Design News

Give your mom flowers, and she'll smile for a day. Take her to a hip floral class, and she can create arrangements for a lifetime. (that's right, the proverb works for Mother's Day gifts too). On Saturday, May 11, from 10-11 a.m., West Elm stores nationwide will show students how to create an arrangement from The Flower Recipe Book, penned by highly sought-after floral designers Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo.

For $65, you'll be equipped with a vase, clippers, blooms, and a book, so all you have to do is call your local store to reserve a spot and show up. Yes, it's that easy!

Aside from the bonding points you'll score while crafting your killer arrangement, the inclusion of this jaw-dropping coffee-table tome bundles two gifts in one. The book is filled with step-by-step tutorials ranging from bouquets to garlands and is categorized by season and formality, so there's no need for the class to end on Saturday!

Eye candy for art enthusiasts and sugar hounds alike, pastry chef Caitlin Freeman's new book, Modern Art Desserts: Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Confections, and Frozen Treats Based on Iconic Works of Art ($16, originally $25), is definitely worth perusing! While Caitlin's desserts are currently sold at SFMOMA's Blue Bottle Coffee Bar, she masterfully breaks down the process into 27 recipes for the book that range from basic to downright ambitious.

What started as a field trip to SFMOMA for a college photography class, ironically shaped Caitlin's serendipitous path to becoming a master of sweets. The former co-owner of San Francisco's pastry shop Miette and current pastry chef for Blue Bottle Coffee Company, Caitlin blames her career change from aspiring photographer to pastry tycoon on Thiebaud's Display Cakes. "Once I discovered it, I found myself sneaking off for illicit visits while my classmates ogled the old Walker Evans photos," she writes.

We caught up with Caitlin to delve into the book's fascinating backstory. Keep reading to get the scoop on recipes from the book she swears anyone can do, her crazy kitchen renovation ideas, and more!

Think of it as the floral arranging class you've always wanted to take — only now, it's in the form of a jaw-dropping coffee-table tome: The Flower Recipe Book ($25). Perfect for everyone from the DIY bride (yep, just in time for wedding season!) to the avid farmers market flower forager, this new book makes artful arrangements look doable — even for amateurs.

Created by highly sought-after floral designers Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo, the book includes step-by-step tutorials for creating arrangements, bouquets, wreaths, and garlands categorized by season and formality. Breathtaking visuals aside, sections like the tool box stock list, vessel guide, techniques tutorial, and helpful hints section are the meatier portions you'll want to curl up with and study.

We're tempted to gather a group of girlfriends together for a spin on the traditional book club (think seasonal floral arranging instead of literary discussions). Fun, right? For just a taste of what this book has to offer, keep reading to discover how easy it is to create this purple and yellow anemone stunner.

Get the step-by-step instructions for the arrangement here!

This Spring and Summer, we're excited to punch up our patios with DwellStudio for Robert Allen's first-ever outdoor fabric line: Modern Bungalow. Crazy good color palettes and glam graphics aside, its "retro-chic" aesthetic is predicted to become a huge trend this coming season.

While the line is intended for the outdoors (it's crafted with weather-resistant Sunbrella yarns), we're tempted to bring the look inside — picture a headboard in a sun-drenched room upholstered in one of these fabrics!

The line's 11 new styles draw inspiration from exotic locations and design movements from the past, making it ideal for the style-craved, staycation crowd looking to shake up their seasonal decor. “We created the Modern Bungalow collection around a few centerpieces — a wild jungle foliage and a graphic silhouette — then layered in trellises, stripes and rich textured solids. We wanted a look that combined the glamour of Hollywood Regency and Palm Springs with modern pops of color,” says DwellStudio's founder and creative director Christiane Lemieux.

Check out the full collection, and let us know which new print might be making its debut in your home this season!

With muses like design giants Nancy Lancaster and Elsie de Wolfe, Mary McDonald's new fabric, trimmings, and appliques collection for Schumacher and rug collection for Patterson, Flynn & Martin pay homage to traditional glamour but offer plenty for edge-seeking modernists. "I wanted to design pieces how I shop for a room . . . pairing classic and feminine with simple and modern — and something a little zingy and edgy!" says Mary.

For the Schumacher fabrics, unabashedly romantic designs (like the blossoming Chinois Palais) feel remarkably fresh — even cool — thanks to dramatic scaling, vivid colors, and silhouette-like patterns.

If you find trimmings to be tantalizing, her assortment of appliqués and tapes for Schumacher will tempt you to add couture-like details to sofa skirting, lamps, and anything else that will take.

Still, it might be her Patterson, Flynn & Martin rug collection that brings forth the Mary McDonald boldness that we crave. The silk Tibetan designs are exquisite if you're looking for a more formal option, but our favorite (and Mary's!) is a design from her abaca rug selections, the French Conga. "It's a natural fiber, like sisal or seagrass, but no one is doing it like this," says Mary. Sophisticated geometric patterns and color palettes instantly elevate this durable, weather-resistant material — a characteristic that is especially appealing for anyone with pets or kids.

Take a peek at her Schumacher and Patterson, Flynn & Martin collections, and tell us what's catching your eye!