Ribbons, bows, greenery, and all the trimmings! For Porter and Brooke Mason’s Mountain Brook home, floral designer Brooke McAfee played to her client’s striking interiors and topped them off with a statement-making style. While she often gets compliments on her garden-style arranging, Brooke says that it’s her client’s personality and style that truly drives her designs. “I like to meet with my clients, tour their homes to assess their needs, and get their input,” Brooke says. “After that, I can generate the design scheme.”
While some floral designers lean into themes, color or otherwise—something Brooke also enjoys—she doesn’t believe they are a must for a successful design. “Things don’t need to match perfectly, but everything needs to work well together, especially in the space where it’s placed,” she says. “I love how fluid design is, and I enjoy the story that layering colors, textures, and elements tells.”
A culmination of experiences led to her holistic approach to integrating design and florals. “I started decorating and doing window displays at an antique store in my home state of Oklahoma when I was 19,” Brooke says. “A lot of interior designers shopped at that store, and I began working with them to create unique vignettes. That led to interior styling which made florals a very natural transition.” Brooke’s trajectory led her to Birmingham, and she opened Lilt Floral (liltflorals.com) in 2016.
Signature Floral Defining Style for the Holidays
“I do get complimented on my love for garden style arranging but honestly, I like to get as much of my client’s personalities incorporated into whatever I’m working on for them—whether that be their home, holiday décor, or wedding,” Brooke says. For this house, she leaned into the dramatic color contrasts and modern details topping them off with sweeping garlands, vibrant red blooms and bows, and a statement-making entrance.
Incorporating Personal Keepsakes into Your Holiday Decor
“I love incorporating keepsakes that already have special meaning to them,” Brooke says. For example, one of Brooke’s clients has a collection of silver bells, items her mother gifted her every year since she was born. “It’s always fun to come up with new and different ways to display them each year,” she says.
Enduring Holiday Floral Styles That Never Go Out of Fashion
“Live green and flowering plants will always last,” says Brooke. Some of her favorites include amaryllis, cyclamen, orchids, seasonal herbs, and topiaries. For cut greenery, she advises spritzing it with water. “Just be careful with your furniture,” she adds. “Evergreens do tend to dry out, but they manage to last just long enough.”
Adding Dazzling Touches to Your Holiday Floral Arrangements
“The Masons love to entertain. Most years we do a different tablescape for each dinner party that they host,” Brooke says. This year, her decorating schedule fell weeks before their first event so she created a striking but sweet centerpiece using candlesticks tied with thin red velvet ribbon. “I had to think of something impactful that would last and not be too campy,” she says.
How to Create Visual Impact with Holiday Florals
“I love statement arrangements on kitchen islands, coffee tables, and dining tables. And I enjoy adding different materials to one vessel,” she says. “Playing with varying heights and different textures always adds interest, I think.” For this kitchen island arrangement, Brooke filled a large white vessel with red-blooming cyclamen, amaryllis supported by bare branches, two variations of moss, and tucked in tiny red ornaments.
Resources
Floral Design: Brooke McAfee, Lilt Floral, liltflorals.com | Instagram: @liltflorals
Interior Design: Jan Ware, janwaredesigns.com | Kate Hartman, katehartmaninteriors.com
Architect: Long and Long, longandlongdesign.com
