Growing up my mums secret sauce to happiness was her garden. It was her inner peace, creative zone and happy centre the entire neighbourhood, family and friends got to enjoy.

As such, I love fresh flowers and regularly buy bunches as well as grow a few of my own.  Here are a few benefits of fresh flowers:

– They look and smell beautiful

– They add a tactile and sensory element to styling a space

– They add natural colour to a space

– They offer height options in any space

– And they bring nature into your home

Personally I used to prefer fresh flowers over faux flowers but, on the other hand, faux flowers have a lot to offer as well. Here are a few benefits:

– They always look fresh

– You don’t have to water them – ever

– The weather doesn’t negatively effect them 

– They are easy to clean

– You can create a bouquet or create decor items with them 

– They don’t smell

– You only pay once for them and they last for years 

– And, you can’t accidentally kill them, lol

I had bought a lovely bunch of fresh flowers and was going to see what I had in my garden to add more to the bunch, but I didn’t have a thing… And then it hit me!

Why not mix and match fresh and faux flowers!

I have quite a few faux flowers, mostly for fun crafting and decor ideas to make wreaths etc, and decided to try adding these to the live bunch I bought to fill it out – and it looked fabulous!  Below is the before and after of the bunch of fresh flowers I added to and I’m sure you’ll agree it looks better!

What a simple solution with a huge visual impact to take your styling to the next level! This is probably considered a definite rule breaker, but the results are a game changer. The faux flowers added were blue hydrangeas and white roses – and it was that simple.

The fresh flowers cost $24 at Coles and while they could have been placed in a smaller vase, the finished look on the dining table made a lovely styling statement.  

Some have said, ‘why not just use all faux flowers?’  

That’s a good question, and I say… Why not mix and match!  

Adding the faux flowers enhanced the fresh flowers and created a more natural feel to an important occasion, Mother’s Day, and added to this style element.  And you can see in the photo below, the faux flowers also referenced the flowered napkins and drink coasters which were the colour inspiration for this occasion. 

So don’t be afraid to mix and match and try ideas, because you will only know if your idea is successful when you do.  Styling is about having fun and enjoying the process as you create your end result.  

It is about breaking the rules sometimes to discover what works for you, it’s following design guidance to begin and learning a few simple basics to work from.  But it is also about listening to your intuition, feeling it, and allowing yourself to love what makes you happiest and putting them all together.