Ceramicist and The Great Pottery Throw Down judge Richard Miller has seen plenty of skilled makers – but Beam Irwin’s lifelike paper flowers stopped him mid-scroll. Beam, the creator behind @bloomsbybeam, has been named Best Artisan in House Beautiful’s Real Style Awards 2026, after turning a lockdown hobby into a thriving business creating delicate, hand-shaped blooms designed to last forever.
Richard says: ‘Beam stood out for me, as her paper flowers capture that exquisite, delicate fragility unique to the medium, yet offer the gift of lasting forever. Unlike plastic alternatives, Beam’s work sustainably brings the vibrant beauty of the outdoors inside. Her incredible sense of realism ensures these blooms spark joy year-round, making them a timeless, lively and uplifting addition to any home.’
We reached out to Beam for her advice on finding creative inspiration beyond your back door – and about the best way to style her gorgeous paper blooms.
How would you describe your style in three words?
Grounded, romantic and calm.
Where do you find creative inspiration?
I find great inspiration in discovering the work of artists. One of my not-so-recent discoveries from a trip to Chatsworth is Convolvulus by the gender-nonconforming artist Gluck. It was a sensual painting of what is essentially a bindweed. In my own work, I would like to recreate the same curvaceous lines and form that Gluck captured from a rather common plant.
Do you find inspiration in your own garden?
My garden is my living source of research. It is where I watch my plants slowly change their structure as they grow, how they reach for the light, the way leaves unfurl and how flowers change as they mature.
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I bring these natural forms into my work, but I also add a bit of playfulness. My garden's Iceberg Roses, for example, tend to develop pink speckles as they age. This inspired me to add splashes of unexpected pastels to an otherwise pure white Paper Camellia petals.
But at the same time, there are plants that I wish to grow but have struggled with. My primulas, for instance, are often claimed by slugs before they have a chance to flourish, so I recreate them in paper instead.
Tell us 3 ways to style your plants at home?
1) The paper plants will never need water or sunlight, making them perfect for the darker corners of a home where living plants can’t thrive. My own living room faces north, and I can never grow anything there, so it has become the perfect place for my paper plants instead.
2) Some of my clients commission a certain flower because it holds personal meaning. The Paper Lily of the Valley is one I am often asked to make as it holds so much nostalgia to many. Place these enduring botanicals somewhere you see often, perhaps on a bedside table or mantel, where they can remind you of a sweet memory.
3) One of my favourite things is seeing how clients display their paper plants at home. A lovely approach is to use them in pairs: on either side of a fireplace, standing guard on both sides of a window or doorway, or framing an artwork on a sideboard. It creates a simple but striking sense of balance within a room.
