kat kosk
professional floral designer
blumenstudio | cafe + floral
www.blumenstudio.ca

What made you choose floral design as a profession?

.well, well where do I start .i was born in east germany and i didn’t really know what i wanted to be .maybe something with art i always thought

.when the wall fell, my mom had to adjust from being a secretary for a music school .it wasn’t enough anymore or what she wanted .so that’s when things changed .my mom at one point owned 5 flower stores

.but all that did not make me want to be a florist because we (my brother and i) had to help all the time .i didn’t like that

.after grade 10, i had to choose between abi degree, university or a trade .so trade it was

.florist!!! here i come

.little did i know i was actually really good at it and grew to love it more and more .who knew!

.i learned and worked in dresden and berlin, then moved to canada, that was 12 years ago .now it’s been 20 years as a florist

.i love it .it’s my passion and calling

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a cafe floral shop. blumenstudio is a very unique concept. How did you come up with the name and idea?

.the name is easy .blumen means flowers in german and studio well, it’s not just a shoppe or store, it’s almost i like to think a gallery but we work so that’s why we chose studio .i think what i do is art

.the café was always a given thing for me .in every store I worked, including at my moms, people would stay and talk and drink our coffee and because every flower store owns a coffee maker, i thought why not take it up a notch and add a really good café with fantastic espresso and goodies from local pasty chefs .that’s how that came along

Tells us a bit about the workshops you offer.

.they are 100% educational and fun .we don’t take more than 6 people per class .we do one or two a month .it’s always different and changing with the seasons .we take requests as to what you want to do .you get to take your product home to enjoy it .i love those classes, people getting so excited about flowers its almost magical

What is your approach to floral design?

.it’s my life and i wish it would be taken more seriously .it’s a trade .an old traditional trade and unfortunately the trade education is dying .it’s too easy these days, hobby turns into profession .there is good and not so good about the whole subject .i guess call me old fashion, i still believe in trades .its the foundation where i am from .its about quality

Artist come from all different types of genres. What inspires your pieces of floral art?

.i have to be honest, i don’t get inspired that way .i love architecture and it’s always been Bauhaus – clean structured etc

If you were to make a floral arrangement that reflects your personality, what would it be?

.oh my .i can’t say .it’s so difficult to say, it changes all the time .but right now, i’m in love with dahlia .i would say something with dahlias

Tells us about your menu. What are some of the most popular treats.

.we like to keep our café traditional italian .i love the Italians .flair, life just everything .that was the idea of our café, a traditional italian café, simple menu, authentic sizes, all espresso drinks, cappuccinos, lattes and espresso with little treats .but treats are popular here, so we widened our selection a bit

.cinnamon rolls are the most wanted made by bread by us .a new bakery in our neighbourhood .just fantastic

.also la bottega’s treats .biscotti nougat amaretti etc all the good stuff

I cannot live without caffeine. What is your favorite drink on the menu?

.big fan of single shot espresso with a tiny, tiny splash of hot water .i call it a mini americano

Since we are fashion and beauty blog, would you mind answering a few personal questions?

Do you have a daily beauty routine?

.to be quiet honest i don’t think i do .shower, breakfast, styling, dressing and go .exercise here and there more less at the moment .getting into more of a swing again in the fall .i run our 16 floor staircase 3 times a day from fall to spring .if you want to call it a routine i guess that’s it.

Let’s hear some of your favorites…

piece of clothing you own: right now gs raw jeans from schad on sussex
place to shop for clothes: victoré on wellington
hair product: sea salt spray by tigi catwalk from fernando cellini on murray street
beauty product: don’t laugh lubriderm non scented body lotion
pair of shoes: swedish hasbeen boots from schad on sussex

How would you describe your personal style?

.not sure if i have a name for my style .it’s just me .i just wanna feel good and look great in my clothes and that makes you look confident

What is the biggest difference, in your opinion, between North American and European fashions and style?

.oh my .people care about their appearance in europe .here it’s all about comfort

.but that being said there is change happening .more and more people care

How happy were you about Germany winning the World Cup?

.OMG thrilled of course cried a little even

If money was no object – what designers would be in your dream closet?

.chanel

Finally pick three words that describe you best.

.honest
.stylish
.spunky

.meticulous .i would say too