Floral designer Katelyn Pinner offers tips to make the most of mother nature’s beauty
With years of hands-on experience balancing color, texture, and seasonality, Katelyn Pinner, owner and floral designer at Katelyn Pinner Studio in Travelers Rest, pulls back the curtain on flower arranging, sharing approachable techniques she’s developed over 13 years in the industry.
From choosing complementary blooms to building balanced arrangements and extending the life of fresh flowers, Pinner’s advice is designed to help you achieve a polished, professional look at home.
Katelyn Pinner home flower arranging tips
Start with Structure
One of the most common challenges homeowners face when arranging flowers is mechanics, according to Pinner. Without proper support, stems tend to flop or lean too heavily in one direction.
In Pinner’s quarterly workshops, she supplies all the materials for flower arranging. She favors using more environmentally-friendly chicken wire over floral foam to fill the container. “That way, participants can take it home and reuse it later,” she says, Floral tape placed in a grid across the opening can also be used to keep stems a bit more vertical and evenly spaced.
Pinner often begins with a base of greenery, which serves several purposes: “It helps establish shape, creates support, and allows for flowers to be layered gradually.”
Space, Color, and Variety
Use different varieties of flowers within the same color family to vary texture and form. Looser, asymmetrical arrangements built around a triangular outline help them feel more organic. “Workshop participants and private garden club classes love this approach,” she notes.
Dimension is also key. Pinner recommends leaving intentional negative space within an arrangement. “Airy, dancing flowers like spirea, along with blooming cherry or dogwood branches, are all good choices.”
Seasonality guides color choices, particularly for weddings. “Spring arrangements may lean into lavender, which is a beautiful tone. Pale blues, greens, and peach tones are also popular this time of year. We love to pair lavender with a cheery yellow,” she says.
Elevating the Every Day
Grocery store flowers can be elevated with a few intentional steps. Pinner suggests combining store-bought blooms with yard clippings. “Bushy stems from your garden can add depth and texture,” she advises.
Bud vases have more impact when flowers are grouped in odd numbers like three or five with greenery for contrast.
Happy Blooms Mean Longer Life
Proper care plays a major role in making blooms last. Before arranging, stems should be cut on a diagonal. Once arranged, water should be refreshed every one to two days, and flowers kept out of direct sunlight.
Use the flower food included in most bouquets or whip up a recipe yourself. “A quick Google search will turn up a Martha Stewart recipe you can make at home with sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice,” the designer shares.
Tulips and carnations are two flowers that are both easily accessible and long-lasting. “They are available in so many colors now and they can be added to grocery store bouquets,” she says. Roses, meanwhile, last longer when excess leaves and the outer guard petals are removed, which also helps the blooms to open more quickly and evenly.
For Every Season
Katelyn Pinner Studios does flowers for weddings, corporate events, and private clients, while offering grab-and-go bouquets and more. The team at her studio brings a combined total of more than 50 years of experience in the floral industry.
They are dedicated to supporting local and national small farms, while helping bring beauty to life’s many occasions. “We like to say that we’re a florist for every season of life,” Pinner says.
Workshops
Spring in Bloom
March 17 at 6p.m. and March 21 at 10a.m.
In this workshop, designed for all skill levels, you’ll learn how to create a beautiful spring arrangement full of blooms from some of Pinner’s favorite Upstate flower farms.
Advanced Floral Design
March 19 at 6p.m.
Geared toward repeat workshop attendees and those with prior floral or art experience, the class focuses on refining techniques and taking design skills to the next level.
Katelyn Pinner Studio, 106 S. Main St., Travelers Rest, open Monday–Saturday, 10a.m.–5p.m. (event studio by appointment only), katelynpinnerstudio.com
