Flowers by Design [Hardcover]

Jeff Leatham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2004

Flowers by Design reflects the skills that have made Jeff Leatham famous in creative circles in New York, London and Paris.His flower designs are bold, utilizing the color and shape of both flower and stem. Sometimes he uses a large number of the same flower for dramatic effect. The simple, lush, colorful layout of the book displays Jeff's work in the homes of creative designers where he dramatically transforms the atmosphere and ambience of space with flowers. He has designed flowers for Givenchy, Gwyneth Paltrow, George Clooney, Diana Krall, Robie Williams, Kate Moss and Cher. It's no surprise that Jeff has appeared on Martha Stewart's television show and in People magazine, The New York Times, Elle Décor, Newsweek, W and Spa to name just a few. Flowers by Design is the first book to bring Jeff's unique vision to the home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Flowers are the new element of interior design," Leatham declares in this enthusiastic, self-congratulatory decorating book. A former fashion model turned floral designer, Leatham does the flowers for the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, as well as for a star-studded roster of clients that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Emanuel Ungaro and Kate Moss. His novel techniques include displaying flowers out of water, bending long stems inside clear glass vases for dramatic effect and "drowning" blossoms in water so that their shapes and patterns are magnified. One of his favorite tricks is to take a tall vase and balance a clump of flowers near its opening so that the bunch appears ready to tip out of the container. His emphasis on "sculptural shapes" and "bold statements" will inspire readers to rethink the way they display flowers in their own homes, but most of his designs are not meant to last more than four or five hours, making them rather impractical for the average novice decorator.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Jeff Leatham began working with flowers after three years of modeling. He is now Floral Director at the Four Seasons in Paris. His ideas are contemporary and original and always integral to the setting. Originally from Utah and Los Angeles, Jeff now splits his time between New York, London, Paris and Beverly Hills.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Collins Design (April 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060592753
• ISBN-13: 978-0060592752
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Variations on a theme, July 10, 2005

By 

Meander "Professional Floral Designer" (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flowers by Design (Hardcover)

As a professional floral designer I was very disappointed in this book. About half of the arrangements are this:

select a bundle of flowers - probably of all one type

arrange them so all of their heads are at the same height

tie the bundle together or simply cluster it so it stays together

stick it in a vase so the stems don't touch bottom and the thing leans at an angle at the top of the vase

or.....lay it across the top of the vase out of water.

or.....do exactly the same as above only slant the bouquet in the vase at an angle and allow it to touch the bottom.


Over 45 photos illustrate that single technique. The designs are mostly made of callas and roses. The repetition is pretty annoying as a person usually buys this sort of book to learn new techniques not to just see the same old one repeated again and again.

Oh, I forgot - and for some real excitement make a bouquet exactly as above then stick it in a clear glass vase standing straight up.

There's a lot of single flowers alone in a vase and a lot of flowers beheaded and set to float in clear glass vases. There are a few flowers shoved upside-down into clear vases and a few settings highlighting flowers out of water but there's really nothing terribly original. The arrangements were all pretty and all photographed in marvelous settings but unfortunately I learned nothing new from the book.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Flick through and Forget flower book, April 28, 2005

By 

That Girl "Australia" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flowers by Design (Hardcover)

Being inspired by Jane Packer and Paula Pryke floral decorator books for years I think I have been spoilt and this book by Jeff Leatham, while being beautiful, is not really a flower arrangers book. In actual fact, the flowers play very little part in the actual photography. At times the "eye catching creations" (the reviewers comments) could not even be found. Nothing "genius" in this book except pretty interiors with flowers on the mantle -sorry Jeff, I will stick with the girls.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Floral Design for Spacious and Gracious Living, April 13, 2007

By 

Pottery Chick "The Potbellied Kiln" (Salt Lake City, UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flowers by Design (Hardcover)

I had the good fortune of working with Jeff personally, and I own this book. I love his idea of decorating the space as opposed to just decorating a vase, and putting it on a table. Most Floral designers just think too small!Jeff only uses the most beautiful flowers and displays them in a way, that they not only are most beautiful, but can be most appreciated. The flowers are not "shoved up-side down in a vase" they are placed carefully and willingly. Jeff has the upmost respect for flowers, more than most people who call themselves floral designers, that shove hundreds of flowers all together in a vase in a contrived matter and call it beautiful.

If you want to know what's really going on in floral design you better pay attention to this book and his other books. Jeff is admired by the most prestigious and forward, and successful floral designers and floral event companies in the world. As a Professional Floral Designer myself of over 25 years, I know sometimes we think we know everything about what we do. But, sometimes something new comes along and blows us out of the water, and this is what Jeff Leatham has done, in America and Europe! Hope to see you again sometime in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or Paris Jeff! Christina