90 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {home & design} FLORIST in bloom words by JENNIFER JORY PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF AILI ICE DESIGNS As local florist Aili Ice strolls through the San Francisco Flower Market, a wild artichoke with a blooming lavender center catches her eye. She spies a twisted dogwood branch and imagines how she can bring it to life with the artichoke and some violet-colored irises. “I see all the colors first and then I see what jumps out and inspires me,” she remarks. Aili’s floral creations crafted in her Menlo Park studio are intended to bring beauty to spaces but also healing. And there’s a reason her work exudes a restorative quality. After an unexpected family loss in her early 20s, Aili answered a florist’s job posting without any previous experience. The opportunity became a pivotal moment in her life. “They gave me a vase and said make something,” Aili recalls. She got the job. “A chapter in my life came to a close and a new beginning started through finding the flower shop,” Aili shares. “They nurtured me and allowed me to grow. Then I learned the tricks of the trade.” The healing art of flowers came full circle for Aili when she was asked to participate in a unique two-year clinical study at Stanford Hospital called The Gratitude Project, which measured how the gifting of flowers from doctors to patients would affect their recovery. The results of the study showed a very positive correlation. “Florals, nature, organic materials and anything that has a closeness to nature is all wellness,” explains Aili. “When you go out into the forest and see moss, you get heightened joy. It also sparks curiosity, dopamine and happiness.” Fast-forward several years. Aili was practically running the floral shop when the owner asked if she would like to take over the ABOVE (right): Aili’s design for a Bouquets to Art event at San Francisco’s De Young Museum was inspired by the demure expression of Mrs. John Rogers—the faint blush of her cheek evoked by the pink tulips, while dark flowers call out the burgundy background and gold vases reflect the painting’s gilded frame.
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