March/April 2022

PEOPLE
LED trees and a Grande TIG tree with an
upholstered bench seat that wraps around
its base. There is a sample wall that shows
our clients the array of different florals and
foliage that we can create from as well as
rows of racking that contain everything from
Christmas baubles to reclaimed tree trunks
salvaged from local storms. The pièce de
résistance is the eight metre bespoke living
wall which is branded with the Twilight Trees
logo so that there is no mistake as to which
wonderland you have fallen down the rabbit
hole into!
THE KETTLE’S ALWAYS ON…
I hope I’ve painted the picture for you but
there’s really nothing better than coming to
visit us yourself. The Twilight Trees doors
are always open and we are encouraging
friends, colleagues and clients to give us a
ring and make an appointment; the kettle is
always on and the wine is always cold…
No day at Twilight Trees is the same but
if I’m in the office I do try to stick to some
sort of routine. School drop off is the first
thing on the list but after that I always try
to start the day with some exercise to focus
the mind and get the blood going. We are
lucky enough to be on the edge of the South
Downs National Park and the office and
home are four miles from each other so on
go the trainers! Of course, even during a run
I can’t escape my mind so I’ve mastered the
art of leaving myself voice notes which I go
through the second I get to the office.
If it’s a Monday we all sit down at our
boardroom table (including Vinnie our office
cockapoo) and catch up on the weekend’s
events. The weekend is when Twilight Trees
is at its busiest and so it’s great to be able to
sit down with the whole team and debrief.
We’ll also catch up on how the business as
a whole is moving forward, get updated on
what is being created in the workshop, what
the marketing department have planned
and the volume of enquiries that the events
team are working with. It’s busy, buzzy and
coffee fueled but the room is often bursting
“NO DAY AT TWILIGHT TREES
IS THE SAME BUT IF I’M IN
THE OFFICE I DO TRY TO
STICK TO SOME SORT OF
ROUTINE”
with ideas and creativity. We have such
special people working at Twilight Trees and
that’s probably the thing I’m most proud
of, my team. Twilight Trees is in reality a
very nuanced business and the balance is
something I work hard to achieve; I really
think this meeting along with many other
elements, is instrumental in creating it.
After the meeting I catch up with the
marketing team, we review our Instagram
engagement, any promotional events we
have planned, press we are communicating
with and any brand partnerships. This week
I have a big radio interview coming up so
we’ve been working on a plan of action for
that.
The rest of the day really is varied. I’m
often at my computer working on proposals
for bespoke projects. This was an area of
the business that was given the space to
grow during the pandemic and I am now
confident that our professionalism and skills
are on a par with the best in the business.
Last week we completed a bespoke
installation for the premises of a huge
advertising company in the midlands. It was
a huge project that spanned 28,000 square
feet and had been six months in the making.
It was incredibly gratifying to see it all come
together and the client was overwhelmed by
the result.
If I’m not in the office I’m out in the
workshop, overalls on and creating! I spent
five years at Central Saint Martins College
of Art and being hands on really is where I
feel most at home. I have a background in
sculpture and previously made my living
selling sculptures made from cow horns. I’ve
always seen the trees as art forms, they have
infinite sculptural qualities and bring both
aesthetics and an ethereal atmosphere to a
space; I am so lucky to be able to work with
them.
We have also been fortunate enough to
be able to start including elements of travel
into our design inspiration process and
we have just returned from a research trip
to Paris. I cannot overstate the wealth of
inspiration we gained from this trip. From
the shop displays, to the brand typography
and the landscape itself, being immersed
in a different culture was invaluable. I think
the lockdowns made us forget the true
value of embracing culture in person. It’s so
wonderful to have it back and to witness the
impact it has on our work.
Back at Twilight Trees HQ, we often work
well past home time but we’ll crack open
the wine, pump up the music and let the
creativity flow. That is another reason why I
love the Twilight Trees culture, whether it’s
bringing your family to the office to paint the
new office walls at the weekend or working
through the night to get the job done, it’s
the spirit of the team that really really gives
Twilight Trees its sparkle, and I’m delighted
to say it only gets brighter!
ABOUT SUSIE
Founder and creative director, Susie Reid
Thomas, started Twilight Trees in 2014 while
raising two small children. Twilight Trees
started off as an LED tree company and is
now one of the leading innovators in biophilic
bespoke installations and artificial tree rentals.
Susie, together with her husband Andrew,
has grown Twilight Trees from a kitchen table
start-up into a cutting edge business with a
dedicated and specialised team.
DETAILS
Twilight Trees
01962 877644
info@twilight-trees.com
www.twilight-trees.com
66 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM