From the days flowers first sprouted from the earth, their delicate majesty has enchanted humans. Assembling them has been an age-old pursuit. Yet few people have elevated it to an art form on par with works by master oil painters or the virtuosos of classical music. The medium springs to life when a natural gift spurs it on.
Lucie Doughty’s journey to opening her Palm Springs–based The House of Florals (yes, a nod to the great fashion houses) was, aptly, organic. Her upbringing in a medieval English town instilled a lifelong love of flowers — pursued professionally only after maxing out her first calling in the beauty industry. As a stylist, she came to the United States to work for the Vidal Sassoon Academy in 1994 and later made a name as creative director at Paul Mitchell.
“After 25-plus years, it was time to try a new adventure,” she says. “You can have as many different adventures in life as you want. I like to challenge myself, and I set myself the challenge to make art from flowers.” Intercontinental studies at the Los Angeles Flower School and the London Flower School padded her passion with practical know-how.
Whimsical crowns and headpieces suit parties, weddings, and photo shoots.
Founder of The House of Florals Lucie Doughty loves her colorful second career.
Floral headpiece.
PHOTO BY KRISTINA YAMAMOTO
Doughty and her wife, weekend visitors from Santa Monica since 2013, relocated to Palm Springs in 2020, and The House of Florals unfurled its petals. Harboring a deep affinity for floral patterns, Doughty started with prints and wallpaper, and then evolved into finessing live flowers.
“My style is definitely a mix of my background from England but with a little California vibe thrown in,” she says. “I like to make things feel a bit more unexpected.”
“Flower parties” and flower crown workshops complement her main focus on event floristry, luxe weddings, elopements, and photo shoots. Clients’ tablescapes take her creativity to new places, leaving dinner guests gushing about them weeks later.
“The light here is so spectacular,” she says. “It’s such a great place to create because of the calmness and the amount of creativity that’s around in the wonderful artists of all types.”
