Hello 2010

Happy New Year’s Eve to everyone! I hope you have a happy and safe night of celebration.

I won’t be posting tomorrow, since it’s a holiday, but I’ll be back next Monday. Have a great one!

(This beautiful champagne cake was created by the one and only Sylvia Weinstock. I love it! Since I don't drink--I get to admire it.)

A Big Thank You

At the end of every year, I sit back and reflect on everything that happened in the past 12 months. So much has happened, so many events designed, so many ups and downs, but through it all, I’ve been lucky to have great people in my life—and that includes you, dear reader.

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who reads this blog, follows my twitter or is a fan on my Facebook page. I love being able to interact with you, answer your questions and hear all your thoughts. I can only say that we have much more planned for my website and blog in 2010, so I hope you keep reading!

Tips for Throwing a Fabulous New Year’s Eve Party: Part 2—the Food

There’s so much to worry about when entertaining from home, but one of the most important things is the food. What should you serve? And how much? Here are some delicious food tips from me to you:

Tip #1: Make sure you know if your guests have allergies or food preferences.  If you are doing a formal invite, have a section where they can note this on the reply card.  Otherwise, make sure you speak to them about it or let them know they should contact you to discuss.  Having that brief conversation ahead of time makes everyone feel at ease on the day of the event.  You know you won’t have to run out, or make substitutions at the last minute, and your guests already feel taken care of!

Tip #2: One of my favorite tricks for creating unexpected décor is to use fruit.  You can also fill different sized clear glass vases with monochromatic fruits- I love the look of black cherries, plums, and figs- for a fresh, easy centerpiece. (They make delicious snacks too.)

Tip #3 Always make sure you have extra food!  You never know when an additional guest may show up.  I always like to have a course I serve at room temperature and so I can set aside extra portions and have them ready should an unexpected guest arrive.

Tip #4 One of my most prized possessions is my juicer. When you are entertaining you can pick a combination of fruits and vegetables that will compliment the food you are serving.  Fresh juice is a great way to spice up a party.  People can drink it plain, or mix it with alcohol for a light cocktail.

Also, check out this article from People magazine (the picture above is from the article) about some of the sweets I love to serve at New Year’s Eve. Do you have any food tips to share?

Photo by: Jim Franco

Tips for Throwing a Fabulous New Year’s Eve Party: Part 1

Now that Christmas is out of the way, we have one more big event before we step into 2010 (can you believe it’s already 2010?): your new year’s eve party. At this point, you might be feeling partied out. It’s okay. These tips can apply to parties big and small.

Tip #1: For an evening affair, you can decorate the whole room with candles. I like to mix and match, using pillars, tapers, votives and even candelabras.  You decorate the whole room with them and it creates such a warm, intimate glow.

Tip #2 : I love to put gardenias in the bathrooms.  I float a few in a decorative bowl.  They have such a wonderful scent and it such is an unexpected treat.  I also always do really nice linens in the bathroom.

Tip #3: For smaller, more intimate gatherings, I greet my guests and then let the party flow naturally--making sure everyone has enough to eat and drink and someone to talk to. However, for any gathering larger than 10 people, I think it is very important to seat people so that no one has an awkward moment.  The best way to do this is with simple place cards, ideally ones that match your décor.

Tip #4: Another element I use at almost all of my parties is the “rose bowl.” (Pictured above.) The arrangement is easy to make, but creates an intricate, delicate look.  To make the “rose bowl” at home, you fill a low glass bowl with water and then float rose petals in it beginning on the outside edge and working your way towards the center.  When you are done, you will have what looks like a beautiful oversized rose!

Tomorrow, I’ll have more tips for you—mostly about food and how to entertain your guests. Do you have any tips for how to throw a fabulous New Year’s eve party? Let me know in the comments.

Season’s Greetings To All

Just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I won't be blogging tomorrow since it's a holiday, but I'll be back next week.

I hope you and your loved ones have a safe and happy holiday.

