Tag Archive for: artificial trees

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Pros and Cons of Bamboo Flooring

In recent times, bamboo has become a design favourite for flooring. Wooden flooring has been a popular option for residential and commercial spaces, but the cost factor can be a concern. This is where bamboo flooring can make a real impact in terms of cost, as well as aesthetics and functionality. 

It is said that bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. Once you cut a bamboo plant, it can grow back to the same height in the short span of 5 – 7 years, making deforestation less of a factor. 

So the next question is… what exactly is bamboo flooring?

Types of Bamboo Planks

These floors are manufactured using strips or strands of the bamboo which are cut, dried and processed into flooring planks.

  • Vertical bamboo flooring is where strips of bamboo are glued vertically to form planks. 
  • Horizontal planks have the strips glued horizontally, making the bamboo grains more prominent in appearance on the surface than the vertical ones. 
  • Strand woven is where the strands are woven together using machine locking under extreme heat and pressure to form the planks. These floors are available in click-lock or floating planks with an underlayment. Although the horizontal planks have a beautiful grainy appearance, stranded woven planks are more durable, resilient and hardwearing in terms of functionality. It’s said that a plank of stranded woven bamboo is two to three times as hard as an oak flooring plank. This makes it highly recommended in commercial spaces such as hotels, offices, restaurants, gyms etc, where there is a greater footfall.

 Most of the bamboo floorings are naturally toned in light or yellow hues. However, the darker tones can be achieved through staining or carbonisation, where the planks are subjected to high temperatures. You can also use the ‘hand scraping’ method to bring a distressed look to the bamboo flooring. 

 

Floresy - Bamboo trees

Pros and Cons of Bamboo Flooring

Pros

  • Bamboo flooring is known to be one of the most affordable flooring options. 
  • Bamboo is known as organic and sustainable, making it an eco-friendly alternative to carpets, laminated flooring and tiles. 
  • It’s an ideal choice for commercial and residential spaces in terms of style. It’s natural tones, variety of colours and finishes make it aesthetically versatile for any space. 
  • In terms of maintenance and upkeep, it is water-resistant, easy to mop, sweep and clean, and in case it loses its shine, a quick retouch and repolish will have it looking as good as new.  
  • Bamboo floorings are easy to install compared to many other flooring options.

Cons

  • Although bamboo is water-resistant, it is not 100% waterproof.  So don’t install in extreme water prone areas as this can lead to distortion and swelling.
  • Bamboo can be installed in fluctuating and humid temperatures but extreme humidity can result in planks shrinking. Therefore, it’s best not to install this flooring outside. 
  • Although it is a hard-wearing floor covering, you may still find scratches and dents to the surface if you do not look after it properly.
  • The manufacturing and glueing process involves the use of chemicals. Check to see whether the planks are free of VOC paints and formaldehyde. 
  • Although the carbonisation process gives a variety of stains, it makes the plank soft and unstable.

 

 

 

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Considering a Japanese Inspired Garden Design

Have you been inspired to bring some serenity and zen into your living spaces – indoors or outdoors – for the new year? Consider turning to the East for inspiration with a calm considered design that will provide a peaceful and relaxing space. What better way to embrace the Japanese culture of Zen.

Japanese gardens are designed – not only for considered reflection but to enhance the experience of meditation. As a concept and practice, Zen principles were embraced by the ruling elite as a way of calm during the swirling storm of the country’s discord. The end result is a time-honoured culture which has become deep-rooted in civilization.

Japanese gardens favour blank spaces, carefully raked gravel or contrasting sheets of moss with a minimal amount of perfectly placed plants. Part of this reasoning is that it is thought to make any garden look more spacious. Even if you’re working with a plot just three metres by five metres or even smaller – which is the size of many courtyards or dry gravel gardens – this enhances that sense of space.

Do Your Research

Designing and creating your own indoor/outdoor garden may seem like a cinch. A few rocks here a few bamboo sticks there and you’re all done, right? Wrong. 

Japanese gardens are an art form that has been around for centuries and in order to create an authentic design, the form must be studied carefully. Luckily the resources to create your very own oasis are endless. 

