Secrets of the Bridgerton set designers: How to make faux flowers look chic

The third series of the Netflix series Bridgerton hit screens this week, bringing with it a fresh obsession with super-pretty Regency interiors. For those with a penchant for flowers, the spectacular floral designs are particularly of note: blooms and greenery play a starring role themselves, decorating every room and every house exterior, and contributing to the spring-like sense of hope and youthful optimism that characterises the show.

Yet, the majority of flowers used for the stylised sets are, of course, artificial – they need to stay perfectly in place, without wilting or changing shape or colour, for days at a time – and the exquisite displays that are achieved are testament to how far faux florals have come in recent years.

The Bridgerton family’s London home, for example – in real life, Ranger’s House in Greenwich, a somewhat austere Georgian villa – is transformed with swathes of faux wisteria and roses into an idyllic vision of the perfect English house. The transformation, says production designer Alison Gartshore, is no easy feat, requiring a film landscape company to spend three days on a scaffolding rig, anchoring the wisteria in place without actually attaching anything to the outside of the listed building.

Then, there is the Four Seasons Ball that takes place in the first episode of the new series, a visual spectacle that sees thousands of flowers in all shapes, sizes and colours adorning the walls, ceiling, fireplace and staircases of Lady Danbury’s ballroom (one of the purpose-built sets that are used to film most of the interior scenes in the show).

In terms of what it takes to put such a look together, “It’s not as glamorous as you might think,” says the show’s florist, Phillip Corps. “It took about two weeks of climbing up scaffolding towers, anchoring things to the sets and stapling bits in. But it was a fun one to do.”

For this particular scene, he used a mix of natural branches and a wide range of faux flowers to represent each of the four seasons. “I tend to get carried away and go heavy on the flowers with a scenario like that,” he says. “I’m not really a less-is-more person, I’m a more-is-more person. We actually thinned the flowers out a bit at the last minute, believe it or not.”

Such is the popularity and influence of the series, the “Bridgerton effect” is contributing to an uptick in demand for artificial blooms. “Our faux flowers and plants are designed to be as lifelike as possible, and have proved hugely popular with our customers; we’re thrilled that they have gained a bit of a spotlight and a surge in sales since the launch of season 1,” says Sue Jones of homeware company Oka.

Other companies selling lifelike flowers have sprung up recently, including Ett Hem London, which launched last year selling hand-tied faux floral arrangements, while online shops Edit 58 and Willow Crossley are consistently selling out of high-end paper flowers.

Corps attributes the current popularity of fakes to the fact that the best of today’s crop look far more stylish than the gaudy plastic tulips or dusty roses of old. Also, he points out, if they are reused frequently (as they are on Bridgerton), they can be more sustainable than buying fresh flowers that have been flown halfway around the world only to die after a few days.

His advice, for people looking to invest in good-quality faux blooms, is to go for those made from silk or other fabrics. Peonies, hydrangeas and flamboyant tulips are currently fashionable, he says: “Things like carnations aren’t cool at the moment, but I love them. In Georgian times they were a wealthy person’s flower, because they didn’t have so many of them then.”

Should you be minded to attempt some of the elaborate schemes he created for Bridgerton, here are some tips for styling and displaying artificial blooms.

How to style faux flowers in a contemporary way

• Look for fake flowers with wired stems that can be easily manipulated, says Corps: “You can really sculpt them. It’s always important to get that movement, so that they don’t look staid.”

• Sue Jones’s advice is to display flowers that are currently in season: “Of course, with faux you can display any flowers you like all year round, but if you want to keep things realistic, stay in line with what’s happening in nature, rather than displaying summer blooms such as peonies or delphiniums during the autumn or winter months.”

• Foliage mixed in with flowers always helps to make an arrangement look more authentic. “If possible, try to include foliage that matches or is similar to the type found with the flowers in the wild,” advises Jones. “Another great styling tip is to mix in real flowers with faux: a few stems dotted in will add another layer of texture, and it’s a great way to refresh your year-round arrangements.”

• Jones suggests sticking to a limited palette if you’re a little nervous about mixing colours: “I’d choose a palette of around three colours and mix different stems in those shades. This will help to keep the arrangement varied but not overly eclectic. I’d also recommend using around five to seven stems of each flower, and as you build the display make sure you alternate between flowers and foliage to create a balanced effect.”

• However, if you want your floral arrangement to make a statement on the hall table or kitchen island, don’t be a wallflower about it, says Corps: “If you want your flowers to stand out, go as big as possible. Go big or go home, that’s the brief on Bridgerton.”

Where to find stylish fakes

Oka

Best for: A wide variety of flowers and greenery, including potted plants and trees. Oka’s advice to keep them looking fresh is to keep them out of direct sunlight and give them the odd gentle blast with a hairdryer on cool to keep dust at bay.

From £10 for a hellebore stem.

Ett Hem London

Best for: Hand-tied bouquets with a mix of different types and lengths of stems, for a natural-looking arrangement. The stems are wired so that the flowers can be manipulated, and the flowers are made from a mix of silk, polyester and plastic.

Arrangements from £69; single stems from £21.

Edit 58

Best for: Handmade paper flowers that arrive “ready-planted” in hand-painted terracotta pots, by artist Beam Irwin. Each is made to order, which can take up to three weeks: the range includes geranium, hollyhock and foxglove. The flowers vary in height from 43cm to 65cm.

From £235.

Willow Crossley

Best for: Paper flowers that are not intended to be hyper-realistic, but to act as works of art, displayed on their own or mixed with real flowers. The third collection from a collaboration with artist Krishanthi Armitt drops on 20th May, featuring blousy, brightly coloured poppies.

From £59 per flower.

Abigail Ahern

Best for: Fashionable flowers and foliage with a laidback, relaxed look in slightly faded, knocked-back shades, at not too high a price. The range also includes faux potted plants.

From £6.