XOXO,
Preston

Holiday DIY: Pie of Roses

Yesterday we talked about some great ways you can decorate your home last minute. However, if you have some extra time on your hands and want to make something special I have a beautiful DIY for you to try. It’s blissfully simple, but something you’ll have to make the day of or the day before you plan to use it since flowers are so fragile. This makes a great statement piece on your holiday table.

Materials:

• Ceramic pie plate
• Roses
• Ribbon
• Oasis floral foam
  
• Flower shears

Directions:
1) Prepare oasis floral foam to fit snugly into the pie plate. Make sure the top of the foam is flush with the edge of the plate.

2) Cut stems of roses so that you have just enough to stick into the foam. I’m approximating 2 inches, but it could vary depending on the depth of your pie plate. Place roses artfully all around the foam to fill the pie plate.

3) Take your ribbon and form a lattice-work pattern over your flowers. Cut the ribbon into strips and lay them horizontally across the roses, then lay the other ribbon strips vertically across those.

4) Place on your table and wait for the Oohs and Aahs.

Last Minute Christmas Décor Tips

It’s almost the big day! Here are some last minute ideas for your Christmas decorating:

Tip #1: I always suggest having at least one dramatic statement. I think a great one for Christmas would be to get a small Christmas tree and put it right in the center of your dining table (similar to what we did in the picture above). And instead of covering it with ornaments I would use white orchids to decorate it.

Tip #2: Christmas lights are always fun to work with. I like using all white ones and using them in a non-traditional way. For example they could be your window or wall décor. You could string them up and down a window in very straight lines to make sure it doesn’t look messy

Tip #3: Around the holidays smells always bring us back to childhood. I like to mix cinnamon sticks, cloves, all spice, and nutmeg all together and put into a pot of boiling water so when my guests arrive the first thing that hits them is that comforting smell.

Tip #4: I love Christmas wreaths but not to hang on my door. They are great as the base of a vase or a large hurricane votive holder.

Do you have any tips to share? Let me know in the comments.

Holiday Inspiration Photo: Paper Christmas Decorations

It’s the week of Christmas. You’ve wrapped all the presents and now you have all this extra gift wrapping paper left. What to do? How about incorporating some of that paper into décor for your house? You’ll be surprised at how versatile gift wrapping paper can be (unless, of course, you chose that Sponge Bob as Santa gift wrapping paper—that may be more limited). A few pictures to inspire you:

Here, I used gift wrapping paper as a table runner. I also used the same paper to decorate plain votive candle holders. More on that below.

I wrapped pine tree patterned wrapping paper around votive candle holders and placed them on cake stands to form a faux-Christmas tree.

Another take on the paper as decoration for votive holders, but this time I cut the paper out for the holder to sit in.

Tomorrow, I’ll have some more last minute décor ideas for Christmas (in case you’re still trying to figure out how to make your home look extra special for the holidays).

Looking Back: Frames

One of my first clients was Christie's in New York City in 1983. I was fascinated to see old master paintings in these wonderful, traditional frames. Since then, this interest has evolved and become a part of my design aesthetic. The idea of frames, and using them in non-traditional or surprising ways, has become a signature design concept for me.

You may notice I’ve used the same frame in a few pictures in this post. I went to an antique shop one day and found these beautiful baroque frames just sitting there. They became a part of my collection, and have served as a background for many takes on the framing concept.  The frames are about 5ft by 6ft high.

How can you use frames in your own designs? Here are a few tips:

Tip #1: Find the right frame.  Depending on your design, you may want to use large, ornate frames or small, minimal frames. Don’t be afraid to mix and match. Look for circular and oval shaped frames in addition to the traditional rectangular and square shapes.

Tip #2: Don’t be afraid of 3-D. Take unusual objects and frame them. We’ve framed everything from flower arrangements to candles. You can take dolls and frame them in a child’s room or you can take fresh herbs and frame them in your kitchen. Look around at what you have and you’ll probably find  many things you can stick in a frame!

