In floral design, flowers can become more than decoration. As an artist, this is my goal: to create rare moments in which flowers become a bridge between centuries, connecting us with the great artists of the past and becoming art themselves.
For the Table Design Exhibition at The Savoy in London, themed Your Favorite Artist, I wanted to create nothing less than a living artwork, a curated, painterly, and intentional design suspended somewhere between art installation and tablescape. The result became La Grande Bellezza, a table installation inspired by Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus.
Rather than recreating the painting literally, my collaborators and I wanted to capture its atmosphere: softness, femininity, movement, sensuality, and the geometrical perfection of the golden ratio.
The Inspiration Behind La Grande Bellezza
For me, Botticelli’s Venus has always represented timeless beauty, a powerful visual story rooted in mythology, filled with delicacy, sensuality, and grace. Her flowing hair, the soft palette, the dreamlike movement of fabric and air, and the fragile botanical elements all became visual references for the table.
I imagined a landscape where Venus herself had just arrived ashore: flowers unfolding organically across the table, candlelight reflecting on porcelain, and handwritten calligraphy resting softly between petals.
Welcoming Venus to the Table
A magnificent shell created by the brilliant Amsterdam-based sculptor Cedric Laquieze became one of the central artistic elements of the installation. The sculpture fascinated us with its duality, rough and sculptural on the outside, yet soft and pearlescent within.
We welcomed Venus to the table on a spring carpet of airy flowers, floating floral compositions, and luxurious fabrics beautifully draped by stylist Krysta Crossitt.
To bring Venus truly to life within the installation, digital artist David Lisser created a living projection artwork in which particles move gently through Venus’ hair into the surrounding floral elements and toward the mythological figures of the God of Wind and the Hora of Spring.
The entire installation was imagined as a Renaissance painting translated into a multi-layered artistic experience, where digital art, floral art, sculpture, styling elements, and storytelling merge together naturally.
Flowers as Brushstrokes
The floral compositions were intentionally airy and garden-inspired, designed to feel as though they had naturally grown across the table.
Pearlescent spring blooms, my beloved Japanese ranunculus, and fragrant sweet peas reflected the radiance of Venus’ skin, the softness of air, and the luminosity of the sea, inspired by Botticelli’s revolutionary use of egg tempera technique in The Birth of Venus.
The translucent petals of Japanese ranunculus, so rare and almost unreal in nature, became the perfect medium for me. I used them like brushstrokes to paint the floral design itself.
Eco-conscious floral techniques, fluid movement of colour across the table, delicate textures, and layered seasonal flowers created softness and movement rather than rigid structure. I wanted every arrangement to feel painterly, as though flowers had been gently placed onto linen by an artist’s hand.
Together, these elements created the ethereal airiness and luminous atmosphere of the table.
Creating Emotion Through Tablescaping
What fascinates me most about tablescape design is its ability to create emotion, bring people together, and transform a shared meal into a meaningful ritual.
A table can transport people. It can evoke memory, nostalgia, romance, or a feeling of belonging, before a single word is spoken. Gathering around a beautifully prepared table is one of humanity’s oldest rituals, a moment of connection, conversation, and presence.
For La Grande Bellezza, I wanted guests to feel as though they were stepping inside a painting, surrounded by softness, beauty, and quiet detail.
The cinematic documentary film created for the installation became a natural extension of this idea. Rather than simply documenting the table, the film captures fleeting gestures, reflections of the artists involved, and the atmosphere behind the scenes.
Enjoy the video!
Floral Design as Art
Participating in the Table Design Exhibition was an opportunity to explore floral design beyond traditional event styling. To see flowers not simply as decoration, but as part of a centuries-old ritual of celebrating life through beauty and art.
I believe tablescapes can exist as artistic expression, combining artistry, fashion, interior design, painting, sculpture, digital art, and storytelling into one emotional experience.
La Grande Bellezza was created precisely from this intersection.
An Unexpected Award
Receiving the “Leading Designer 2026” award came as a surprise. This recognition truly belongs to the entire team.
Projects like this are never created alone, and I am deeply grateful to all the artists, collaborators, and our international team who poured their hearts into this work.
Together, we created something truly beautiful: La Grande Bellezza.
"Read more about the project: katyahutterfloraldesign.com"
