DESIGN FILE

Frosie / Floral ice buckets, Auckland

Starting with the simplest of materials, the duo behind Frosie crafts beautiful frosty floral centrepieces that look spectacular, have a practical use yet don’t leave behind a mess of environmentally insensitive detritus. The handcrafted floral ice buckets and ice cubes have an undeniable wow factor, yet they’re created from just two elements: locally grown flowers not suitable for florists’ bouquets (they may have broken stems or be too tightly in bud), and tap water. They’ll grace your table in peak condition for hours, before melting to a memory. “What I love is that they’re so impactful, but melt away with no trace,” says creator Emily Brown. “We didn’t want a business that added a lot of extra ‘stuff’ into the environment.”

Emily, who started Frosie with Jessica Parris in February 2022, saw Pinterest flooded with images of beautiful ice bowls, but as far as they could see it was the domain of hobbyists and Diyers. So, using buttercups from the lawn they began to experiment and three months later had perfected the product, discovering what shapes worked best, which flowers were suitable (sturdy varieties that don’t float such as roses, dahlias and orchids) and how long they would last in different conditions.

Since then, driven by an inspiring Instagram page, their products have graced weddings, baby showers, afternoon teas and corporate events around Auckland, with combinations tailored to themes or colour schemes, such as lemon slices and olive sprigs for an Amalfi Coast-themed hen’s celebration, a hot pink riot of dahlias and roses, sophisticated whites and palest blush or deep blue, the colour du jour. “Every single one I love,” says Emily. “Each time we take one from the mould we say, ‘This is the best yet!’”@frosie.nz