Hand-Painted Poppies for Studio Ashby
The making process behind my paper flower installation for SISTER at Alcova Milan 2026
A first look at the finished hand-painted poppies for Studio Ashby’s SISTER installation at Alcova Milan
The project began with a lovely conversation with Laetitia from Studio Ashby. She sent me a photo of a beautiful reference rug they planned to use as the centrepiece of their SISTER installation at Alcova Milan, and asked if I could create a collection of paper poppies that would sit harmoniously within its rich colour palette.I was thrilled. Collaborating with Studio Ashby again felt special — and the opportunity to create work for Alcova Milan during Design Week made it even more exciting.
The starting point for the entire collection: the beautiful reference rug from Studio Ashby. Deep burgundy as the dominant hue, with accents of sage green, royal blue, and ivory.
The Brief & Colour Palette
The rug featured a deep burgundy centre framed by soft sage green and olive borders, with playful motifs in coral, golden yellow, turquoise, blush pink and mauve.
From this, I selected four main colours to serve as the base for the collection: burgundy, sage green, royal blue, and ivory.
After discussion, we agreed that 42 flowers in total would give the right sense of balance and abundance in the vintage Murano vase they had chosen. Deep burgundy would be the dominant colour.
Colour + Size Breakdown
I wanted every flower to feel unique, so I varied the sizes, shades, and petal shapes. We also decided that only seven of the 42 flowers would be fully hand-painted with extra texture and delicate details.
Here’s the breakdown I worked with:
Burgundy: 16 flowers (the dominant colour)
Olive Green: 8 flowers
Royal Blue: 10 flowers
Sage Green: 8 flowers
Total hand-painted flowers: 7 (3 burgundy, 1 olive green, 2 royal blue, 1 sage green)
Some of the reference poppies that inspired the direction and feeling for the Studio Ashby collection. From delicate pastels to bold dramatic centres — these were the starting point for exploring shape, texture, and character.
The Hand-Painting Process
For the seven special flowers, I used Jackson’s Artist Watercolour in Naples Yellow Hue. The pigment reacted beautifully — creating strong contrast on the burgundy and royal blue petals, while giving the sage green and ivory ones a softer, more delicate pattern.
I also created a dyed effect on half of the burgundy flowers by wetting the paper petals, gently twisting them, and letting them dry in that shape. Once dry, the colour settled into organic patterns that shift beautifully in different lighting.
Dyed effect in progress: wetting and twisting the crepe paper petals to create natural variation and texture.
Detail of a hand-painted burgundy petal — yellow watercolour dots and drips added for extra texture.
Rows of hand-painted petals ready for assembly — burgundy, royal blue, sage green and olive.
Hand-painted petals after shaping.
Creating the Centres
Each centre needed both a seedpod and delicate stamens. To tie everything back to the rug, I incorporated accent colours — dark navy, royal blue, blush pink, mauve, and coral orange — into the detailing.
Making the stamens is one of the most labour-intensive parts of a poppy. I cut fine strips, fringe them carefully so the anthers sit separately from the filaments, and keep each one as thin and neat as possible. I made three different variations of the seedpods, each with slightly different techniques and levels of detail.
Building the stamens: hand-fringed crepe paper strips in orange, pink, and navy layered onto the centres.
Hands at work: fringing delicate crepe paper.
A handful of finished poppy centres — each one with its own unique pattern in contrasting colours.
Finished poppy centre with hand-fringed pink stamens.
Assembly & Arranging
The final assembly stage is one of my favourite parts. Seeing all the separate pieces come together into bold, individual poppies — each with its own character and personality — brings me so much joy.
When arranging, I looked at reference photos of real poppies for natural movement and shape. Since the flowers would be displayed on a low coffee table, I had to consider the viewing angle carefully.
I let some of the outer flowers gently spill and droop around the base, as if softly wilting.
Because I didn’t have the actual vase with me, I worked from the measurements and prepped most of the bouquet in my studio, leaving the final “fall” and silhouettes to be adjusted on site the next day at Studio Ashby’s showroom.
Finished burgundy poppy with hand-painted centre and fringed stamens.
One of the key reference images — a dramatic poppy arrangement with flowing stems, varied petal shapes, and a beautiful mix of warm tones. This helped shape the overall character and ‘fall’ of the final paper flowers.
A Note from the Studio
On the day I was preparing the arrangements, I had my 16-month-old son with me. He happily napped in his pram while I worked — one of those beautiful (and beautifully chaotic) moments of balancing motherhood and making.
Hand-painted poppies for Studio Ashby’s SISTER installation at Alcova Milan.
Final Thoughts
Completing this collection has been incredibly rewarding. From the first reference rug to the meditative hours of painting and the satisfying final assembly, every stage brought its own joy and challenge.
It’s always special to create work that will live in such a beautiful, high-end context like Alcova Milan. These poppies feel both bold and delicate — each one carrying its own little personality while working together as a harmonious whole.The big reveal is still to come.
I can’t wait to share how they look installed at Alcova Milan in my next post.Thank you for following along with the process — I hope it gave you a lovely glimpse into how these flowers came to life.
Here they are — the complete set of 43 hand-painted poppies, finally together in the studio.
A vibrant, hand-sculpted Icelandic Poppy made from premium 60g fine Italian crepe paper.
This cheerful bloom features delicate layered petals and a detailed centre, perfectly capturing the wild, airy beauty of real Icelandic poppies.
Each stem stands approximately 50cm tall with a flower head of 10–12cm. The green stem may vary slightly in shade, making every piece unique.
Details
Material: 60g Fine Italian crepe paper
Height: 50cm
Flower head diameter: 10cm
Lead time: 1–2 weeks (made to order)
Ideal as a single sculptural stem or in small groupings for a fresh, modern statement.
Handmade in North London by Emmeli Kimhi.
Slight natural variations occur with every piece.