Living Art: This Floral Designer Is Arranging Her Way To Success
Bricolage Curated Florals
When she’s not pouring shots of espresso behind the counter at Houndstooth Coffee, Austin native Samantha Jensen is crafting beautiful floralscapes at Bricolage Curated Florals. In addition to creating florals for events, Jensen designs arrangements for local restaurants and boutiques like By George, Contigo, Houndstooth, Juniper and the South Congress Hotel. Her living creations can also be found at the newly-opened Otoko, Chef Paul Qui’s latest restaurant, as well as Mañana, the coffee and juice bar at the South Congress Hotel.
Jensen finds inspiration everywhere, from the colors and textures of Turkish rugs to the bounty of the seasons. Rather than make her creations fit within a particular aesthetic, her process yields work that is at once romantic, untamed and thoughtful. But Jensen makes a concerted effort to keep an open mind when working through her designs. “ Most of the time, I go to the wholesaler and find color patterns that I like,” says the floral artist. “ I let my emotions of the day or season guide my designs.”
Jensen’s clientele is as diverse as her sources of inspiration. Her work has not only wooed local businesses — she’s also garnered the attention of brides-to-be and event coordinators looking to add her signature pieces to their weddings and parties. This increased exposure has allowed Jensen to open up her own design studio in East Austin, a cozy and sunny space where she plans to host design workshops and collaborate with local chefs for monthly pop-up dinners. For Jensen, collaborations like these come naturally. “ My work has always been about creating a memorable experience for folks across a table over food or beverages.”
This summer, after almost 10 years in the hospitality industry, Jensen will finally be able to devote all of her time to Bricolage. Lucky us.