Introducing Highway to Hill Flowers
Highway to Hill Flowers, established in 2010 by Jo Oliver and Robb Stout, is a small floral design studio located in Northeast Washington, DC. They’ve worked with some of the best in the industry and cover events all over the DMV area. They specialize in creating beautiful pieces using fresh palettes and unusual flowers to create what their clients’ dream of. In addition to floral design and the retail part of the shop, they also do commissioned projects including graphic design and poster printing. We were thrilled to talk to Jo about the company, and even more excited to have them create the floral arrangements for our Dazzling Details 2013 event!
Carla David Design: How did you get inspired to start your company?Jo Oliver: I’ve worked with flowers for years, but started working seriously on weddings and events about five years ago. I was fortunate to have a number of friends who were getting married around the same time — and who were willing to let me work on their wedding flowers (great friends, right?!). Since starting, I’ve spent time taking classes in New York and working with top florists in the area to hone my skills and develop my style.
CDD: What are some exciting or unique details about your products and services?
JO: I have a degree in fine art and have worked for over a decade as a graphic designer, and I think that informs my approach to flowers. Beyond providing a foundation in composition and color, an arts background emphasizes the benefits of a structured creative process. That process lets you constantly self-critique and make sure that the creative decisions made along the way are relevant to the original vision.
CDD: What makes you happiest about what you do?
JO: What’s not to love about surrounding yourself with beautiful flowers?! I get to work with gorgeous colors, textures, and smells all day and then share that joy with other people. I also really enjoy the opportunity to work with my Mom. She helps out with a lot of my larger projects and it has been fun to share the growth of Highway to Hill Flowers with her.
CDD: What goes into making the beautiful arrangements for events?
JO: Using great flowers plays a large part, but I have found that the most successful projects are set apart by good communication and planning. On weddings, I love working closely with the couple to find out as much as I can about their relationship, their families, their background — anything that helps inform their vision. I feel that arrangements should always reflect the personalities of the clients, not just the style of the designer.
CDD: If your company was a flower, what would it be and why?
JO: That’s a great question, and always a difficult one to answer — I would have to pick the Black-Eyed Susan. I grew up and went to college in Maryland so the state flower reminds me of the family and friends that have helped me get to this point. There are a lot of flowers that are beautiful, but it’s just as important to use things that have personal significance — it lets the flowers tell part of a story instead of just being decoration.
Be sure to contact Highway to Hill for your next floral need!