The art of the everlasting arrangement
Madam Rat
Words: Carolyn Enting
Photography: Blink Ltd
More than decoration, Madam Rat's bespoke dried floral creations are elevating living and commercial spaces, as well as providing everlasting bridal bouquets.
Tucked away on Hohipere Street, there's plenty of floral action happening at dried botanical specialist Madam Rat. Couriers come and go, those in the know stop by to select stems from the floral bar, and visitors may even be greeted by Meow - Madam Rat's CEO - a Scottish Fold cross tabby.
It quickly becomes clear that co-founders - and life and business partners - Cindy Chen and Carter Lin have a healthy sense of humour.
Madam Rat also happens to be Cindy's nickname, earned early in their relationship after she demolished a packet of Carter's Tim Tams. "When we started the business we thought it would be more fun to have that as a name than something floral," Cindy says. "It's more personal, a bit different, and reflects our personality."
The business began amid Covid chaos when Cindy - a creative at heart-wanted to step away from her career in the pharmaceutical industry. It started as a passion project when she was looking for dried flowers for their home and couldn't find what she was looking for. She began experimenting with drying flowers, which turned into a hobby. Fast forward five years and she's now a sought-after dried floral arrangement specialist.
No job is too big or small. Recently she and Carter restored a huge (6m) floral arrangement of hydrangeas that hangs on the wharf side of restaurant Amano in Britomart.
Refreshing the arrangement required taking it apart, cleaning the flowers, recolouring it and putting it back together again.
Their smallest commission to date was for a tiny arrangement to hang on the little hook beside an apartment door number.
"People bring in their vases or photos of their spaces that the flowers are for, and we can create things for them based on that," says Cindy.
Madam Rat moved from Ponsonby to Uptown in October 2025 after outgrowing its space. The couple's first home together was in Uptown 10 years ago and they liked the area. "Now that we're relatively well-known, we don't need to rely on foot traffic."
They source dried flowers from local suppliers and flower farms as well as drying their own, and import preserved blooms which provide pops of colour.
Commissions for weddings have become increasingly popular for brides wanting to keep their wedding bouquet, while flowers used to decorate wedding arches can later be made into little arrangements as post-wedding favours.
Madam Rat's bespoke arrangements combine colour, form and longevity for spaces that want something truly distinctive.
They also offer pre-made floral bouquets in different sizes, as well as a floral bar for people who want to do a bit of DIY at home and get creative.
Dried flowers last anywhere from one to three years depending on how well you care for them, says Cindy.
"Some customers we only see once every two years," she says. "It's a nice way of having flowers in a beautiful centre space in your home, especially as not everyone can afford fresh flowers every week."
When caring for dried or preserved flowers, it's best to keep them out of direct sunlight as they will fade over time.
For delicate blooms, use a make-up brush to gently clean petals - but most bouquets can be dusted from a distance by using a hair dryer on a cool setting.
"And they don't need water!"
A dried floral arrangement makes a striking difference and fills a space in an entrance way. Cindy custom makes bespoke arrangements for clients and events.
Madam Rat
3 Hohipere Street
Phone: 021 022 91828
Website: madamrat.com
Instagram: @madam.rat.floral
