Styling Jonathan Adler Vases: A Flower Icon Collaboration
Some vessels hold flowers. Others converse with them. When three of Jonathan Adler's gilded Dora Maar vases arrived at our SoMa studio — the surrealist faces, the gold third eye, the lightning bolt — we knew ordinary arrangements wouldn't do. A vase covered in serene porcelain faces asks for flowers with a point of view.
This is what we made. Every arrangement below was designed and photographed in our studio, with flowers sourced locally and globally, around one question: what does a Jonathan Adler vase want to wear?
The Gilded Muse, Crowned in Peonies
The tall footed vase — all quiet faces and gold teardrops — has the bearing of a portrait bust, so we treated it like one: a monumental crown of coral charm and raspberry peonies at their late-season peak, packed shoulder to shoulder with no filler and no greenery. The porcelain stays serene; the flowers do the feeling.
A Study in Blue
Then we let the arrangement misbehave. Cascading amaranthus, dyed a saturated ultramarine — a nod to Yves Klein — pours down one side of the vase like hair, tangled with deep violet anemones and those same electric peonies. The gold eye peers out from between the strands. This is the piece we would hang in a gallery if flowers could be framed.
Dahlias for the Dora Maar
The round Dora Maar vase with its gold lightning bolt got the opposite treatment: restraint. Blush and cream dahlias from California growers, loosely gathered so each bloom keeps its own airspace — proof that the most famous face vase in American design pairs as happily with softness as with drama.
And in its pastel register: dahlias with foxglove, green hydrangea, jade anthurium, and vanda orchids in washed violet — an arrangement that reads like watercolor against the vase's white porcelain.
The Sunflower Installation
For the finale we went off the pedestal entirely: a two-level floral installation of sunflowers, bunny tail grasses, and Queen Anne's lace climbing from a moss-covered base up to the Dora Maar perched on clear acrylic — part still life, part landscape.
How to Style a Jonathan Adler Vase
A few principles from the studio, if you own one of these (or have one on a wishlist):
Let the vase pick the mood. The faces are calm — so go maximal with the flowers (a solid dome of peonies) or go sparse and sculptural. The middle ground reads as timid.
One gesture beats many. Our blue amaranthus works because it is a single dramatic idea, not ten small ones. Choose one: color, cascade, or crown.
Keep stems short for the round Dora Maar, tall for footed urns. The round vase wants a low cloud sitting just above the faces; the footed silhouette can carry height and drama.
Odd numbers, seasonal blooms. Whatever is at absolute peak — peonies in early summer, dahlias in late summer — will always out-perform out-of-season perfection.
Bring This Home
We create arrangements like these to order — in your own vessel (Jonathan Adler or otherwise) or in one of ours. Explore our floral art projects, browse arrangements available for same-day San Francisco delivery, or get in touch about a bespoke piece for your home, event, or storefront.
Flower Icon is a San Francisco luxury flower studio, creating modern, hand-crafted arrangements with flowers sourced locally and globally.