Tip #3: As with so many of the other design tips I’ve given—pick a theme. This technique can  produce a very eclectic look. What you don’t want to happen is to have it look messy or confusing. Choose one color or one type of object to frame to give it a consistent and purposeful look.

Do you have any tips on what to do with frames? If you have any great pictures where you’ve framed something unique, feel  free to share those too.

Preston’s Gift Guide Part 2: A Little Something For Yourself

The holidays are stressful. In thinking about what to get for others, sometimes you lose sight of taking care of someone who could really use extra attention right now: yourself. (And besides, in order to give you have to receive, right?)

Here are some presents you can get for yourself to indulge in a little luxury...

• The Gift of Time: Pre-book a monthly luxurious appointment to last you throughout all of 2010. Book your favorite manicurist or some time at your favorite spa.
• Candles: I know this may seem obvious, but you’ll be amazed at how relaxed you begin to feel when you turn off all the lights and light candles around you. Not only do you get the benefit of some aromatherapy, but you also get a chance to escape from the world and take a minute to yourself. I’d suggest candles from Molton Brown or Rigaud in Gardenia scent  
• The Gift of Education: Isn’t there something you’ve always wanted to learn how to do? Maybe it’s how to cook amazing French food or how to speak Spanish. Book a class or two for yourself and find out how much there is out there to learn. 
• The Gift of Charity: I know we’re talking about something for yourself, but this is actually a very indulgent present because it’s amazing how good giving can feel. Take time out to donate to a charity or volunteer your time. You’ll be making a difference in the world and helping those who really need it. 

Photo by: Molton Brown

Preston’s Gift Guide: For Those Special Women In Your Life

I don’t have to remind you that Christmas is next week, so I thought instead I’d give some gift recommendations for those important women in your life—namely your mom or wife/wife-to-be (ladies, feel free to email this post to your significant other if they need a hint). I know that sometimes it’s hard to find just the right thing...and for those reading, if you have some gift ideas for a mom or wife/ wife-to-be let us know your recommendations in the comments.

For Your Mom

• Weekend Getaway: Most moms will only ask for one thing—more time to spend with you. Give her what she wants by booking a weekend getaway for just you and her. It doesn’t have to be anywhere exotic—it can be a hotel in your town or the next town over.
• Wine Delivery: Show mom how much you appreciate her good taste with a gift of wine. The New York Times wine club offers a chance for mom to receive a bottle once a month. The bottles also come with notes on recommended recipe pairings.
• A Night on the Town: Make mom feel special by booking reservations at her favorite restaurant and taking her out for a night on the town. If you’re feeling extra generous, spring for theatre tickets or a movie to make the night last longer. Or, you can set up this evening for your parents to spend together.

For Your Wife/Wife-to-be

• Monthly Delivery of Flowers: Don’t let the romance stop. Stop by your local florist and arrange it so that your lady love will receive an arrangement once a month for an entire year. You’ll never hear the phrase, “I can’t remember the last time you got me flowers” ever again.
• A Massage (or other favorite spa treatment at her favorite salon): Nothing says “special” like giving your wife some time to pamper herself. If you’d like to join her in the treat, book a couple’s massage. It will give you two a chance to spend some quality time together.
• The Nook: She always talks about wanting to find some time to sit back and read a good book. Give her the opportunity to read multiple books, without having to worry about shelf space or how heavy that hardcover is.  I know it’s currently sold out, but if you pre-order one now, you can choose to receive a Nook Holiday Certificate  to let her know it’s on the way. Bonus item: You can also buy her one of these amazing designer Nook covers--especially great for those women who love accessories.

Happy Coincidence

Me on the plane, waiting to depart

Something really funny just happened to me that I wanted to share with you before the plane takes off. Last weekend, Marcy Blum and I worked together on a wedding for a local couple in the city. It turned out spectacularly, which made me happy, because the couple was such a joy to work with.

