Happy Feature Friday!

This week we are featuring Kimberly Rosario of Absolutely Succulent. She and her business partner, Sharon, design beautiful living globes featuring the latest “it” plant, succulents! We actually received one of their living globes in a giveaway and we adore it! We love having plants in the house, but when we travel their survival can be a bit of a problem, so having these succulents be air plants is perfect for us. The arrangement of the succulents was so pretty and it made for an excellent display piece on our coffee table. If you’re all over the succulent trend read on to learn more about Kim and her business!

 

:  Tell us a little about yourself.

: I currently live in NJ with my husband and son. My design studio is in New York City in the heart of the floral district. I got my start in floral design in high school, where I worked at my neighborhood florist. During college I studied interior design and make up artistry, but eventually found my way back to flowers and the floral design program at Parsons. From there I worked as a freelancer with all of NYC’s top event companies until I started my own, Icon Event Style. In my spare time I am also a goldsmith, with a jewelry collection in the works.

: How did you come up with the idea for Absolutely Succulent?

: My partner, Sharon, and I incorporate succulents into our event design whenever we can, as we are totally obsessed with them. Everybody always loves them and comments on them so we eventually decided to start a business dedicated to them.

: What is the process like behind making one of your living globes? (sourcing, design, how do you choose the materials to work with etc.)

: We buy the succulents from our local greenhouse as much as possible. I love to go there and choose the right ones for each order. If we need a certain variety that we just can’t get local, say a giant 9 in. blue green plant, we will order through our NY importers from Holland. For the added elements, we try to find unusual objects which can stand alone in the globes long after the plants life span.

: All of the globes are so fun! We can’t imagine how fun it must be to put them together! What is your favorite part of the whole process?

: I love coming up with the concepts and finding the elements that bring it to life. Editing our ideas is usually harder than coming up with them! We’d love to try them all.

: You also do custom globes as well as create installations for events and corporations. What is it like working with a client to create a custom piece?

: We start with the client’s brand and style. Sometimes the globes are about finding the right colors to represent the brand, or we might try to translate the feeling the particular brand gives-like modern chic, or a Zen vibe. We also customize the containers for installations, so instead of a glass globe, the plants might be growing on a weathered branch or inside a gold leafed box.

: Do you have a memorable globe or project you’ve worked on? Or a favorite globe that is displayed in your own home right now?

: In my own home this month I have a version of the desert rose- one of my personal favorites. We are currently working on a project with a very popular fitness brand, which I hope to reveal soon.

: Succulents are pretty big right now! Why do you think people love them so much?

: I think it’s a combination of how hardy they are, and their beauty. They have a very clean sculptural structured feel, and most are reminiscent of roses. This attracts both men and women to them I think equally.

: For those of us that don’t know much about plants, tell us a little about these succulents! Why don’t they need water or soil?

: Succulents are plants that retain water because of their natural growing locations-arid climates in sandy soil. This enables the cut versions we use to live for months without being rooted into soil or watered. If you choose you can always follow instructions for rooting them when their span in the globe is complete and they start to stretch and grow.

: What would you say is the most challenging part of running your own business?

: Knowing when to finish the day and go home. There is always more to accomplish than hours in the day.

: Do you have any advice for people trying to pursue something creative like this?

: It’s not easy, but its definitely rewarding. I love going to work each day.