Everyone Is Using Calla Lilies to Style Their Tables This Season — But Floristry Aside, Here's How the Coolest Stylists 'Fake' the Look Through Design
This way, you can channel the blooms even when they're out of stock (or season) at your local florist
Every year there's an it flower. But it's quite rare that a bloom becomes so iconic that it steps out of vases and tips into the design of the vase itself and the dinnerware accessories surrounding it.
The calla lilies trend, however, has pulled it off. From being spotted on the runway at Wes Gordon's Carolina Herrera fall show to Cult Gaia's internet-famous clutches to walking down the aisle in the hands of this season's brides, and finding itself twirled and twisted on the tables of hot restaurants — it's everywhere. And now, it's being designed into tableware, too.
I spoke to stylists about what these flowers bring to the table and included some of my current favorite calla-inspired pieces to make your autumn table feel a tad more romantic.
Gently slipping a calla lily onto a metal candlestick is a simple way to add a touch of drama to your dinner table.
Image credit: MayBloom Flower Studio
A dark calla lily can lend this DIY a goth-romantic look.
Image credit: Chanel Calderon
Aista, stylist and founder of Aiku Floral, says calla lilies have broken out of the quick-gimmick trend cycle because their beauty lies in their simplicity.
"Whether you're decorating with the flowers or styling themed decor, embrace their natural shapes and don’t worry about perfect symmetry," she advises. "Sometimes, the most beautiful arrangements are the ones that feel effortless!"
Iokasti Sotirakopoulou, stylist at Design Lab by Livingetc, also explains that these blooms will forever be a timeless inclusion to any tablescape. "They have such a sculptural silhouette that I'd let them lead the tablescape rather than crowd them with lots of other decoration," she notes.
"I'd bring in soft, tactile details like linen, handmade ceramics, maybe a few garden-inspired touches, and let the flowers' elegant shape do the talking. Even a single stem or a calla lily-inspired finishing touch can make an autumn tablescape feel more personal and connected to the outdoors."
"One day, I noticed some broken concrete pieces near a demolished building. Something about them caught my eye, so I brought them back to the studio, and began experimenting with silver spray, wires, calla lilies, and phalaenopsis orchids. Finally, I added candles to bring the whole composition together."
Creative director VH Rafaello tells me that the present love for calla lilies influenced one of his recent artistic endeavors. "This trend of calla lilies going beyond just the flowers shows how creativity can begin with something so unexpected, and how materials that might otherwise be overlooked can become part of something beautiful," he notes.
"For me, it was never just about styling flowers. It was about exploring the relationship between raw materials, form, texture, and nature."
So, if you're setting the table with these florets and you want your decor to feel in tune with your floral arrangements, or you wish to write a more understated love letter to calla lilies without a stem in sight, here's some table decor that understands the assignment.
Another thing we've spotted at all the coolest tables this season? Dark green dinner plates. And it'll tie into your biophilic theme perfectly.
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