An Interview with our Designer - Andrea Murphy
Flower Cloud for www.andmrsjones.com in collaboration with www.driedandfloral.com
Photography courtesy of Sarah Jones #andmrsjones
We have seen some of your work in the flower cloud over Christmas, what was your inspiration for that installation?
I was asked by my lovely friend Sarah to install a large, dried flower wreath in her dining room, then after discussing it further she saw a hanging dried install in a home décor magazine and realised that was what she really wanted. Sarah has great vision and I was lucky the inspiration was given to me on a plate with this one! She also runs an amazing home interior design service which really helps clients get the look they are after and gives them the confidence to go with their hearts. Sarah’s house is stunning and is an inspiration in itself, her taste and style is impeccable. The cloud has been built over a light fitting, so balancing the structure, stopping it from spinning and making sure it was safe were slightly nerve-wracking moments, definitely worth it though.
What other interesting projects have you done?
There’s been a few! Photoshoots are one of my favourite projects to work on for people as it’s amazing to see your work and the whole vision come together and see it through someone else’s eyes. New product development projects have always been some of my favourite, I love to help guide customers to the look they are really after that fits their brand. I’m hugely excited about some of the products we’re currently collaborating on and can’t wait to see them come to fruition.
Take us through your design process.
Mainly I think I draw on all the amazing creatives around and use that inspiration to translate people’s visions into something that is bespoke to them. Colour, texture, and detail are key to all of it, so I’ll often work a design out in my head nowadays and then produce mood boards to see if it works visually before I go ahead with anything. Generally, I then tend to tweak the final look at the last minute. I think the best thing with flowers and design is there’s always that product that jumps out at you that makes you know you have to include it to bring the finished design to its most beautiful conclusion.
How do you translate what a client wants into reality?
I feel it’s important to be truly honest with clients, it’s a bit like going to the hairdressers and saying you want hair like a famous movie star, it doesn’t mean it’s going to work just because you’ve seen something you like on Instagram or Pinterest. The colour scheme and space/environment that you are creating for should encompass and dictate the design, along with any ideas the client may have. Most people do know what they love when you start delving into their style, you can gauge a lot from a yes/no type pictorial flick through the internet or magazines.
Did you always want to be a florist?
No! Ha! I trained as a classical pianist from the age of 7…..it didn’t work out and many jobs later, (most undertaken to pay for the music lessons) I started working for a commercial flower company in their accounts department. After 6 months I decided my life needed to change, I missed being creative and was truly bored. I went to resign and was asked to reconsider and would I think of re-training in the New Product Development department. I was offered an interview and had to make a hand-tied bouquet including choosing the flowers I was going to use there on the spot. This was with just one demo….luckily I got the job, it was the best thing I ever did.
What is your background?
I was born in Croydon but was brought up in Brighton for most of my life with my older sister and two brothers. I’ve lived in London a couple of times for short periods before moving back to Brighton where I met my husband at a wedding when I was playing the piano at the reception. We moved to Winchester in 2001 to be nearer to his work and have lived here ever since. It’s taken me a long time to settle in a small city but I honestly love it here now and have made life-long friends.
Take us through a “day in the life of Andrea”.
It’s changed a lot over the last year with the pandemic. I’m a mum of two young boys so it currently starts with childcare and doing the school run. Then it tends to be a juggle of household chores, working on projects for Dried & Floral and attempting to do up my house along with looking after the plants for the allotment before picking up the children again. I’m not good at relaxing so I’m always busy with something or looking at what to do next.
What motivates and inspires you and if you could do anything with flowers what would your dream be?
Home décor and colour combinations inspire me, I love keeping an eye on all of the latest trends coming out and seeing how they can be transpired and moved in different directions. I’m obsessed with intricacy in all things; fabric, wallpaper, art, flowers, ceramics, and more so I follow a lot of people that are just incredible artists and creators. Dream job? I think creating and working with people you love is a dream job, so I count myself very lucky.
How do you choose trends?
That’s a tricky one, I honestly don’t analyse why I choose certain ones and not others, I only specifically choose a trend when it’s in relation to a brand that I’m working with, as that gives you a benchmark of what you need to aim for. In terms of choosing trends that are personal to me and our business, I just go with what I love….tends to be pretty much most things in all honesty! There are elements of every trend going that can always be used, transferred, or diluted to be fair and I always tend to look to America & France before I check what’s going on in the UK.
If you could do anything or go anywhere for a day, what would you do and where would you go?
After lockdown, I’d like to be going everywhere! Anywhere with good food, good shopping, art, plants, and flowers is a winner.
What are your plans for the future?
To continue with building our business as a sustainable and creative force within the floral industry and to work with more retailers by providing them with a more bespoke service, both in terms of quality and design. Definitely an expansion of where we are in terms of working with more varied types of flora and fauna plus home décor and working with like-minded creators and artists.