Garden Types to Consider 

The Moss Garden – Japanese culture venerates age and history. Because moss doesn’t grow overnight – and instead takes years and years to cover the surface of stone this is deemed a definite choice and something of virtue for whoever is creating the garden.

Moss Sponge 13 cm

Floresy – Moss Sponge

One of the moss plant’s characteristics is that it thrives in a humid and rainy climate. It doesn’t need much water (important as our climate proves more and more unpredictable) and can absorb nutrients directly from the air regardless of any humidity that may occur.

The Rock Garden – Traditionally, Zen rock gardens are not meant for social occasions or gatherings. It is a sacred space for Zen monks to perform their daily practice. This design is meant to portray a vista of mountains and rivers, yet the minimalist design itself contains no actual water.  Instead, it uses the carefully placed features to emulate a majestic scene on a miniature scale. For example, sand and gravel raked into a particular pattern will symbolize a river, while rocks placed on the sand symbolize mountains.

Japanese Rock Garden Floresy

Japanese Rock Garden

It may surprise you to know that there are only a couple hundred people in the world that claim to have created an authentic Japanese Zen garden.

Want to create your place of calm and balance?

Japanese oriental bamboo Floresy

Japanese Oriental Bamboo

Fatsia Japanese | Japonica 150 cm

Fatsia Japanese | Japonica 150 cm

These design tips can be used to bring calm to any space whether it be a quiet room in an office for employees to take a minute or the spa section of your hotel to add that ambience of calm and reflection.

Although the design of such a space can take some time, just work through the stages so as not to overcomplicate matters. Start with an understanding of the ancient foundations of Zen and the principles of Japanese garden design. Make sure you have the right space and tools to incorporate it into the designated space that you wish to transform.

Once completed, your reward is that you will have a space that brings you peace of mind with the added bonus that you’ll have learned the history behind your design, giving your space a purpose that is based in the roots of Japan’s cultural history.

Artificial Boxwood: introducing our topiary range

Floresy’s extensive range of artificial trees and plants includes a collection of artificial boxwood products. Boxwood is also more simply referred to as ‘box’.

What is box?

Box is a small, slow-growing tree or shrub with small, glossy green leaves. Box is a popular choice with gardeners and is often found in the form of neat hedging.

Because of it’s small, dense leaves and slow-growth, Box is also the perfect choice for topiary.

What is topiary?

Topiary is a horticultural practice of training and clipping plants into forming different shapes. The choice of plant isn’t exclusive to Boxwood but usually involves evergreen shrubs of some kind. Laurel and Holly are also popular choices.

Topiary is an ancient practice. In Europe, it dates back to Roman times and is mentioned in Pliny the Elder’s famous book, Natural History.

There is no limit to the shapes you can create. Perhaps only gravity or the gardener’s imagination are the boundaries. More formal shapes include simple rectangular hedging, columns or spheres or ball shapes, sometimes stacked on top of each other. Archways sometimes feature within a row of boxwood hedging.

But animals and crazy shapes are also popular. We may question whether the more wonky shapes were intentional or happy accidents, however.

Bonsai is a specialist form of topiary where plants are clipped to mimic miniature trees.

The benefits of artificial boxwood topiary

As you would expect, Topiary is a labour intensive pursuit. It requires the careful maintenance of the boxwood tree to keep the desired shape looking neat and trim.

Artificial boxwood trees balls don't require pruning.

Artificial boxwood trees don’t require pruning.

Artificial boxwood trees don’t require pruning. There are no dead branches to remove plus they won’t suffer from boxwood blight.

Each topiary shape won’t change and is maintenance-free. So, you will never accidentally trim the wrong branch and ruin the shape.

What Artificial Boxwood Trees are available from Floresy?

Artificial Boxwood Balls

The artificial boxwood range of products starts with balls. Yes, artificial boxwood balls! This classic design is also called Standard Trees or Tree Standards. This is a classic design. Other types of plants that are popular for standards are anything that grows a woody stem including Lavender, Conifers and Fuchsias.

Boxwood balls are either in singles or combine multiple balls on top of each other, sometimes with bare woody stems separating each sphere.

Our artificial boxwood ball trees with single spheres come in miniature 25cm and 30cm sizes. Plus a 100cm deluxe tree and a boxwood ball available in different sizes.

