As an internationally known floral designer and artistic director of the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris, Jeff Leatham knows a thing or two about making a room look good. Nate talks to Jeff about his career in floral design and the key to arranging flowers beautifully.
With so much experience under his belt, including a part in the planning and design of Eva Longoria's wedding to NBA star Tony Parker, the clients who hire him trust him to plan what will look best for their event or in their homes. "I think that's a great attribute when you have a reputation of trying to create beautiful things," he says. "I think that's the most important thing as an artist is to have that trust level from your clients."
Whether he's designing flowers or just living his daily life, Jeff says it's key to be passionate about what you're doing. "You have to have the passion behind it and you have to surround yourself with people who believe in you and you have to believe in yourself," he says.
Jeff shares his tips for creating beautiful flower arrangements:
Make sure you have a nice collection of vases. Before you go out and spend your money on flowers, you should buy vases to enhance the flowers you put in them.
Keep your flowers monochromatic. In the floral world, Jeff says sometimes there's a bit too much color. If you are sending flowers to someone and you're not sure what you are going to get [from your florist], stick with white or tell them all one color.
If you're having flowers sent, send them wrapped in paper. "It's often easier that way, and then you are saving money," Jeff says. "You can send more flowers if you just send them wrapped in paper."
Bring personality into your flowers and have favorites. It's fun to change the flowers in your home as the seasons change too, Jeff says. He changes the floral design of the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris every three weeks to keep things new and inspiring—you can do the same at home!
