5. Trompe L'oeil Mural
Petals by the Shore & The Floral Source
Kelly Shore
2026 installation
First Floor - Great Stair Hall
The Inspiration
The murals around this room were painted in the trompe l’oeil style (French for “deceive the eye”) and achieve the impression of three-dimensional features on flat walls.
The Flowers
Recipe: Willow, dried grasses, branches, limonium, statice, ranunculus, butterfly ranunculus, dried lunaria, waxflower
Florist’s inspiration: This design reimagines the structure through living branches and bloom. Woven branches and dried grasses rise to suggest the fluted columns and curved arch of the original work, allowing natural materials to echo the strength and geometry of carved stone. White limonium, statice, waxflower, ranunculus, butterfly ranunculus and dried lunaria soften the framework, bring lightness and movement while preserving symmetry and elegance allowing nature to mirror the balance and rhythm of classical design.
THE DESIGNER
Kelly Shore
Petals by the Shore & The Floral Source
Kelly Shore is the owner and lead designer of Petals by the Shore, a wedding and event floral design business in the Washington, D.C., area since 2011.
In 2019, she founded the Floral Source to celebrate community, connection and confidence in U.S. floral sourcing. She’s a proud supporter of America’s flower farmers and sources the blooms and foliage she uses in designs from throughout the United States 365 days a year.
Her work in bringing visibility to local and American-grown flowers and the people who grow them launched her into a new season of her business and the creation of The Floral Source. Many designers are learning where they can source in their local communities while adding more sense of place and season to their designs.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
Anna Schmidt Photography
Anna Schmidt is a Washington, DC based photographer with 15 years of experience documenting weddings, events, and cultural celebrations with intention, artistry, and heart. She is the founder of Anna Schmidt Photography—known for joyful, refined storytelling- and Ambre Nuit Weddings, her editorial studio rooted in mood, romance, and legacy.
Known for her intuitive ability to read a room and anticipate moments, Anna creates images that feel both elevated and deeply human. She photographs connection with thoughtful pacing and emotional awareness, guiding when needed and stepping back when presence matters most. Balancing polished, editorial imagery with candid moments of ease and authenticity, her work is shaped by discernment, trust, and care. A lifelong artist and music lover, she draws inspiration from color, movement, and meaningful detail.
Grounded in the belief that people create their best work when they feel seen, respected, and supported, Anna approaches every celebration with empathy and intention- honoring love across cultures, identities, traditions, and families with dignity and sincerity.
Anna is honored to return as a photographer for Art in Bloom, an event she deeply admires for its celebration of creativity, nature, and community—and for the way it invites people to slow down, notice beauty, and experience art with intention.
