by Hommes + Gardens
A wreath is never just decoration. It is structure disguised as softness. A circle with intention.
Long before wreaths became seasonal ritual, they were woven in Ancient Greece and Rome from laurel and olive branches and hung as symbols of victory, protection, and continuity. To hang one was to welcome prosperity back to the door. And if you’re even a little superstitious, why miss an opportunity to stack the odds?
At Hommes + Gardens, our evergreen wreaths begin in the landscape. We build with what the California terrior gives us when no one is looking. Tuscan olive branch for softness and silver. Blue eucalyptus cinerea for scent and tone. Feathered acacia, wild and architectural. California bay laurel, sharp and resinous. Pittosporum, leathery and disciplined. Whispery sprigs of myrtle, rarely noticed, always essential. Each of these are chosen for contrast, tension, depth, and scent.
We bind every branch with 22-gauge green floral wire, thin enough to disappear, strong enough to hold weight. We never use pre-coated craft wire. It lacks tension and memory. The 22-gauge wire bites gently into the stem without crushing it, allowing the greens to dry naturally while holding their shape. And yes, it has to be green so it fully disappears. Somewhere between the pine and the olive, a Philz Coffee Mojito is sweating on the worktable, it just hits this time of year - IYKYK.
Brass is where restraint meets personality. A material that ages instead of fading. We use vintage brass objects, bells, skeleton keys, aged mushroom forms for humility and abundance, and small found figures that feel discovered.
No two wreaths read the same, because no two thresholds ask for the same energy. Are you minimal? Ritual-driven? Playful? Dark-romantic? Wildly orderly? It shows.
And the bow is the punctuation. Fabric matters. We choose textiles by pile and nap, the depth and direction of the fiber. These are the qualities that tell light whether to sink in or bounce off the surface. Without them, ribbon looks flat and obviously decorative. For color, we favor deep dark olive velvet, textural burlap with visible weave, brown-black brocade, and complex oxblood and garnet reds with internal shadow. The rule is simple: the color must be rich on both sides, never luxe on the front and garish underneath. A ribbon should never betray itself when the wind moves. And as for scale, the bow must match the mass of the wreath; the tails must exceed it.
Length is where drama lives. The ribbon should move, lift, and wander. Stillness is neat. Motion is lucky.
And later, when your wreath is hung, your What’s Going On vinyl finds its way onto the turntable, pulled earlier from Amoeba Music. That's holiday, complete.
Whether you’re building one by hand or taking one home ready to hang from Hommes + Gardens, the intention is the same.
Hang it slow.
Let it move.
Let it work.