Q&A with Pinky Lark Farnum of Lark Farnum Floral Design
A native Angeleno with stints in Philadelphia and Rome, Lark Farnum, better known to friends and family as Pinky, has always tried to bring a calming, creative touch to the world around her. She studied Art History at Bryn Mawr College, designed window displays at Anthropologie and started her own fashion accessories business before delving into the florist world by working with highly respected, eco-friendly Wisteria Lane.
Before leaving to start Lark Farnum Design, Pinky worked as an Event Manager at one of the most renowned event spaces in Los Angeles, Vibiana. Pinky’s varied design and event background and warm personality make her the perfect fit for any client who wants their flowers to tell an artistic and personal story.
Suzi sits with the up-and-coming floral designer about her career and vision for the future.
SUZI: Well. Pinky… how did you decide on pursuing your career as a floral designer?
PINKY: Glad you I tell people who have known me for a long time that I now work as a floral designer, they don’t seem to be surprised at all. Most say they always knew I would end up here. They must have known something I didn’t. It’s a profession I seem to have fallen into after a few different design and event jobs.
Now, four years after starting my first floral job with Wisteria Lane Floral Design and almost two years after starting my own business full-time, I am excited to have found a way to combine my love of design and nature, while helping clients create a visual identity for what is in many cases, one of the most important days in their lives.
SUZI: How do you stay excited about doing floral design and how do you translate your excitement into your designs?
PINKY: I try to blend my knowledge of plants, flowers, events, and design to focus a client’s vision into something that will be realistic, impactful, unique, and beautiful. In my garden-style arrangements, I like to combine fan favorites, such as peonies and English-style garden roses, with interesting foliage and unique accents like scabiosa, vegetables and fruit. I consider each event as a completely separate entity in order to make sure that I keep each one fresh and tailored to the individual client.
When you are hiring a floral designer, you are hiring someone to spend time brainstorming unique arrangements, pick flowers and plants that bring a distinctive vision to life, and create an ambiance that sets the tone of your entire event.
SUZI: Do you find that the drought is having an impact on the way you design?
PINKY: I love that this profession allows me to constantly learn and strengthen my craft as well as change with the times. I often think about the looming reality of climate change in terms of the future of my profession. Instead of feeling threatened, I try to think of it as an opportunity to evolve with our evolving environment. In order to be as ecologically friendly as possible, I use locally and sustainably grown elements whenever possible. With the popularity of succulents and other water-wise flora dominating a lot of floral and event design, we can already see that things are shifting.
In years to come, I look forward to using other plants and flowers that come out of the woodwork as unique options for floral design.
SUZI: Thanks for the insight, Pinky!
PINKY: Thanks for the questions, Suzi!
See more of Pinky’s work at Lark Farnum Floral Design and follow her on Instagram