Artificial Boxwood Spirals

Perhaps the most impressive products in our range include these two spiral trees.

The Boxwood Royal Spiral has a very grand appeal with it’s tapering design and impressive 190cm height. Therefore, they are awesome for framing a doorway or creating a central focal point to a display.

By contrast, the boxwood spiral tree is not a mere commoner, however. It’s a quirky and fun design giving it surprising versatility. It’s modern and eclectic and contemporary with a nod to formal gardens of the past.

Artificial Boxwood Trees

Less showy than other forms of topiary, these shapes are great for adding architectural structure to a planting scheme.

The shapes are surprisingly versatile and are perfect for use in both formal, classic gardens/schemes or contemporary/minimalist designs. The boxwood tower tree has a softer shape whereas the boxwood pyramid tree has a more rigid and defined shape.

Floresy for Artificial Trees

Floresy is an industry leader for artificial plants and trees because we have years of design and manufacture experience.

We stock an extensive range of products to suit any budget which includes our popular artificial boxwood topiary. These products make great investments for any hotel especially those with function rooms that cater to weddings.

Our Top 5 Tall Artificial Plants

The Floresy range of artificial plants and flowers includes an impressive choice of tall artificial plants including trees. Here are the Top 5 tallest-of-the-tall artificial plants from Floresy:

5. Classic Long Trunk Olive Tree 210cm

This classic long trunk olive stands at 210cm but is also available in sizes 150cm and 180cm. It’s the smart/casual of our range and can be presented in formal settings but will also elegantly sit with more informal and relaxed venues due to it’s looser topiary shape. Olive trees are often associated with Mediterranean countries and so are also great choices for restaurants specialising in cuisine from that region.

Floresy offers several trees at 210cm including this big-leaved ficus and the ever popular Dracaena Reflexa tree. You can view our range of tall artificial trees here.

Classic Long Trunk Olive Tree

Classic Long Trunk Olive Tree is 210cm

4. Kentia Palm 225cm

Kentia palms are very popular tall artificial plants. They are graceful, tropical plus they are unfussy with their simple fronds. Floresy palms are amazingly life-like and therefore they are popular additions to many offices, lobbies and foyers. Where the long trunk olive has a classic shape, this kentia palm is the classic commercial indoor plant. Little known fact: in London, you are never more than 10 feet from a Kentia Palm…

Artificial deluxe Kentia palm tree

Artificial deluxe Kentia palm tree provides a tropical feel

3. Thin Leaves Braided Trunk Ficus 250cm

Ficus are fig trees. One of the benefits of this particular product is the gnarly braided trunk. They add such realism that these trees deceptively life-like. At 250cm they are impressive by their size alone.

As with all trees, they can act as focal points. But they also work well with the architectural features of a building such as doorways or long walkways. They look especially fabulous in foyers with full height ceilings. However, even with Floresy’s industry-leading realism in the field of faux plants, these artificial fig trees don’t produce actual figs.

Thin Leaves Braided Trunk Ficus

Thin Leaves Braided Trunk Ficus

2. Amazing Braided Trunk Ficus 300cm

 Straight off the back of our thin leaves braided trunk ficus is our Amazing braided trunk ficus. This fig tree is so amazing partly because it comes in an amazing choice of seven sizes from 120cm to 300cm! Its leaves are broader than it’s cousin at No. 3 which gives it a bushier feel.

Three metres in height is a seriously tall artificial plant. So it needs careful consideration as to where it should go. If you like the idea of an impressively big tree like this but you’re working with average ceiling heights, consider using one of the smaller sizes. For a typical 2.4m ceiling height, a product of 210cm will happily fill that space without looking cramped. Three-metre products generally work best is open plan or full ceiling height spaces. 

