Florals? For Spring? A New Book Makes Them Groundbreaking

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If you had a Saruman-style crystal ball and predicted that I would make a friend through the internet, I would tell you that you must have Houdinied out of your straitjacket and escaped the asylum. As a Gen Xer who lived through the dawn of online life, I’ve always approached strangers with some amount of apprehension—until I became besotted by the cult-followed Instagram account @cakeatelieramsterdam.

The genius behind the account, Natasja Sadi, is no longer the wedding cake maker her handle suggests but a floral artist whose anticipated Sunday posts burst with colorful flowers from Dutch flower markets.

After years of building a devoted following, including tastemakers and style icons like Bunny Williams, Linda Evangelista, Aerin Lauder, and Martha Stewart, Sadi now has a new book, A Sweet Floral Life, filled with not only her breathtaking arrangements but also beautiful essays about her life—her move from her native Suriname with her mother to Holland, her marriage, her gorgeous children.

When I first found Natasja’s Instagram, I drew a sharp breath: Her kaleidoscopic arrangements are almost too beautiful to look at. Unlike 16th-century Dutch still-lifes, her flowers coexist with us in real time. A couple of years later we met in person, and our friendship was add-water-and-stir instant.

When my family visited Amsterdam just before the pandemic, she insisted we join her and hers for Christmas dinner. What we encountered was her Instagram account come to life: a mind-blowing buffet of blue and white Delftware, each piece blushing with vibrant blooms. There was a glowing tree, glittering candles, a simmering fondue. Our five children bonded as we toasted the new year, and it has become a core memory for our family.

Her evocative new book makes it all come rushing back. Tulipieres from the world famous Aronson Antiques are stuffed to the rim and expertly arranged unlike anything you’ve ever seen. There are also reminders of her confectioner past: trompe l’oeil sugar flowers so ethereal you’d swear they were actual petals. Natasja’s visual gifts and personal warmth infuse the pages, making it part memoir, part museum diorama. What were once fleeting creations are now frozen in time for flower lovers everywhere to cherish forever.

This story appears in the May 2023 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW

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