Coral Bouquet

I hate fake flowers and plants! They go against my design credo that nature is always timeless and in style! However flowers and plants are not always practical to use or easy to care for. Case in point my bathroom vanity. I was looking for a wow factor for my vanity. It's a custom piece I designed especially for the master bathroom. It's made from maple and has a surf green granite top I hand picked because of its beautiful pattern that resembles inlaid crushed seashells. The knobs I recycled from cabinets in the house prior to the renovation.

I have lots of living plants in the bathroom, and wanted something natural yet low maintenance that would complement the green palms, pothos, and lucky bamboo living in the space. I didn't want to swap out fresh flowers every few days to keep the room's design integrity intact, and the choices for low maintenance floral plants that would do well in the space were limited. So I came up with a coral "bouquet" made out of sea fan coral I've found washed ashore on St. John's beaches.

I just added the yellow coral this week. It was a major score I found on Francis Bay a few weeks ago. It was still attached to the root which had a powerful marine stench, but gorgeous lavender shades that really make the yellow pop! Rather then removing the root to get rid of the smell, I rinsed the entire piece with fresh water and soaked the root a few times in rubbing alcohol to kill the smell caused by bacteria. I left the coral in the shade to air out for a few days, making it virtually odorless and ready to use.

For a little added color, tucked in the back are a couple of spray painted pieces in turquoise I used this Christmas as a tree topper. Inside the vase I rolled up a piece of husk from a palm tree to add texture, and a starfish for visual interest and dimension. I chose an elegant glass vase in order to balance all the rustic elements. The sushi plate in front of the arrangement is a handy tray for jewelry and other items. I keep adding pieces and changing things out every so often, but the hunt for unusual combinations is what makes it special.

CC