A Dutch couple, Narayano Vrolijks and Satyamo, opened a new flower shop called "Ultimate Planner" in Muscat, Oman, bringing exceptional floral decorations and glassware from the Netherlands. Narayano is an international master floral designer with nearly 40 years of experience. He believes in total creative freedom and aims to provide unique designs that are unexpected. Ultimate Planner hopes to become a top player in the Omani wedding and event planning market within 5-10 years by providing innovative floral art designs executed by Narayano and his growing team.
2. Ultimate retreat for
FLORAL ARTISTRY
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Floral Artistry
Dutch couple Narayano Vrolijks and Satyamo,
have brought exceptional floral decorations
and glassware from the Netherlands to the
Sultanate for the first time.The floral couple on
a short visit to Muscat in October last decided
to make their dream a reality.
4. Liju Cherian
V
anda Orchids, Heliconia, Aloe
Vera, Matsumata, Nutans – all
these and many more flowering
plants,succulents, creepers jostle
for space at the newly launched flowershop
called ‘Ultimate Planner,’ near Al Qurum
Round About.
The shop which opened in March is
expected to change the local Oman scene
on weddings, stage decorations, parties and
corporate functions.
Dutch couple Narayano Vrolijks and
Satyamo, have brought exceptional floral
decorations and glassware from the
Netherlands to the Sultanate for the first time.
The floral couple on a short visit to Muscat in
October last decided to make their dream a
reality. Just weeks after they opened the shop,
they are getting slowly addicted to ‘Dream
it, Live it’, the sloganthey happened to notice
upon arrival at Muscat Airport.
Narayano admits technology has evolved
newer techniques in floral industry which aids
fresh flowers last longer without water to give
lot more possibilities providing for unique
designs.
‘Ultimate Planner ’was chosen to make
clear that it was apart from the special Dutch
Master Floral Art, to take care of all things
a bride and groom could wish for their
wedding.
Narayano says they are all set to take up
decorations for other private or corporate
functions, such as diner parties or business
openings. “We will come and see the place
of the function and offer special and unique
works of flower art specifically designed for
the location they will be in.”
An international Master Floral Designer
having nearly 40 years of experience,
Narayano believes that the most important
trend today is the total freedom to floral artists,
to create whatever comes to mind, the further
out of the box and away from the ‘rules’ in
floral design, the better. “And if that is not the
trend, at least it is my way of working. I do not
feel restricted by trends; I just do what I love
to do. The crazier, the better.” he admits.
Having started at Floral Design School at
the age of 17, he says confidently that every
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Floral Artistry
5. floral piece which he created will be unique, from
a small gift for a friend or loved one to the biggest
decoration for a wedding, will always do his best to
give it a Narayanotwist.
He feels the Omani clients are ready for something
different from what they have been used to for years.
“And that is what I always will try and give them,
whatever the occasion is and having a specific
design in mind.When I start on a floral art piece,
I even don't know what the outcome will be, each
flower is different, and so the outcome can be a
surprise to me as well.”
How did Narayano become a professional floral
stylist? Having trained at one of the floral design
academies in Holland, his training for Master in
Dutch Floral Design (MDFD), was completed at
the only privately owned floral design school in the
world, the Boerma Institute, in Aalsmeer, the flower
town in The Netherlands.
Apart from those formal trainings, he also followed
many master classes with different world renowned
floral artists, such as Pim van den Akker in Delft,
the Netherlands. Through his years of experience
as a floral designer, he reached the level of Master
Designer years ago. Satyama, his wife, has been
trained at one of the floral design schools in Holland
as well, and with her support and creative input and
help, he is confident to conquer and succeed the
Oman market. Satyama came into the same field
when they started their own flower shop years ago
in a small town in Holland. She followed up a three-
year training at one of the leading flower academies
in Holland.
During these years he has been working in all
aspects to do with flower trade and floral design,
having owned his own shop together with Satyama,
who is also trained as a master florist as well, apart
from being an artist and painter.
He earlier worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for 6
years where he designed and set up a high class
flowershop called Exotica, which still exists till today.
In Riyadh they designed and executed many royal
weddings as well as catered and decorated for
many private functions and diner parties.
During all his years working as a floral stylist,
Narayanaohas been involved in many events and
decorations around the world, in France, Monaco,
Germany, UK and USA and Canada, as well as in
several Middle Eastern countries like UAE. These
jobs were mainly as freelance floral designer
working together with other internationally oriented
floral designers from Holland. After all, the best
flowers come from Holland, so the country has a lot
to offer in top class floral design and designers.
Last year, he was contacted by a mutual friend of
his Omani sponsor and himself from Aalsmeer, the
flower capital of the world. He told him about the
possibility to create and set up a high end Floral
Design Shop and wedding decoration company in
Muscat. “For a very experienced Floral Designer
and Master Floral artist like Narayano, , this was a
challenge that was very interesting and fun to step
into. Satyama and I visited Muscat for six days in
October, and were so charmed by the country and
the friendliness of the Omani people, that we only
needed this short time to decide to move here.
What you see now in the shop is the result of this first
contact, and with the support and creative help of
Satyama this venture will surely become a success,”
he confesses.
Says AhlamTalibal Qutaiti, CEO, Ultimate Planner:
“Some of the glass vases used by the experienced
and artistic Dutch Master Designer are one of
its kind, as they are exclusively handcrafted by
an artist. Even after the flowers fade away, the
glassware can still be used as a centrepiece and will
hold a place of pride for the owner.”
Designing vases is a totally different expertise than
the floral art that he is planning. Art vases designed
and made by Anna Menichella, an Italian artist is
now display. “We will source the special and unique
pieces and bring them to our shop.What I can say
about outsourcing is that each and every floral
design we will create will be unique, and nothing
will be outsourced, all pieces will be designed and
made by me and my team.”
Ultimate Planner and Dutch Master Floral Art
carry natural fresh flowers and plants, as well as the
highest quality of silk flowers found in the world. All
one gets to see in is sourced by us personally from
Holland.
The silk flowers are mainly meant for decorating
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Floral Artistry
6. the home as well as for corporate offices and hotels, as fresh
flowers are a little more difficult to maintain in Muscat due
to the climate, although wintertime appearsgentler to the
flowers.
For special occasions, such as weddings and dinner
parties, we will always advise and use fresh flowers and
plants. They all will be of the highest quality, directly
imported from the Netherlands.
Narayano says that that Oman, and particularly Muscat,
says Muscat, has a lot of possibilities for creating his unique
and unusual designs and decorations. “What we are
bringing to Muscat with my designs is dramatically new
and different to what the Omani public has seen until today
in floral design.What I am creating is more a connection
towards floral artistry rather than just combining flowers in a
nice way.”
On how it would come up over the years, he admits a wait
and watch approach.
“I am sure that the Omani public will, to say the least, be
intrigued by my new, modern and contemporary designs.”
As Ultimate Planner, plans for the future, they are still
working on building their team, so that they have a strong
base to work with. There will be at least 2 more Floral
Designers from Holland joining the team, as well as some
junior florists from other countries, whom they plan to train in
the modern way of working and designing that he does.
For the future, they have plans of adding an
experienced wedding planner to the team, and
another to take care of marketing and social
media. At the moment they are assisted by
Creative Communications Advertising and
Marketing, an experienced PR company.
Ultimate Planner aims to be at the top of
the market in about 5-10 years from now. They plan
to designand execute the most fabulous wedding
decorations and designs.
“Nothing is too crazy for us to do. I would even like to
say, the crazier and more out of the box, the better.We will
have lots of fun creating that.We will be working with an
experienced and well trained team, and as long as each and
every one of us is having fun and love what we do, we will
continue to bring uniqueness in Dutch Master Floral Art to
Oman, and, who knows, to other countries in the region and
the world as well. The future will tell.
For the King’s Day on April 27, ‘Ultimate Planner’ has
planned a special window display and a nice selection of
orange flowers available, as Orange is the colour connected
to Royal family, The House of Orange.
For the future, ‘Ultimate Planner’ has a lot more to offer.
Over a period of time, it will extend its services to organising
events that will include corporate events, concerts, theatre
festivals, art and fashion shows and lots more.
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