What makes a purchase “worth it”? The answer is different for everybody, so we’re asking some of the coolest, most shopping-savvy people we know—from small-business owners to designers, artists, and actors—to tell us the story behind one of their most prized possessions.
Who?
Kelanda Edwards is the founder of The Watering Can, an art-centric floral design studio based in Washington, DC, that offers whimsical and untraditional designs. What started as playing with flowers by working on small events for friends has blossomed into an impressive portfolio that now includes commissions for everyone from Maryland rapper Rico Nasty to brides-to-be.
Kelanda’s signature is blending dried and fresh flowers, a trick she began experimenting with when her husband, Pierre Edwards, started gifting her flowers as a romantic gesture. Once the flowers dried, she gave them a second life by turning them into bouquets. “It warped my perspective on what’s beautiful when it comes to flowers and what’s beautiful in general,” she says.
Where?
Kelanda lives in Northwest DC with her two daughters and husband, who is also a working artist. Last year, the family moved into a row-house-style home. “Most row houses in DC are pretty old, but we’ve always loved the variations of each one,” Kelanda explains. “We really appreciate the duality so we loved that the original character from the early 1900s is still intact, in addition to some modern upgrades.” The interior of their home is covered in the Edwards’s artwork along with pieces by close friends. The space is vibrant yet lived in, telling a story of who they are and what they hold dear: family and their evolution as creatives.
What & When?
Without a doubt, the farmhouse walnut wood dining table is the centerpiece of the home. Kelanda purchased it in 2016 from a seller on Facebook Marketplace and was immediately drawn to the dark wood and rounded edges of the table. “I’m always on the hunt for vintage items,” Kelanda says. “I like things that feel a little lived in, like they lived a life before I had [them]. I saw it and thought it was perfect for our lives because I didn’t know where we were going after this.”
The couple was living in Fort Washington, Maryland, at the time, but Kelanda “knew that we were planning to move into the city because my floral delivery [business] was picking up and Pierre was signing a contract for a new studio that was up town.” As she further explains, “When we found the table we were like, this is a nice size, it’s solid wood, it looks clean and beautiful and it’s kind of minimal enough to where I can bring it to life by putting whatever I want on it.”
