What is Luxury?

Do we mean the most exclusive? The rare? The most expensive?

Likely, these attributes contribute to the idea of luxury, but is that the goal of seeking luxury?

We speak of luxury cars, restaurants, hotels and brand name clothing and we tend to have similar images pop into our imaginations. Nice images to be sure but each of those things can tarnish, fall out of fashion, even loose their intrigue.

I would posit that true luxury is more than the material, real luxury is centered around time, attention and intention.

What makes a florist a "luxury florist? or an an arrangement a luxury flower arrangement? 

The answer, in my opinion, relates to the same ideas:

Time - Flowers are temporal, delicate and oh so fleeting. A fine floral arrangement made with the most exquisite flowers

It takes time to develop real expertise in an area such as floral design. An experienced designer and buyer understand the seasonality of flowers, the artistry of how florals work, last and behave. They also take the time to make thoughtful decisions about a design in a given space and the desires of the client.

Attention - The thoughtful decisions that I referred to above deserves a moment of reflexion. We live in a world where the demands on our attentions are growing exponentially and the quality of the messages or images coming at us are less and less authentic. A luxurious space is a space that lets us choose what to put our attention on. Nature and the natural world has a centering effect on us. Studies have shown that the presence of flowers in a space is calming to our nervous systems. Attention to these dynamics allows us to make choices and center on the elements that serve us and delight us.

Intention - We bring our attention to harmony in our designs. They have a curated palette, meaning that we focus on either monchromatic or limited color schemes. We choose flowers and colors that don't "fight" with each other and that is intentional. From our point of view, luxury is not about have everything, it is about having the right thing in a particular moment. Elegance comes from the best ingredients put together with an expert eye. Being intentional about the choices we make, where we spend our time and what we put our attention on is a true luxury. 

Living and working in New York City, we are used to the extravagant, the over-the-top. Loads of color, noise, opportunities, perspectives. It's all fantastic! Have a found yourself rushing through a beautiful space like central park or having a too intense conversation in a graciously appointed restaurant. We can miss the grandeur or the small details around us when we fail to truly experience them.

But having the luxury to move into a quiet space when needed or to welcome beauty when it comes takes time, attention and intention to see it and be grateful for it.