5. Madonna and Child
Kat Flowers Design & Decor
Katerina Allotey
2025 installation - Great Stair Hall
The Inspiration
This thirteenth-century European sculpture of a crowned Madonna holding the Christ Child in her left arm was carved from walnut and originally was painted and gilded.
The Flowers
Florist’s inspiration: Arrangements will be attached to a wooden bronze frame, with elements of braid in grass as representing feminine part of the Madonna. Arrangement will be made from 2 pieces-one is Madonna, second-child.
Recipe: Wooden frame, floral foam, flowers, greens
THE DESIGNER
Katerina Allotey
Kat Flowers Design & Decor
Katerina of Kat Flowers Design and Decor started her floral design journey in her home Country of Belarus, where she launched her own business in wedding and event designs. She started small, but even before she created her own company she had big dreams. From a young age, she was arranging flowers for her family’s dinner parties and standing out from the rest of her home town in Belarus with her unique and colorful designs.
Katerina came to the US a little over five years ago and immediately was eager to work as a florist, despite the language barrier she faced coming into the country. Her determination and courage propelled her to flourish at one of the most reputable shops in DC, where she was able to learn and grow even further; reflected in her designs.
Though she is always adapting her artistic style, her work is recognizable by its compelling European romance, which she elegantly twists with modern charm: from intimate, vintage designs featuring old fashioned English roses, peonies, sweetpeas and lilacs made historic in their antique-inspired containers, to sleek and contemporary designs featuring calla lilies, exotic orchids, succulents and unusual textures allowing the eye to gaze appreciatively.
Katerina’s business is characterized by her recognizable youthful passion, a passion she is ecstatic to have unearthed early in her career. She sees every new client’s order/idea as a window for creativity and possibility, which helps her bridge the gap between imagination and real-life floral art.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
Akbar Sayed
Between his studies and his caring for patients as a nursing student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Akbar Sayed sought a creative outlet to capture the beauty that he saw in life at all stages.
He purchased his first camera and photographed whatever and whoever was in front of him, but emotions inspired him most of all (an empath through and through). After months of sharing his work for the pure enjoyment of it, Akbar was asked to capture a wedding. The artistry was innate — his work was published in Baltimore Style magazine, despite it being his very first wedding.
In 2011, Akbar met his wife who, from the beginning, believed in his natural artistic vision. She continues to be the source of much creative and practical inspiration, often encouraging him to be present and laughing at his dad jokes.