Anyway, I'm sitting on the plane right now, on my way to that international job I was talking about yesterday, and as I walk into first class and settle down, who do I run into but the couple whose wedding I designed just this past weekend! They are on their way to their honeymoon, and we just both happened to be on the same flight. How funny is that?

Here's a picture of the outside of my first class cabin.

It was great to run into them and see how happy they are on their way to their honeymoon. It'll keep me motivated as I prepare for my next job. A designer's work is never done...

International Work & Play

December is one of my busiest months! I'm leaving today for an international job I have been eagerly anticipating. That’s why I like to make a big deal out of Thanksgiving and hand out presents early because I'm always away working for Christmas. (Though, don't get me wrong. One of the things I'm most thankful for this year is that my company keeps growing.)

Key people from my staff are coming along with me (actually, they’ve already left for the job), but I’m also hiring a crew of folks locally. The pictures you see throughout this post are from a previous event we did internationally. You can see the army of people it takes, in the picture above, to set up the spaces.

I love working at home in New York City, but I also appreciate working internationally because it gives me an opportunity to meet other cultures and find out about their customs and traditions.

My favorite thing to do is to design so it's very exciting for me to see the job being born. It normally takes six months to a year to plan out one of these international extravaganzas. Throughout all those months I'm orchestrating all aspects of the event, but traveling to the job site and evaluating the production crew allows me to see my imagination come to life. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.

Of course, it’s going to be hard working straight up to the holidays, but the great news is that immediately after this job is over, I'm going on vacation to one of my favorite places in the world--Maldives. Don’t worry, though, you’ll hear more from me throughout this month.

This week, we’ll be talking about some possible presents you can buy for your loved ones and a new way to use gift wrapping paper as décor. Happy travels (whether you’re just driving down the street or flying across the world).

Looking Back: One Design, Three Different Celebrations

Through the years, I’ve had the lucky opportunity to work with certain clients not just once, but sometimes twice, three times or more. Maybe it follows the progression of their lives—wedding, christening, anniversary--or maybe it’s a special annual event. One extraordinary client has hired me to design her holiday party year after year. We covered some of the previous designs for her parties in this post about choosing your color story.

Notice the progression of the design; the pictures in today’s post are from the first year we designed for her. This was also one of the first years we used printed images to look like projections to enhance the walls of the event.

 One unique aspect of these events is that they are thrown in a backyard in a brownstone on the Upper east side. All you New Yorkers will understand why this is so unusal—most folks don’t have backyards in Manhattan! In NYC, most hostesses have many social obligations and this hostess created a clever way of entertaining disparate groups--business, family, friends—in one location.

 As we said before, the importance of a classic, timeless design came in to play here. We were fortunate to have a backyard where she could keep the decorated tent up for three days. This way she covered all her social obligations in one space that fit up to 50 people.

Here are some tips for throwing your own multi-purpose celebration:
Tip #1: Pick a space where you can keep the decorations up over a span of 1-3 days. If, for example, you’re planning on hosting a lunch with your girlfriends on a Thursday, dinner with your family on Friday and a cocktail party with your co-workers on Saturday, pick a space large enough and versatile enough to be kept decorated throughout that entire weekend. It can be your backyard, a spare dining room, or even somewhere surprising like a garage or pool house (depending on how clever you are in decorating the surroundings).

Tip #2: Choose a color scheme or theme that is versatile enough to suit all different groups. With this event, we used a screenprint of winter trees to serve as a classic backdrop for the parties. The subsequent years, we chose a monochromatic scheme in classic Christmas colors.

Tip #3: Don’t be afraid to re-use the same decorations each year in a different way. This is a great way to be cost-effective, but still achieve your dramatic statement. For example, if one year your color theme was all red and you purchased red ribbons to decorate your napkins, save them to use for next year in, say, a candy-cane colored theme.

Do you have any tips for using one space in different ways? Let me know in the comments.

Behind The Scenes: The Flora

In almost every interview, speech or talk I give I always get the same question: Can you tell us about your design process? How does an event go from a dream to reality?  Well, here’s one answer to the question: It ain’t easy. Okay, to be more serious, there’s a lot of thought, discussion and many many hours put in with my amazing team—a combo of designers, production people and countless others. So today, instead of talking about the final result of the event, let’s take a peek behind the curtain and see one aspect of what’s going on behind the scenes.

This week, we’ve been hard at work for a wedding taking place on Saturday. We're working with the most delicious bride and the wonderful part about her is that she was very open to surprise and inspiration during the design process, even though she already had a very specific direction she wanted for her wedding. It’s been a great experience working with her.

For a wedding, we have to bring in an army of freelancers. New York city is known for its diversity and that shows through in the talent we hire. Some are actors, writers or musicians, but one thing they have in common is that they are all artists. All you folks in the event industry understand the work needed to get a super production together. We have been working on this wedding all month. However, the flowers are perishable, so there’s a more delicate timeline associated with these beauties.

Usually, the flowers arrive in our studio 10 days before the event. We then have to treat them delicately like a growing child or precious stone. Every day, we clean and water them to ensure the bulbs open slowly. The actual process of creating the arrangements, archway decorations and any other number of sculptural or artistic form you see usually only happens one to two days prior to the event. We keep all the flowers chilled and in water to ensure freshness and beauty on their big day.

Re-cap of the Book Discussion with Nina Garcia at Barnes & Noble

Before I give you a re-cap of last night’s event, I just have to say thank you to everyone who came out to Barnes & Noble. It was an extraordinary evening, and even though I’ve given hundreds of talks, I still get a little nervous before each event. It helped that I had such a wonderful interviewer and companion on stage, Nina Garcia. Once I’m surrounded by the excitement and energy of the others around me (Nina, the guests, my wonderful family who also came last night) I’m ready to get out there and give my all.

After answering a series of insightful questions by Nina, mostly covering how I got started in the business, what my design process is and where I draw inspiration from, we played a game called the “Or Game.” It was a series of questions—Lilies or orchids? Uptown or Downtown? Prada or Gucci?---designed to help the audience get to know me better. Can anyone guess what my answers were to some of these questions? I’ll give you one hint—I didn’t answer lilies.

Biyan, one of the best designers in Indonesia, even came out to the event. (Check out our accidentally matching Prada shoes!)

Then we took questions from the audience, and I want to share some of the answers here with you. One lovely woman mentioned that she’s been designing a lot of corporate events but wanted to get more into designing weddings and social events. She asked for some guidance on how to break in.

 My advice? Just start doing it. Start off by designing weddings for your friends and family. Learn from each experience and build your knowledge base from there. Wherever you go, keep your ears and eyes out for people looking for help planning or designing their wedding. Offer your services, and before you know it, it you’ll build up a list of clientele and a portfolio of some amazing events.

I really believe in the power of doing and knowing that the only way to get started is to get out there, create, and be comfortable with making mistakes. I’ve made mistakes, we all do, and the most important thing to do is just to turn each mistake into a learning lesson, fix what you did wrong, and make yourself better with each new job.

Another person also asked about decorating for the holidays and where to start. Like I’ve mentioned before, it’s important to pick one color for your event to keep a unified look and feel. Last night, I also advised on picking a theme for your event to help give it some focus. For example, one year we used a nutcracker theme for a client’s holiday party. It was a charming take on the traditional holiday decoration and it left everyone with a new sense of fun for Christmas. And, like Nina says about any good wardrobe, having a theme makes your event “edited”--meaning that there’s a focus and specificity that helps your event’s design stand out from the rest.

Thanks again for coming out to Barnes & Noble—hopefully I’ll get to see you all again at my next talk.

