterest at StarbrightFD.  And while you’re at it – ‘like’ our Starbright Floral Design page on Facebook.

Make sure to bookmark (ahem ctrl-d ahem) and add us to your feed readers.  We’re looking forward to letting you in on what we do – if there’s anything special you’d like to know about, leave a comment below or email me at Claire@starflor.com (coming soon!)

See you all in a couple days!

Claire

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