I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to meeting Hattie Molloy.
The multidisciplinary artist/florist (she does the most beautiful work you'll ever see with florals) is one of those people with such a dazzlingly cool and utterly inimitable online presence that stepping into her apartment — her world — felt intimidating.
Then the 30-year-old opened the door to her to-die-for East Naarm/Melbourne flat, her equally cool mum Lou by her side. Both were beaming as they ushered me inside, and any anxiety I had dissipated.
Partly because Hattie's apartment is the stuff of dreams, and focusing on taking as much of it in as possible felt vital. But mostly because Hattie is the kind of warm person whose presence puts you at ease.
In the hour we spent together, she introduced us to her cat Jerry, showed us her home-grown Sturt's desert pea and revealed the worst thing she did as a child (unsurprisingly, it involved flowers).
Welcome to Chit Chat, where we ask your favourite celebs, up-and-coming artists and internet-famous creatives a bunch of the same silly questions for fun, and a handful of prying ones to reveal who they are beyond their curated online presence.
How do you introduce yourself to total strangers?
I usually get quite confused and say I'm kind of a florist, but kind of not, because I do other things too. Sometimes I say I'm an artist. It depends on how confident I'm feeling on the day [laughs].
How confident are you feeling today?
Eurgh, not so confident!
Fair enough, there's a camera in your face. Can you show us some of your favourite things?
Yes, well I have quite a few favourite things. People call me the trinket queen.
My collection of Gaetano Pesce vases is very fun. They wobble! So that's pretty exciting.
And I have a collection of dried allium flowers, which I love, including garlic and leeks that I grew in my parents' garden.
I love that they went all bendy and gorgeous.
I also love Murano glass and specifically my Murano tomato, which I think is very cool.
And I love my Kosta Boda Metropolis vases.
It is my life goal to collect the whole set of them and I have this one (above) and one more. So I've got about four to go. Fingers crossed!
I probably should have said my cat Jerry is my favourite thing, shouldn't I…
What's your current favourite flower and can you show it to us?
It's the Sturt's desert pea, which I actually have growing on my balcony. It's probably my most green-thumb moment in my entire life because it usually grows in the Top End of Australia, so to have it flowering on my balcony in Melbourne, in winter …
I feel very proud this one made it. But also concerned because of global warming, but let's not go there now.
I think the thing I love about it is it looks quite alien and otherworldly. Almost like nature shouldn't have come up with it. It's really freaky!
What do you wish people knew about what it's like to be a florist?
It's super early mornings and really, really hard work. I think there's a misconception that it's just playing with flowers and it's all 'woowoo' but it's a really hard slog.
What does a day at work look like for you?
Well, it's changed since I was diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder about two years ago.
I have to take things slower and manage my workload better, because it's taxing.
I usually go to a wholesaler, as opposed to the markets or to flower farms like I used to do more often, and I have to have someone drive me. It all takes more forward planning and organising, but it's also been very important that I continue to work. It gives me a sense of purpose and self.
At one point, all I could do was get to the farmer's market. And that's why I've relied more heavily on using fruits and vegetables in my work, as the accessibility of flowers has become an issue for me.
[My disability] has changed what I want my work to look like in the future… maybe I want to move into more sculpture or a less ephemeral practice. But I think flowers will always be at the core of what I do — it's just about expanding past that.
Where do you find inspiration?
In a lot of mundane things. I've always found cakes interesting and food in general. Beans also really excite me, I've always enjoyed piles of soil … really, it's anything — those very common things you don't look at for "inspiration" are things I flip to change the context of how they're perceived.
What song is currently stuck in your head?
I've been listening to Beyonce's latest album; I've really been trying to get the Heated lyrics down pat.
Are you more team Edward or Jacob?
I wasn't into Twilight, so I wasn't team Edward or Jacob — but if I had to be team anyone from Twilight it would have been team Kristen because I was *gay*.
What's the worst thing you did as a child?
I was notorious for stealing flowers, like I'd leap into people's front yards and grab them.
There was one time we were out in the country and I found this whole field of paper daisies and I went to absolute town and I remember the lady whose field it was coming out and screaming at me because I had as many as I could possibly carry in my hands and she was growing them to sell them.
I cried and dropped all the flowers and ran away…
Do you know your neighbours?
Yes! I'm really close with my next-door neighbours and one of our other neighbours pretty much shares custody of Jerry.
They all have the keys to my house, we watch reality TV together and if I have a fall or need help they support me. It's been really wonderful having such a nice community.
We're living the Friends fantasy.
How long do your house plants live?
I went through a stage (like everyone else) where I had every house plant under the sun. I think I had like 80 inside at one point about seven years ago. It was ridiculous.
Now I have the mentality that you should have ones that you cherish and care for so you can actually give them the attention they need and they can thrive instead of spreading yourself too thin.
So, this is Patty — short for Patricia Mary, after my grandmother, because this was her plant.
And it's probably about 35 years old. When I was growing up she used to have it in her home on a plinth and I always loved seeing it there, and then I inherited it so I feel a lot of pressure to make sure it survives. That's why I give her all my love and attention and talk to her.
I also give her a shower once a week, I don't let her sit in water and I give her a bit of a feed every now and then. She's doing really well.
Quotes lightly edited for clarity and brevity.