Filipino-Australian florist Joselle “Jos” Castañer of Jos Curates takes us from Dangwa Flower Market to the finished arrangement, sharing how to style blooms with ease, intention, and warmth at home.
Joselle Castañer, or Jos, for short, is a Filipino-Australian floral designer primarily based in Sydney, moving between Australia and Manila for a growing community of friends and clients. Professionally, she’s a medical radiation therapist. Creatively, she is the founder of Jos Curates, known for contemporary floral design and event styling that feels wild, romantic, and meticulously composed.
It began as a quiet passion, a personal ritual she did simply because she loved it. Encouraged by her husband to share her creations online, Jos started posting her designs and quickly found an audience. In Sydney, small gatherings turned into styling requests, and then, almost as quickly, Manila began calling too. Today, her work spans small, thoughtful gestures to boutique installations, right up to large-scale weddings and major events. Through it all, her approach has remained steady.
“My design philosophy is contemporary yet timeless,” she says. “I am drawn to asymmetry, texture, and airy but structured forms. I approach each arrangement as an individual art piece. No two are ever the same, and I have never replicated a design. Each one has its own character while maintaining balance, intention, and longevity.”
Jos sat down with Lifestyle Asia to talk about bringing flowers into the home. But she didn’t stop at conversation. She showed us, step by step, how she turns a few stems into something that can soften a room, brighten a table, and even change the mood of an ordinary day. And to capture the full life cycle of an arrangement, from sourcing to styling, she took us on a moonlit run through Dangwa Flower Market in Manila.
We went late, timing our visit to the evening deliveries when the freshest blooms arrive. Jos explained that the market was unusually calm with fewer crowds, thanks in part to the Feast of the Black Nazarene having just passed. We moved from vendor to vendor, slipping into the shops, stepping into icy cold rooms that held the more delicate, precious varieties.
Past midnight, we left with armfuls of buds and bushels, some still tightly closed. At first, it didn’t look like much. But bringing flowers into the home doesn’t have to be intimidating. It starts simply: choosing what you love and then letting it open up your space.
“Flowers can tell stories without words,” she says, “and every arrangement is a narrative waiting to unfold.”
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A Q&A With Jos Curates
LA: To start, what does floristry mean to you?
Jos: Floristry goes beyond flowers for me. It exists at the intersection of design, spatial storytelling, and emotion. It includes everything from the vessels and textures to the furniture, structures, and surfaces that the arrangements interact with. Flowers are just one element of a larger composition, and it is the harmony of these details that defines each design.
LA: How do you see the relationship between flowers and atmosphere in a space?
Jos: Flowers play a powerful role in shaping the mood of a space. When designing an arrangement, I always consider its surroundings, from the vessel to its placement within the room. The goal is for the florals to complement and elevate the environment while evoking a specific emotion. A thoughtfully placed arrangement can completely transform how a space feels.
LA: How do you choose and care for flowers so that they last longer in the home?
Jos: I always source the freshest flowers possible, ideally newly arrived stock. I work with a mix of local and imported blooms, as certain imported varieties tend to last longer and help create balance. Proper conditioning is essential: removing excess foliage to prevent bacteria, cutting stems diagonally to improve water absorption, and changing the water every two to three days. Floral food and professional conditioning solutions also help extend longevity.
LA: What are your practical first steps for someone who wants to start incorporating more flowers into their home?
Jos: Start with proper floral care. Knowing how to condition flowers and maintain them will help extend their lifespan. Sourcing comes next. Local groceries and flower shops are great entry points, but markets such as Dangwa and the Sydney Flower Market are ideal as they are more affordable and support local farmers in the process.
Lastly, selecting the right vessel is essential. Vessels with a narrow opening help hold an arrangement together, while wider bowls require additional mechanisms, such as an ikebana flower frog, to provide structure. The vessel ultimately sets the tone for the entire arrangement.
Photos by Ed Simon of KLIQ Inc.
Additional photos at Dangwa Flower Market by Anne Lancaster
Shot on location at W/17
