A convivial drink at the bar has long been a way for meeting attend-ees to get to know one another. For a new twist on the tradition, there’s Fleurish, the first-ever dedicated design-it-yourself flower bar. The 3,000-square-foot floral studio in LA’s tony Brentwood neighborhood is the brainchild of florist Amy Marella, whose clients include the Beverly Hills Hotel, Tiffany & Co. and Hotel Bel Air. The idea bloomed, Marella says, because clients were always asking her advice on how to create floral arrangements. Fleurish answers that question with high-tech flair. Budding florists take a seat at the communal workstation and choose their “Fleurkit” from the nine offered each season. Step-by-step instructions are provided on personal flat-screen tablets (or in person if you take a class), from picking out stems in the floral locker and creating a tic-tac-toe grid on your vase to trimming the hydrangeas, tulips, roses and chocolate geranium and then placing them with preci-sion to create a gorgeous did-I-really-do-that arrangement.
An attentive staff is always on hand to offer advice and encour-agement. Pose with your blooming creation in front of the photo booth and images are sent directly to your social media account. Groups can reserve spots or rent out the entire space and have their floral sessions catered. Fleurish will also bring their flow-er shop to offices, hotels or homes. “Flowers make everyone happy,” Marella says. “Touching them, taking in their scent is relaxing, and at the end everyone takes home a bouquet they’ve made, which creates a real sense of pride.”
