I recently collaborated with designer, curator, and boutique retailer Caroline Diani of Diani Living and Diani Boutique on multiple photo shoots featuring her 1700s Dutch Farm House in Germantown, NY. Read all about this beautiful, historic home in New York Times and Chronogram.

When we first spoke, I was inspired by how Caroline described her approach to interior design: "I approach all my home design projects the same way; I build up the rooms with gradual layers. I'll sit for hours, days, weeks, months with as little as possible so that I can really tap into what the rooms are telling me they need. I really do believe that when you are quiet and patient and not in a rush to 'finish,' then a room will tell you what it needs."

I think designing with flowers, in many ways, can share the same approach. I want the flowers to feel like they belong to the space; I want them to help tell a 'story' together with the space.

After spending time in the house, hearing Caroline and her husband—actor and writer Jeffrey Doornbos—passionately tell me the history of the home, I was instantly inspired. I heard how they found and lovingly restored the house, learned more about their thoughts on picking all the furniture and accessories, and got to walk around the grounds and gardens.

I wanted to create something that was effortless, yet sophisticated to match the aesthetics of the interior. I felt it should be something very natural, as if Caroline just picked flowers from her own garden, yet dramatic enough to help tell a story for each room. This is a home filled with stories—past, present, and no doubt into the future. It was so special to be a part of this chapter… learning, collaborating, and putting my own touch on something that is as enduring as a stone house owned with love and care.

The dining room is in the lower section, which is built into a hill and has limited natural light. Caroline and I quickly agreed to create a ‘moody’ floral arrangement to play off the vibe of the room. I added clematis vine that was growing around a stone smokehouse on the property to the candle stick and some ninebark branches from the garden to help bring the outdoors inside.