Celebrations Contest: Enter for a Chance to Win

I'm so excited to share this news with you. Today, we're launching a contest for my new book Celebrations. Basically, I want you to share a story about your favorite celebration with me through either Facebook, Twitter or right here on this blog entry (in the comments below).

The official description with all the details of the contest is below. Two winners are going to receive the complete collection of my books, wrapped in my signature style. Tell me your stories and enter today. If you're going to be in New York City, don't forget to check out my book discussion tonight with Nina Garcia. Feel free to bring your cameras--you know how much I love to take pictures. We'll be at the Barnes & Noble on 86th and Lexington at 7pm!

CELEBRATIONS CONTEST DESCRIPTION

Tell Us All About Your Favorite Celebration For A Chance To Win!

Preston Bailey’s newest book, Celebrations, showcases some of Preston’s favorite celebrations over the course of his 30-year career. Barnes and Noble stores in New York City will be celebrating the launch of Preston’s new book by decorating several different store windows in Preston Bailey’s signature style.

You can check out the windows in the Barnes and Noble Union Square (33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003) and Fifth Avenue (555 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017) locations.  Preston will also be conducting a book signing today, December 8th, hosted by Nina Garcia, at the Upper East Side Barnes & Noble (150 East 86th Street, New York, NY 10028).  Come out and get your book signed!

Now, we want to hear from you about your favorite celebration, and what made it so special. Was it your 21st birthday when a stranger popped out of your birthday cake? Or, maybe it was the time you turned 40 and were serenaded with your favorite song? Perhaps it was the time you celebrated your one-year wedding anniversary by staying inside and eating take-out with your lovely spouse....

Tell us all about your favorite celebration, and you will be eligible to win the entire collection of Preston Bailey’s books (Celebrations, Inspirations, Fantasy Weddings and Design for Entertaining), signed and wrapped in Preston's signature style.  The approximate retail value of this prize is Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250).  We will be responsible for sending the prize to you by a shipping (or other delivery) method determined by us in our sole discretion.


To Enter The Contest:  In order to enter this contest, you will need to write a description of your favorite celebration, telling us what the celebration was and what made it so special to you (your “Entry”).  Your Entry must be in English, and must consist of not more than five hundred (500) words.  Then, you will need to submit your Entry to us in one of the following three different ways:

(1)    Through Twitter:  You may submit your Entry to us through your Twitter account. When you post your tweet with your Entry, you must address your tweet to @prestonrbailey and include the hashtag #PBContest. Your Entry must clearly and prominently be captioned with the words “Celebrations Contest Entry”.  Your Entry should include your first name.

(2)    Through Our Blog:  You may submit your Entry to us through our blog, located at http://prestonbailey.blogspot.com (the “Preston Bailey Blog”).  When submitting your Entry through the Preston Bailey Blog, you may do so by either: 

a.    posting your Entry directly onto the Preston Bailey Blog, in the comments section corresponding to, and located below, this Celebrations Contest Description. Your Entry as posted on the Preston Bailey Blog must clearly and prominently be captioned with the words “Celebrations Contest Entry”.  Your Entry should include your first name;

or

b.    posting your Entry on your own personal blog, then leaving a comment on the Preston Bailey Blog, in the comments section corresponding to, and located below, this Celebrations Contest Description, with a link back to your Entry as posted on your own personal blog.  Your comment on the Preston Bailey Blog must clearly and prominently be captioned with the words “Celebrations Contest Entry”.  Your Entry should include your first name.  All links, and URLs contained therein, must be fully accurate, unbroken, and must lead directly to the specific, correct page on which the Entry actually is posted, and the Entry must be posted in full on such page. 

(3)    On Our Facebook Page:  You may submit your Entry to us through our Facebook page.  In order to submit your Entry through our Facebook page, you must be an existing fan of Preston Bailey on Facebook, and you must post your Entry directly on the wall of our Facebook page.  The Entry that you post on the wall of our Facebook page must clearly and prominently be captioned with the words “Celebrations Contest Entry”.  Your Entry should include your first name.