Amazing Braided Trunk Ficus

A-maz-ing Braided Trunk Ficus

1. Joint First – Bamboo and Wisteria 300cm

Artificial bamboo remains one of our most popular plants. And this product is the tallest bamboo in our range. They’re great as screens or room dividers but at this size, we recommend them for tradeshows and exhibitions.

tall artificial plants bamboo tree

Tall Artificial Plants: bamboo tree 300 cm

Bamboo makes it to the top spot because it is such a popular product. It shares the top spot with one of our most spectacular products, a wisteria in full bloom. This tall artificial plant is probably the reserve of shopping centres or malls, exhibitions or large hotels. Can you imagine sitting under this tree in the food court of your local shopping centre? It’s spring all year round when an artificial tree is in bloom.tall artificial plant wisteria tree 300 cm

This wisteria is an impressive 300cm 

Hopefully, our Top 5 tall artificial plants have both inspired you and informed you about our range of products at Floresy. We are careful to ensure that our customers choose the right plants for their needs. If you are in any doubt about which artificial plant or tree is best for your business or client, please give us a call and we’ll help you make the most informed choice possible.

Amazing Designs using Interior Trees

The last place you expect to find a tree is indoors. Except of course in stunning interiors! A design that incorporates interior trees will make their guests feel welcome and ever-so-special. The addition of an interior tree will have the wow-factor for the very reasons that they are an unexpected addition to a room. Lavish botanicals will create an atmosphere completely different from the street or climate outside. Use them to set a room apart from the rest of a hotel, restaurant or bar by defining a room’s specific and unique character.

 

Interior Tree Designs

Light bright interior tree design

A light and fresh appeal in contrast to the dark and moody bar area.

Large stone planters on plinths add even greater height to these trees in the Ugly Duckling, Melbourne. The result is a light, bright and fresh feel to the restaurant – a stark comparison to the oak and dark blues of the proceeding bar area (not pictured).

Silver birch interior trees

Ethos uses silver birch trees as a design focal point

Ethos restaurant in London uses silver birch tree trunks to create this amazing interior. The unique bark of the trees echoes the marble table tops. The overall design gives an organic and bountiful-nature aspect that reflects the quality of the produce used on this vegetarian restaurant’s menu. 

Interior trees and decorations

A joyous combination of tree leaves and paper-chain ceiling decorations.

There are several interior trees in play at the Weranda Lunch & Wine restaurant in Pozna, Poland. Combine them with many plants, planters and table flowers plus the extraordinary paper-chain ceiling decorations and the result is magical.

 

Multiple plants and interior trees

Rich and warm interior of the Dishroom in Shoreditch

Whilst there are no actual trees in the Dishroom in Shoreditch, London, the lush ferns on tall plant stands are doing a grand job. The restaurant uses an eclectic mix of the dark-toned wooden furniture, leafy plants, and beige upholstery. Add the ropes-covered pillars, brick and bare plaster walls and the overall effect is kind of hipster-colonialism.

Interior Trees at night

Central interior tree design

Seating around the trunk allows you to site under the canopy.

The wonderfully-named Woolloomooloo Wharf hotel in Sydney has seating area constructed around one of its focal trees (plus compulsory kitsch pink flamingoes). The canopy has fairy lights decorating the branches making it a delightful space to sit and sip.

Interior trees with lights

1920s glamour at the refurbished Refuge in Manchester.

The Refuge, Manchester glamourous refurbishment includes a Winter Garden. Combining classy black and white tiles with a palette of soft greens, it has a decadent yet relaxed feel evocative of the 1920s. A great tip when adding an impressive interior tree is to also add lighting. The room can be transformed once more at night when the lighting is switched on.

Interior tree with lights

Who would have thought Disneyland could be classy?

The Starbucks at Disneyland demonstrates the lighted tree at night. Surprisingly stylish given its theme park location, a bench seat encircles the tree creating seating for multiple tables. Plus the fairy lights are certainly worthy of any Disney princess.

Artifical Tall Trees at Floresy

Floresy offers a bespoke design service for larger-scale artificial trees. Whether it’s oak, acacia or baobab, each tree is custom-made to the customer’s specifications. Suitable for indoor or outdoor use, our trees are durable, weather-proof and fully protected against UV fading and damage.

Faux Artificial interior tree

Floresy artificial trees are custom built to match your requirements

Each tree can be built to match very specific requirements. They can have an exact height, canopy size or even an unusual shape to frame an architectural feature such as a door or window. And once installed they require no additional maintenance and will look fabulous all year round. Our design team are here to help create you the perfect tree.

To speak to one of our design consultants, please call 0208 0770891 or fill out the contact form on our Artificial Tall Tree page.