Designer Kelly Wearstler reveals gorgeous floral arrangement series to bring dormant fireplaces to life

Designer Kelly Wearstler proves fireplaces can take center stage in summer, too

a panel of designers
Kevin Rose, Kelly Wearstler and Tan France participate in the WeWork San Francisco Creator Awards Master Class at Palace of Fine Arts on May 10, 2018 in San Francisco, California
(Image credit: Getty)

A new "seasonal obsession" from interior designer Kelly Wearstler, is bringing the outdoors in. To bring the summer setting into her Californian home, Wearstler and floral artist Sophia Moreno-Bunge created a feature of abundant flowers and greenery draping over Wearstler's black marble fireplace, creating a dramatic effect and transforming it into a summer showpiece. 

The end result is gorgeous and attracted a lot of love on Instagram. British fashion designer and “Queer Eye” star Tan France responded immediately with two heart-eye emojis. 

Kelly Wearstler described her display as, “A verdant flourish of angelica, amaranth, passion vine, allium and grasses in a monochromatic melange of textures and scale creatively captivates the senses and brings my living room’s dormant fireplace to life with the wild beauty of summer,” on Instagram. In the photo, she stands next to the fireplace in a light pink two-piece silk outfit and whimsically holds a vine. 

What you need to recreate Kelly Wearstler's floral arrangement

The "Seasonal Obsessions" look can be recreated in any home with a fireplace. In Wearstler’s home, the fireplace sits against a plain white wall, which makes the flowers pop. Aim for tall flowers that can drape over the sides and front of the fireplace, and keep them all in the same color scheme. If you have an abstract painting that pairs well, consider propping it on the mantle. 

Wearstler used tall black vases and the following flowers and foliage:

  • Angelica
  • Amaranth
  • Passion vine
  • Allium 
  • Grasses

More about Kelly Wearstler

Wearstler founded her interior design company in the 1990s and catered to hotels, notably the Viceroy chain and Proper Hotels, where she is credited with creating a Hollywood aesthetic that would become popular in hotels across the U.S. These days, she designs homes for celebrity clients including Cameron Diaz and Gwen Stefani. She’s also written five books, including the best-selling Modern Glamour, has judged on Top Design, and owns a luxury lifestyle brand where she sells her own designs and vintage finds. She has been included in Architectural Digest’s AD 100 Hall of Fame, Time Magazine the Design 100, Elle Decor A-List Designers and Vogue Best Dressed, among other awards. 

Not everyone has the interior design touch. Wearstler also teaches a class on the MasterClass platform to help inspire fledgling designers on everything in the home from decorating a coffee table to the biggest trends for kitchens, but you could watch it for home styling tips too. 

Rebecca Holland is a travel and food writer based in Chicago. She has written for the Guardian, New York Times, Architectural Digest, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast and more. She is currently a graduate student at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. When not working, you can find her eating her way through Chicago's neighborhoods, or in non-pandemic times, traveling around the world.