A guided seasonal ikebana experience at Somerset House.
On 24 May, Studio Seren begins its first spring-summer ikebana programme with Spring Light — an intimate floral gathering beneath the art deco glow of Café Petiole.
An unique experience shaped by flowers, stillness, and spring light. Guests are invited into a slower morning of quiet composition and mindful creativity inspired by Japanese aesthetics and seasonal living.
Limited seating available — bring someone you’d love to share the morning with.
🔗Reserve via the link in bio
An invitation to ikebana.
Where flowers meet the rhythm of the changing seasons. Shaped by shiki (しき) and the quiet rhythm of the traditional Twenty-Four Solar Terms (二十四節気).
From April to July, Studio Seren presents a series of seasonal gatherings in London, exploring balance, space, and the subtle beauty of Japanese floral arrangement.
The programme includes intimate sessions in tea houses and a special gathering at Somerset House. More seasonal gatherings to follow.
Gather. Create. Flourish.
During a recent private 1:1 session, a guest asked how I started my ikebana journey.
The truth is, I never imagined I would still be practicing ikebana over 10 years later. What began as a simple hobby became a quiet ritual I kept returning to.
At the time, I was working in global luxury auctions — surrounded by craftsmanship, rare objects, and collectors who deeply valued beauty. It was fast-paced and constantly moving.
But ikebana offered something entirely different.
It taught me to slow down.
To notice the seasons.
To appreciate beauty that only exists for a moment.
That curiosity led me to Kyoto, where I deepened my practice and later earned my 1st grade ikebana instructor certification.
I’m still practicing. Still learning.
Studio Seren was born from that journey. I’m grateful to everyone who has been part of it so far, and there’s so much more to come.
— Serena Sensei
As some of you may have noticed, our Ikebana installation is currently on display @cafepetiole , Somerset House.
When I first visited the space, I was drawn to its softness and quiet atmosphere. I immediately felt it would be a beautiful setting for a Spring–Summer Ikebana gathering, and part of a journey I wanted to share with all of you.
Studio Seren will be hosting a series of intimate Ikebana sessions at Café Petiole — centred around flowers and slower mornings in the city.
24 May · 10:30am — 12pm (Only a few spots remain)
Followed by 14 June and 12 July, with each gathering shaped around a different seasonal theme.
🔗 Reservations via link in bio
What can a single tulip teach us about time, change, and beauty? On Saturday, I led a global online Shōka and Shōka Shimputai demonstration with @flowerclubint . So thankful to @softly__softly & @juliarushflowers for the invite.
Through the philosophy of Ikenobō ikebana, we explored life cycles and seasonality, using the same tulip stems as the arrangement evolved from traditional Shōka into the contemporary expression of Shōka Shimputai.
The Q&A session was especially meaningful, reflecting on what aged leaves represent to ikebanists: the quiet beauty of time and every stage of nature.
Everyone did such a beautiful job for their first Shōka arraignment 🌸🤍
Next seasonal online sessions coming soon
Leading into May, Studio Seren presents a spring demonstration with @flowerclubint
On 9 May, we will host an online ikebana session exploring 新芽 (しんめ / shinme), new growth. Working with tulips, we begin with shoka, focusing on balance and stillness, and refining the natural beauty of the material before gently opening into more expressive jiyuka forms.
A moment where structure softens and something more expressive begins to emerge.
Part of Flower Club International’s global programme.
—
9 May 2026
19:30 JST (Tokyo)
Online, join from anywhere
Ikebana is about learning to see through craftsmanship.
This piece was created during my time studying in Kyoto at Rokkakudō, under the guidance of 桑羽なゆこ先生
Working with @nousaku_official KAGO, made from pure tin, I began to understand how material can shape form — soft, adaptable, and meant to be held and reshaped by hand.
The structure becomes part of the composition itself. The vessel is no longer just a container. It responds. It evolves with the flowers.
Beauty exists in many forms, shaped by the way we choose to hold it.
美しさは一つではない。 それは、受け止め方とかたちづくりによって生まれる。
—
KAGO by 能作
A recap of our workshop from this weekend, A Floral Ritual with @studio_seren . A beautiful end of the week that made us be present and feel a moment of stillness 🪷
#ikebana #tealovers #gongfu #thingstodoinlondon #londonteahouse
This spring & summer, ikebana blooms at @cafepetiole , Somerset House.
The seasonal ikebana didn’t decorate the room. It became part of it, moving in rhythm with the café’s pastel palette, soft light, and quiet elegance. Thank you @chefrishimsachdeva for having us.
And beyond the regular arrangements, we’re inviting you to gather through a series of Moribana (盛り花) mornings.
Begin your ikebana journey with us and experience the elegance of Café Petiole, set inside historic Somerset House.
24 May | 14 June | 12 July
Link in bio
Ikebana is more than arranging flowers.
A quiet dialogue between heaven, human, and earth — once practised by Buddhist monks as a meditative ritual, it invites us to slow down, soften the mind, and return to our senses.
Last Sunday, we gathered with @mei_leaf for chadō & kadō. Each guest arranged their own ikebana while Gongfu tea was poured slowly between us. They left with their arrangement, and the beginning of a journey they can continue at home.
Glad to have shared this beautiful moment with all of you.
一期一会 (ichi-go ichi-e)
one time, one meeting
Early spring is a quiet turning of the season - new stems appear, light softens, and nature begins to awaken.
In the classical practice of Shōka (生花), flowers are not arranged to decorate, but to reveal their natural movement. Each stem follows the living structure of 真副体 (Shin–Soe–Tai), a balance between heaven, earth, and humanity.
Rather than filling space, ikebana honours the beauty of space itself: the quiet pause between stems, the stillness that allows a flower to be truly seen.
Sometimes, a single branch is enough to remind us to pause.
Find your balance 🤍
Have you heard of Chadō（さどう）and Kadō（かどう）?
In Kyoto, Chadō（さどう）, the way of tea, is a quiet practice of presence, simplicity and harmony.
Kadō（かどう）, the way of flowers, follows the same spirit, finding beauty in balance, space and the changing seasons.
In tea culture there is a phrase: 一期一会 (ichigo ichie) - one time, one meeting. A reminder that every gathering is unique.
Later this month, tea and flowers come together for a small spring morning gathering at Mei Leaf.
April 19 – Mei Leaf Teahouse
Link in bio.
