Floral Designer Kelly Marie Thompson of Fleur

Portrait of floral designer Kelly Marie Thompson in her shop, Fleur, in Chicago. She wears a denim tunic and dark pants, and holds a small bouquet of roses. She's surrounded by flowers, grasses, large tropical leaves, and the antiques that fill the shop’s exposed brick frame.

When Kelly Marie Thompson was designing floral arrangements for Flower magazine’s visit to her shop, Fleur, in Chicago, she looked to nature for her creative catalyst.

“I was inspired by the romance of the Midwest prairie sunset, which led me to choose several wild grasses to mix in with the flowers,” she says. “I wanted a soothing palette that would evoke a peaceful feeling, incorporating rusty bronze, pale orange, and soft pinks that hint at the season but perhaps are also a little unexpected.”

Enjoy a peek inside Kelly’s shop and the trio of designs she created for us. You’ll also find her step-by-step floral tutorial at the end of this post.

A Look Inside Fleur

Located in historic Logan Square, her boutique offers seasonal cut flowers from primarily local sources, along with jewelry, paper goods, and home accessories.

The mix of antique furniture in the shop gives it the feel of a living room.

“Shop Kitty,” aka Sweet Pea, basks in the late October sun.

Flowers and grasses selected for the photo shoot with Flower magazine

A Trio of Floral Designs

“I’m drawn to using wild grasses in my designs. They add more unusual texture and another element to arrangements other than greenery and flowers.” – Kelly Marie Thompson

Kelly Marie Thompson floral design in a long, oval antique dough bowl

Materials

Wild grasses
‘Butterfly’ ranunculus
‘Romantic Antike’ roses
‘Koko Loko’ roses
‘Prairie Sunset’ roses
Anthurium
Pieris japonica

A Kelly Marie Thompson floral design in a low compote vase

Materials

‘Blushing Bride’ protea
‘Butterfly’ ranunculus
Wild grasses
Pieris japonica
Dried pampas grass

Materials and step-by-step instructions for this floral design follow.

Kelly’s Floral Tutorial

Materials

Pieris japonica
Plum tree foliage
Bridal veil grass
Explosion grass
Millet grass
‘Blushing Bride’ protea
‘Prairie Sunset’ roses
‘Koko Loko’ roses
‘Romantic Antike’ roses
‘Butterfly’ ranunculus

Step-by-Step Instructions

Click the arrows (or swipe if on a mobile device) to see each step.

Step 1 photo - Kelly Marie Thompson Floral Demonstration

1 | "I used a low terra-cotta pot to complement my palette," says Kelly Marie Thompson. "Ball up chicken wire to create a base, and insert it into the container. Then trim and add the japonica, which is rust-toned and textural."

2 | Add branches of plum foliage. Trim them fairly short, and then place throughout the base of japonica.

3 | Now the mix of grasses—bridal veil, explosion, and millet. Place these at varying angles in the arrangement. There’s no exact formula; just step back every once in a while and make adjustments as needed.

4 | Use the ‘Blushing Bride’ protea in small groupings at the base of the arrangement. They impart a soft pink to the palette, and the texture is wonderful.

5 | Time for roses! Place ‘Prairie Sunset’ roses in front, and start to add more volume to the arrangement. Add a few ‘Koko Loko’ roses, which bring a depth of color and help blend the palette.

6 | Place about six ‘Garden Antike’ roses to add another more muted and romantic shade of pink. This is a good time to step back and make any desired adjustments and look for holes to fill in.

7 | Finally, the ‘Butterfly’ ranunculus—let these flowers float throughout the arrangement. They add movement and another layer of color.

Kelly Marie Thompson of Fleur

A Look Inside Fleur

A Trio of Floral Designs

Materials

Materials

Kelly’s Floral Tutorial

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions

MORE FLORAL DESIGNS FOR AUTUMN PALETTES

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