Urban Garden

Flowers bathed in sunlight, pointed leaves, feather-leaved plants, buds sprouting on branches. Nature can thrive just as well indoors as outdoors: simply let ferns, roses, strawberries and all kinds of foliage run wild.

Meet Atelier Fleur
Design House Stockholm’s showroom at Götgatan 14 has been thoroughly transformed by Atelier Fleur, a newly launched local florist that is also located in the heart of Södermalm, Stockholm, design capital of Scandinavia. Jill and Johanna are brimming with radical ideas on home styling and interior design in the spirit of the urban garden.

They have been busy organizing the rectangular and square Botanic Collection of trays, boxes, pedestals and pots along with indoor greenhouses ranging in size from large to as small as a glass incubator with a lid.

“Who says you can’t grow strawberries in your kitchen or living room?” exclaims Jill Windahl, while deftly adding a garlic bulb that will start to grow and multiply right away in the soft earth. The installation is a contrast between an abundance of vivacious, overflowing greenery and austere shapes.

“The juxtaposition of plants and flowers and the distinct designs enhance one another. We want to challenge all preconceptions of what greenery in an indoor setting can be. You can use all kinds of receptacles and add any objects you like.”

Four seasons take up the full width of the Botanic trays. “Summer is a mix of vases in different heights and shapes,” says Johanna Larsson, adding a few more sprouting lilacs and larkspur. “It’s like a summer meadow; you just want to run with that light breeze in your hair!”

Autumn is a feast of colours composed entirely of dried flowers and leaves fastened to a foundation of plaited birch branches. Spring is an avalanche of tulips, and the winter tray could replace a Christmas tree with its candle, evergreens and a hyacinth on a bed of moss.

“And doesn’t this sound like bells chiming?” asks Johanna. “This is for the kids, like a Neverland with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, mini cactuses, a hidden dinosaur, some magic before turning in for the night.” Across the room, pedestals ranging in height are assembled around a lounge chair, perfect as an oasis in the home office, a place to take micro breaks and breathe.

“You have to let go and see where the plants will take you and what happens to your space,” says Jill. “It might not turn out exactly like you thought, but you could be surprised by something even more extraordinary! We believe that urban gardening is the future. Just look at how floral patterns are all the rage in wallpaper and fashion right now.”

The smallest greenhouse is Grow by Caroline Wetterling, who currently works at one of the largest architectural firms in Sweden. “We need to be surrounded by nature, both indoors and outdoors,” says Caroline.

“Push that tiny seed down into the earth with your own fingers in this mini greenhouse, and see how it starts to grow. That surely fulfils a very basic human need to connect with all growing things.”Caroline praises the capacity of greenery to reduce noise, how it cleanses and oxygenates the air.

“Plants and flowers bring beauty and a general sense of stimulating well-being. We need to surround ourselves with growing things, both while out walking in nature and at home.” 

Grow Greenhouse by Caroline Wetterling
A greenhouse for natures smallest flowers, and a nursery for the plants first stages of life. Caroline Wetterlings Grow is made of two glass parts.

The bottom part holds the soil and the plant. The top part is a lid equipped with a spout, allowing it to be used as a watering can. It also functions as a valve that lets in air and regulates the moisture and temperature levels inside the greenhouse. Grow is made of hand-made glass.

Caroline Wetterling is a designer based in Stockholm, who works with products, furniture and interiors. With her work, Caroline aims to encourage the users participation and awareness of details in everyday life. She is educated at Konstfack and Beckmans College of Design.

Botanic Collection by Atelier 2+
The pots, pedestals, trays, and boxes of the Botanic Collection by Atelier 2+ form the primary element of the exhibition. Ada Chirakranont and Worapong Manupipatpong’s graphically precise powder-coated metal basins, with solid ash wood frames, strike a precise contrast to the chaotic flow of greenery.

“Bringing green elements indoors is a pleasure for us, because we love plants,” says Worapong Manupipatpong. “Our aim is to help create indoor gardens with a straightforward, structural look.”

The style is distinctly Scandinavian, though Ada and Worapong are in fact Thai. “We studied at Konstfack,” explains Ada, adding that their favourite flowers are orchids. “And why not have a couple of bonsai trees? Or fill the trays with ferns or moss? And seedlings, and crisp micro-greens, of course.”