Birthday
HydrangeasIn autumn 2015, one of the most unusual flower exhibitions opened in Detroit for just a few days: abandoned houses were filled inside and out with fresh flowers. Here is how the Flower House project came about and which of its ideas you can borrow for your own home.
Flowers for a home installation: spray roses and flower baskets.
How the idea began
The project was led by Detroit florist Lisa Waud. She acquired a pair of empty houses hit by the city’s decline and invited florists from across the United States to design the rooms. Each room became a separate installation: flowers hung from ceilings, filled bathrooms and staircases and seemed to grow through peeling walls.
Why it mattered
The contrast between a struggling city and living flowers drew thousands of visitors and wide press coverage. It was meant as more than an exhibition: afterwards the houses were carefully dismantled, materials were reused where possible and the land was planned for a flower farm. The installation became part of a conversation about a new future for vacant urban lots.
Ideas for your home
- A flower ceiling. Small bunches of dried flowers or eucalyptus hung upside down above a table or from a curtain rail.
- Flowers in unexpected places. Single stems in glasses on a bathroom shelf, a windowsill or by a mirror.
- A flower wall. A grid or wooden trellis with water tubes for single blooms — great for a party.
- Monochrome. One room, one colour: even simple flowers then look like an installation.
For more ways to decorate without a classic vase, see flowers without a vase; for a festive table, table flower decorations; and for flowers that never wilt, glass flowers.
FAQ
Can you visit Flower House now?
No. It was a temporary exhibition in 2015, after which the houses were dismantled.
How long does a flower installation last?
Without water, fresh flowers in an installation last from a few hours to a couple of days, so longer projects use water tubes or dried flowers.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
