Meet Ingrid Carozzi of Tin Can Studios

In Handpicked (Abrams, 2017), Ingrid Carozzi reveals secrets of the floristry trade and step-by-step instructions on how to achieve her organic, lush look. See a project from the book.

Q&A

Flower: What flower do you think best represents your personality, and why?

Ingrid Carozzi: I’d say thistle, because it’s strong, stubborn, and a bit wild.

Do you have a favorite floral trend?

I try to look at the timeless versus trends as much as possible. In both floral design and as a general way of living, I like things that last a long time. But one specific trend I like right now are arrangements that use nude or skin-tone flowers and dark foliage.

How would you describe your floral aesthetic?

Lush, asymmetrical, romantic, and unruly.

If you were not a floral designer, you might be a …

I used to be a graphic designer, so I think that would be something I might revisit if for some crazy reason I stopped working with flowers. Farming would be pretty amazing, as well.

FLOWER LIST: garden roses, spray roses, ranunculus, sweet peas, lisianthus, muscari, fritillarias, waxflower, quince, fern

Who inspires you?

My daughter, Stella, through her positive attitude, persistence, and empathy. My partner, Chris, who is a chef, inspires me through his cooking. He uses a lot of ingredients that typically go in the waste bin, such as carrot greens, broccoli stalks, Parmesan shards, etc. I try to work the same way whenever possible.

Did you ever have one of those eye-opening moments that changed your life in a meaningful way?

It would be the first time I did flowers for an event and a woman cried because the arrangements reminded her of a farm she lived on when she was a child in Sweden. I realized how powerful flowers were, in a very similar way to food, and that it was something I wanted to work with. It felt like everything I had done in the past had led up to working with flowers and opening my own business.

If you could be something other than human, what would you be, and why?

Any kind of bird. I just want to know what it feels like to be able to fly.

If you could only take a few books with you on a journey into space, what would they be, and why?

A Francis Mallmann cookbook. He encourages us to work harder for things and to go outside and be part of nature. Wabi-Sabi by Leonard Koren. It discusses the beauty of imperfection, along with the beauty of things modest and humble.

What do you do to relax and recharge?

Hang out with Chris and my daughter, go for a run, bike, drink wine, and sleep. I also love to take a hot bath.

FLOWER LIST: peony, ranunculus, sweet peas, lisianthus

Your musical tastes lean toward …

I can’t live or work without music. My musical taste is very mixed. A lot of ’80s music but also eclectic stuff: The Cure, Depeche Mode, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Prince, The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, AC/DC, Johnny Cash. As you can see, I’m all over the place.

Your favorite travel destinations are …

Italy near the Portofino, Lake Garda, and Tuscany areas; Southern France around Nice; and the island of Mallorca in Spain.

FLOWER LIST: ‘Pink Majolica’ spray roses, garden roses, lilies, ranunculus, sweet peas, snapdragons, passion flower vine, jasmine foliage, forged greenery and foliage. See the step-by-step instructions for this all-pink arrangement.

What are your three favorite movies of all time and why?

Gandhi because he was an amazingly strong man and pacifist. The original Annie because of the way the kids deal with tragedy through humor. And Carol Burnett is amazingly funny. And The Big Lebowski, again because of the humor in tragedy.

Save