IMPORTANT:  Your Entry must be a truthful and fully accurate story and account.


IMPORTANT:  Other than your own name, your Entry may not contain personal information of any person, including yourself or any other person.  For example, you may not include in your Entry any name, street address, telephone number, date of birth or email address, or any other personal information, for yourself or any other person.  Further, your Entry may not contain any private information of, or about, any other person. 


Please see the Official Rules for this contest for more terms, conditions and requirements regarding Entries.


Contest Dates:  This contest will begin at 12:01AM Eastern Standard Time on December 8, 2009 and will end at 12:01AM Eastern Standard Time on February 1, 2010. 

Winner Selection:  All eligible and properly submitted Entries will be judged, based on the criteria described in the Official Rules, by judges selected by Sponsor (as defined in the Official Rules) in its sole discretion.  Two (2) winners will be chosen by the judges from among all eligible Entries, on or about February 12, 2010. 

At our sole discretion, Winners’ names (first and/or last) may be announced in a posting on our website, at http://www.prestonbailey.com, and/or on the Preston Bailey blog at http://prestonbailey.blogspot.com.  At our sole discretion, Winners’ names (first and/or last) also may be posted or published on Preston Bailey’s Twitter page, in Preston Bailey’s Twitter postings and/or in other Preston Bailey-related Twitter communications, and/or on any Preston Bailey-related Facebook page(s). 


Official Rules:  Please see the Official Rules for this contest for further details and requirements.  The Official Rules can be found on our website at http://www.prestonbailey.com/official-rules-for-the-celebrations-contest/.  By entering this contest, you agree to be bound by all of the terms and conditions set forth in the Official Rules and in this Celebrations Contest Description.

© 2009.  All rights reserved.  All trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.

A Discussion on Transformations

Tomorrow is the book discussion with the gorgeous Nina Garcia I was telling you about last week! One of the things we’ll be talking about is transformations and how I turn a “before” into an “after.” One of my favorite transformations was created with my partners in Jakarta—Karen Kwek and Tania Tjiptobiantoro. They’re visiting New York this week, so they’ll be at the book discussion tomorrow.  One of my favorite dress designers, Biyan, will be there too. So glad they’ll get to attend the event.

Now, onto a different transformation. Below, you’ll see a standard room in the St. Regis hotel in New York City.

The client wanted us to turn this room into a sleek, elegant, black & white themed room for an after-party. Here is the after picture.

How did we create this transformation? Well, I don’t want to give away all my secrets, but I’ll share one here.  To change the floor we glued black and white plastic tiles together to form something similar to a dance floor and then temporarily installed that floor over the carpet of the room.

The wonderful thing about transformations is that they don’t have to apply only to your events. You can transform spaces in your home too. If you want to hear more about how to do that (and more of my secrets)...you'll need to come to my book discussion tomorrow at the Barnes and Noble on 86th Street and Lexington. (You didn’t think it would be that easy to find out my secrets, did you?)

Looking Back: The Importance of Classic Design

I’ve been in this business for 30 years and I spend so much time looking forward (planning for the next project, keeping track of the newest technology in event design) that I rarely get a chance to look back and evaluate the past projects I’ve accomplished. There’s a lot one can learn from the past (and I get such joy from reminiscing), so I thought it might be nice to do a weekly series where we discuss past events and lessons learned or tips that came from working on them.

This week, I wanted to begin with a discussion about classic design. There are so many things clients have to worry about when planning their event, and one of those things is trends. What’s the popular color for this year? Is this flower “in” or “out”? Well, I’m here to tell you—it’s less important to worry about trends and more important just to focus on good design. I know it sounds simplistic, but if your design is strong, it will have a timeless quality that you can’t reproduce with kitschy of-the-moment trends.

In most of the events I design, especially weddings, I always focus on giving my clients a timeless experience. That way, they can look back 15 or 20 years and still experience the same feeling of amazement and charm as they did on that day. The pictures you see throughout this post are of events that happened 10, sometimes 15 years ago. Would you have been able to tell if I hadn’t told you?

