I was contacted by a client who was looking for a couple of succulent centerpieces for her home – one for her dining room table and the other for a built-in TV unit in her living room.   Something similar to the three arrangements pictured below (photo taken at Pigment).  The dining room piece needed to be in a rectangular planter and a square planter for the built-in space.   Her design style is contemporary and she wanted the succulent centerpieces to be artificial since these would require no watering or maintenance.

I love using succulent centerpiece arrangements to add a modern floral touch to a contemporary space.  The variety in colors, shapes, and sizes of succulents, planted together in the right combination and in the right planter, will complement the minimalist design aspects associated with contemporary interiors.  I came across the planters pictured above at Pigment, they retailed for $275 each!

In an effort to keep costs low, I visited a thrift store and lucked out by finding a rectangular vase that would work for the centerpiece; but, it was in pretty bad shape and gold – not my favorite.  I decided this would be an excellent piece to re-purpose.  After purchasing it for about $10, I cleaned it, and spray painted it using a can of Rust-Oleum Silver Hammered finish.  I wanted to use this silver spray paint because it was easy to apply, required no primer, and the final finish had a faux texture to it (see the lid of the spray can picture below for texture).

 

I followed the instructions on the can to apply the paint and allowed it to dry for about 15 minutes before doing another coat.  After two coats, I had the look I was going for so I set it aside and allowed it to dry overnight.   Although I didn’t quite get the paint to look like the texture in the picture, I was happy with the way it turned out.  Here is the finish:

While the planter dried, I visited a local arts and craft store and purchased an assortment of artificial succulents, a piece of styrofoam board, a bag of moss and a square concrete planter that would work for the succulent arrangement for the built-in.

I used the styrofoam to stick the end of the succulents into it to create the arrangements.  To do so, I traced an area on the styrofoam to fit inside the planters (the area needs to be a bit smaller than the size of the planter), then I cut the board using an old steak knife as shown below and then finally placed it back into the planter (see photos below):

I then started playing around with different ideas for placing the succulents and moss.  What was great about some of these succulent pieces is that I was able to cut some of them to get more use out of them throughout the planter.  Also, if I didn’t like how one section was looking, I was able to move them around until I got the desired look.  After getting the placement I was looking for, I then spread moss around the succulents to complete the look.

Here are the finished products in place at my clients house – she was absolutely thrilled!

Succulent Centerpiece on Dining Room Table

 Succulent Arrangement added to built-in

These succulent arrangements can be made in many different sizes and a variety of plant combinations.  They make for a perfect floral arrangement for your home or are great to give for any special occasion.

If you would like information on these arrangement or would like to have one custom-made, please contact me for information and pricing.

Enjoy!

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