Kristen Somerville
XOX is a boutique floral business run from my home so I can combine family and flowers.
Flowers are my oxygen and there's nothing I love better than going into the garden with my clippers and gathering up all that loveliness to put in a vase.
I gather most of my materials from my backyard, friend's gardens and even the roadside which is what gives my arrangements that wild, botannical look.
Formal floristry training was never my thing, instead years spent in my mother's gardens and 5 years in Japan studying Ikebana ( Japanese flower arranging) have shaped my work.
I love the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, (beauty in imperfection) so I take my inspiration from the materials in front of me, whether it's a beautiful weathered seed pod or soft, furry magnolia bud.
As someone who loves the raw, natural beauty of the outdoors I try to keep my work as natural as possible, using mostly twine and paper, no oasis, glitter or fake flowers.