Sarah Ryhanen of Saipua

Talented floral designer Sarah Ryhanen is no new name in the blogging community simply because her company, Saipua, has long been an inspiration to so many in Brooklyn and beyond. Sarah and partner, Nicolette Camille Owen really inspires me -- in fact her work just plain makes me happy, what can I say? I love her fresh eye, creative color combinations, perfect bits of texture, and her casual approach to arranging. Her work reminds me of my mother's own arrangements and floral still life oil paintings growing up. Mom instilled a love of flowers as art - either on the wall or in a vase - at a very early age resulting in a life long appreciation on my part. I can't pass by a gallery or florist without pausing, or going inside, and I certainly can't leave a farmers' market without a bunch of fresh blooms.

Sarah doesn't simply buy flowers in bunches at street stalls and haphazardly toss them in a vessel -- she loosely, yet artfully, arranges them to create a fresh, living masterpiece. When I see a photograph of her work I often stop dead in my tracks and think that I'm looking at a painting brought to life. See for yourself... and while you're at it, look to some of these arrangements for a little Autumn color palette (and texture) inspiration.

In case you were wondering, Saipua is a Finnish word for soap and that is also what Sarah and Nicolette do very well - they make wonderful soap that I've purchased in the past at Anthropologie and enjoyed immensely. You can also purchase their soaps and things online here. But that's not all - these ladies are also teachers! You can take floral arranging classes in a barn-like loft space behind their shop in Brooklyn and they call that their Little Flower School. How sweet! You may really enjoy taking a class with them -- I would in a New York minute! How wonderful!

(Photographs: Sarah Ryhanen)