In what used to be a cannery, you will now find a sea of lush plants lined up against exposed brick walls and leaning towards the sunlight seeping in through tall windows. Curious air plants are hanging in glass vases from the ceiling alongside dried flower bouquets bursting with colour. Imagine a tiny jungle in proud contrast to the four industrial walls that contain it. You now find yourself standing in the independent floral design studio Stilken & Strøm.

The Stavanger-based studio and concept store opened its doors for the first time two years ago and is an embodiment of founder Elisabeth Strøm’s intuitive personality and creative approach to flowers. Her arrangements are far from conventional as she elegantly combines the rare and exotic with locally grown favourites, and experiments with different textures, shapes and colours.

“Now that I have found my passion, I often wonder why I didn’t discover it sooner. Looking back, it was obvious without me realising it. As a young girl, I loved the days where I could spend all my time in the forest, playing flower shop with the plants and flowers I came by,” Elisabeth says.

She is dressed in all-black, a sleek blazer, and a pair of red earrings providing the look with a pop of colour. She might spend hours tending to plants and being in contact with nature, but her style falls into the category of what you typically see contemporary art curators wear. This is also another way to look at her work: flowers as works of art and Elisabeth as their curator.

“The desire to create is what drives me. And now I have found the perfect medium to do exactly that,” she says with a smile.

Elisabeth is soft-spoken but the peculiar flowers surrounding her and her playful approach to the traditional bouquet hints to a bold taste and personality.

“I’m usually given a few pointers by the customer, but I always work very intuitively. There are no recipes. It’s the material that dictates the result. This is a personal journey for me, as I’m trying to find my unique style.”

Walking into the concept store, it seems like this was always meant to be, but before Elisabeth studied floral design, she was studying mathematics. Her career shift was inspired by an epiphany she had after falling in love with a flower shop she walked past one day in Bergen. She took a leap of faith and moved to Lillehammer to study floral decor before she went on to work as an apprentice in the very flower shop that made her realise her passion for flowers.

“I guess I just got a bit lost on the way. But I don’t think it was a waste of time because it led me to exactly where I am now,” she says.

Elisabeth’s career in floral design was the result of an impetus, and starting up her own business turned out to be a result of that same force. While she admits that it is easy to get burnt when you approach business with spontaneity, she firmly believes that things never go according to plan anyway, which is why it is pointless to plan too far ahead.

“Freedom is what I’m most grateful for. I have the liberty to pick what flowers I want to work with and I’m not restricted by the decisions of a corporate florist chain.”

Every week, Elisabeth is visited by a truck with a wide assortment of flowers. Like a kid in a candy shop, she can pick and choose what material she wants to explore next. Tuber plants in particular, which are popular in Japan, are a current favourite that she wishes to introduce properly in Norway. Offering specialised plants to her customers has been one of Elisabeth’s dreams because she has a weak spot for niche flowers and plants herself.

But combining freelance work and store management is not always a bed of red roses.

“I’ve been doing this by myself for two years, meaning that I’ve had to fill a lot of roles. Pursuing your passion is a battle in many ways, but I’ve never had any regrets. My work means everything to me and that’s why I keep doing it. This job gives me the entire spectrum of stress, fun and excitement. No day is ever the same and that’s not something you come by just anywhere. I feel like I’ve found my dream job,” Elisabeth concludes.

One thing is certain: Elisabeth has found beauty in the unconventional both when she expresses herself creatively through flowers and when choosing her path in life — and it is something her customers should be grateful for when they place another fresh bouquet on their coffee table.

Finding beauty in the unconventional: Interview with Elisabeth Strøm

Photos by: @stilkenogstrom.

Related content