Here are three tips to help you achieve that classic look:

#1: In creating the bridal bouquet, I tend to go with all white flowers to match the dress. If you use colored flowers, the bouquet tends to compete with the dress and people focus more on the flowers than the bride. Using all white will also keep that bouquet looking fresh in pictures—even 20 years later.

#2: Tuxedo trends come and go. I always suggest my grooms go with the most classic style available. If you’re not sure what I mean by classic, think Cary Grant.

#3 Same goes for the bride’s wedding gown. I always advise my brides to pick a classically styled dress. Not only will it add even more elegance to the event, but it will prevent her from looking back and saying, "What was I thinking?"

Do you have any tips you’d like to share on how to achieve that classic look? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

Barnes & Noble Window Display

We put up the window display today for my new book Celebrations at the Barnes and Noble on Fifth avenue. Similar to the display at Rizzoli, the theme of the window was to bring the book cover to life by using various types of silk flowers and fabric rosettes. This window, however, is a bit larger than the one in Rizzoli, so we were also able to install some tall sculpted vases similar to what I used at my Thanksgiving celebration, but incorporating floral elements instead of fruit.

This picture is just a small teaser of the window. If you want to see the whole thing, you’ll have to go check it out for yourself (if you live in NYC or are visiting). It’s located at the Barnes and Noble at 555 Fifth Avenue on the corner of 46th street and fifth avenue. And tomorrow, the window display at the Barnes and Noble in Union Square (33 East 17th Street) is going up too. I feel so lucky to have these window displays going up at a time when there are so many amazing holiday displays. As always, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue have windows that will put you in awe, and the tree at Rockefeller Center was lit just last night!

Special Event: Christening for David Daniel Otunga Jr.

Last Saturday, I had the privilege and honor to design the christening celebration for Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga’s baby, David Daniel Otunga Jr. It was a wonderfully intimate occasion filled with family and friends. Since this was an occasion to celebrate the baby, we focused on using design elements that celebrated youth and childlike fantasy. The main color theme was baby blue and it was inspired by the baby's room which was decorated by Jennifer's sister.

The table centerpieces were a whimsical collection of stuffed animals—teddy bears, tigers, dogs, elephants, lions--and hydrangeas with different animal combinations across all the tables.

The invitations carried the stuffed animal theme through, featuring a teddy bear and the same light blue color.

The cake was an elegantly simple blue cake with white polka dots. The baby’s monogram served as the cake topper, so that everyone knew who was really the star of the show.

Overall, I was happy with achieving my number one goal: celebrating and cherishing the newest addition to the Hudson/Otunga family. Congratulations again Jennifer and David!

Photos by: Allen Cooley

Choosing Your Color Story For The Holidays

There’s more to life than red or green—especially when it comes to holiday decorating. I was thinking today of past holiday celebrations I’ve designed and while we have used some of the traditional red and green colors we’ve also used some surprising colors that are non-traditional but feel and look classic all on their own.

It’s amazing what a little color can do to transform a space. Below are two pictures from the same space from different years:

As you plan your own holiday celebration, why not try and pick one color and stick with it throughout the whole event? It can be your favorite color, your partner’s favorite color, or even a color picked by one of your kids (just be ready to end up with a neon blue holiday party)! Carry it throughout all the accessories—for example, royal purple tablecloths, napkins, cutlery and centerpieces. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, you can even use that color for all your gift wrapping paper, gift tags and bows. 

You might be surprised at how dramatic a table can look like when you combine different shades of just one color. If you’re color shy, you could try using metallic colors like silver or gold to dress up your event.

Mostly, I think it’s important to be adventurous with what colors you choose and don’t be afraid to break tradition to get the look you want. Besides, how else would new traditions ever begin?

Here’s a couple more close-ups of centerpieces from the green color story for you to be inspired by: