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In this first edition of 'In Perspective', meet Nina Charles, a Paris-based florist from New Caledonia. Here she offers advice on creating seasonal arrangements and shows how our vases make beautiful, thoughtful gifts for the festive season.

Nina’s journey with flowers began far from home, but through her growing connection to floristry, she truly saw that flowers weren’t just pretty—they could change the feel of a space, lift people’s spirits, and make moments memorable. Before attending business school in Canada—a field worlds apart from floristry—she spent six months in Australia, working with a florist in Sydney who introduced her to the world of flower markets and creating arrangements for events.

After finishing business school in Montreal, she felt drawn to Paris and became increasingly captivated by flowers, with little enthusiasm for a traditional business career. “I’d always liked flowers,” Nina shares, “but that’s when I thought, why not? I realized flowers might mean more to me than I’d thought.”

While exploring her next step, a friend connected her with someone at the George V Hotel's floral studio, where her floral journey truly began. “I did a six-month internship there, learning high-end floral design,” she remembers. Inspired by this experience, she decided to start her own business to allow herself full creative freedom.

“That’s when I truly saw that flowers weren’t just pretty—they could change the feel of a space, lift people’s spirits, and make moments memorable.”

A white sculptural vase with dark red flowers and glossy red anthurium flowers is paired with dried grasses.

A depp red U-shaped vase holds a bouquet of orange and yellow flowers, with a teapot and artwork in the background. A delicate flower stem rests against the vase.

Where do you find inspiration for your floral compositions?

Nina: I have a collection of books on botany, flower photography, and gardens that inspire me—they influence my work, often in subtle, subconscious ways. But I also rely a lot on intuition, letting each arrangement take shape naturally, often beginning with flowers I find at the market and working from there. The seasons guide me, too. I create bright, colorful arrangements in summer, while in winter, I lean toward darker, richer tones. And, of course, I’m always inspired by nature itself.

A pale U shaped green vase holds a mixture of textured green balls and white chrysanthemums. The vase is placed on a wooden pedestal in a softly lit space, highlighting the gentle tones of the flowers.

How do the shapes and colors of vases influence your choice of flowers?

Nina: Vases are essential; they’re part of the whole vision. It’s not just about the flowers but also the harmony created with the space. With the Muuto vases, I aimed to showcase a different scene, highlighting how the vases, flowers, and surroundings connect. Working with my partner Adrien, a photographer, brought this vision to life together.

The vases act like sculptures—their shapes and colors influence my flower choices. In autumn, I lean toward darker shades, matching the season to the vase for a cohesive, balanced look. When clients request arrangements without specifying a vase, it’s harder to achieve that harmony. My instincts and the flowers I find at the market each week also play a big role in creating something that feels just right for each setting.

How did you approach the unique characteristics and varying sizes of the Muuto vases, like the playful shape of the Kink or the polished Ridge Frosted Glass Vase?

Nina: The vases are very sculptural, which made things interesting! For example, the Kink vase has two openings, and while I'd worked with it before, this time, I decided to approach it differently by focusing on just one of the openings. This allowed the vase's shape to stand out fully. Adding flowers to both openings can sometimes take away from the vase's unique form, so in one opening, I placed a single, bold flower with enough presence to stand on its own, creating a sense of balance and harmony.

I focused on the Ridge Frosted Glass Vase's subtle, polished, transparent surface. The vase lets you see the outline of the stems through it, which brings a quiet elegance. I chose a particularly unique celosia flower with an interesting stem to highlight this effect, enjoying how its shape became visible and enhanced by the vase itself.

For the larger Kink vase, the height required long-stemmed flowers, and its tall, straight form inspired the use of amaranths with a natural drooping shape to add flow, letting them drape across the vase and soften its structure.

Each arrangement became a dialogue, letting the vase and flowers work together to create something cohesive and balanced.

A clear glass vase with tall, slender stalks of red gladiolus flowers is placed on a minimalist pedestal. The soft, neutral background highlights the simple elegance of the floral arrangement.

Nina stands holding a bouquet of white flowers in a black oversized jacket. Behind her, a glass vase with tall stems of greenery is displayed against a soft, neutral backdrop.

Do you have any tips for creating floral arrangements at home?

Nina: I always keep the rule of odd numbers in mind when I create an arrangement or set a scene. It’s something also found in ikebana, Japanese floral art. It helps avoid overly perfect, unnatural symmetry. For example, instead of placing two flowers in a vase, I’ll put three. And even when I arrange objects, I never place them symmetrically; I always add a third element to break the symmetry.

Another tip is about using vases across seasons. For instance, hydrangeas, which are primarily spring and summer flowers, can simply be dried and reused in winter. This extends the beauty of the flower with a completely different look.

There’s a trend toward botanical sculptures, but I believe in the natural beauty of flowers. Turning flowers into art can sometimes mask their simple beauty. You can go to a florist and pick a few flowers from their garden to make a simple arrangement, and it would still be stunning.