I am always cautious, and yes, resentful, of folks who enjoy putting down their client’s taste. Guess what? You are designing for them not yourself. When a client comes to use my services (and most likely she is going to make a HUGE investment), she is allowed to have all the “bad” taste that she wants. My job is to get her information and create something beautiful she can relate to.
If a client wanted an event made entirely out of paper (as they did here), we would make it happen.
I never said I was the master of “good” taste. What I constantly strive for is to be an artist that gives great service and part of that service is to be able to translate my client’s vision into reality.
This same point of view applies to those in our industry who are constantly putting down their competitor’s work. For instance, I have heard more than once that my work is too over the top or borderline vulgar. You can probably imagine what I would say to those folks…
These chair covers are made of paper too.
My intention, as always, is to bring the beauty and generosity of nature indoors. My philosophy is that the universe is incredibly generous and there are more than enough clients and work for everyone. Besides, even if you think your competitors have bad taste WHO CARES as long as they have clients.
What do you think? I’d love to know.
PREVIOUS
George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
Tatiana
March 2, 2010
“My philosophy is that the universe is incredibly generous and there are more than enough clients and work for everyone. ”
I agree wholeheartedly! As an artist and floral designer, I learned that lesson early on in my art training and floral studio apprenticeships.
Renee Ferguson
March 2, 2010
I completely agree.. It’s not important what your taste vs your clients is. Your objective is to give them the best of your work, to compliment there event. I am a wedding coordinator and the only time I give advice is when it’s asked or will be more efficient for my client!
Christine
March 2, 2010
applause, applause.
No matter what else it is or isn’t…it is THEIR event, not the vendors.
Kattia
March 2, 2010
I love this post, making the client happy makes me happy and what conceptionally can be considered “bad taste” in fruition it can be a beautiful piece of art. No matter what the customer’s vision must be executed. Kudos
Michelle VandenBosch
March 2, 2010
I agree completely. I am a floral designer. I am not the style police. Variety in our world is what makes this such an interesting and creatively inspiring place to live. My job is to listen to my client and create an event that THEY are happy with. We have free will to turn down an event but stiving to design something incredible when you don’t love the look will make you grow. If you do not deliver what your client requests, you shouldn’t be paid for it.
Beth Hohensee
March 2, 2010
Absolutely! If a client wants turquoise bunnies with orange taffeta bows they will have the most fabulous ones I can provide! There is enough business for everyone. I believe “the pie” is unlimited, and when we come together, each of us with our talent and resources, the pie expands and we all get a nice, big piece!
Kelly
March 2, 2010
Just like my mama used to say…Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If we all had the same style and tastes this world would be a very boring place. My job as an interior decorator and wedding planner is to bring my client’s vision to life and to guide them with my design knowledge, not hit them over the head with it.
J McFadden
March 2, 2010
Thank you Mr. Bailey, I couldn’t agree with you more.
Chris Campbell
March 2, 2010
I am an Interior Designer, and things like that happens to me all the time. But you know what? If you have passion for your job, it’s a piece of cake to make your client happy! Sometimes I give my opinion, because I don’t want my clients to make mistakes!
Who cares for people opinion???? If you have personality and love your client, just do it!!! And you are PHENOMENAL!!!
I am from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and my clients loves my EUROPEAN STYLE!!!! I am very traditional, but I can do ANYTHING! When I have a project I have papers and pen in my bed!, because I have great ideas in BED! KKKKKKK/
I LOVE YOU!
Chris Campbell
Chris Campbell
March 2, 2010
People are jealousy when they say you are OVER THE TOP!!! Renoir was over the top, Beethoven was over the Top, Salvador Dali was over the top,Toulouse-Lautrec,Matisse,want more? Donald trump is over the top, so is Ivanka….They can be… Whatever….. You are THE BEST OVER THE TOP EVER!!!!
Kisses….GENIUS!!!!
Chris Campbell
Sonia
March 2, 2010
Mr. Bailey if you are “over the top”, then I am in love with “over the top”. I am so glad that you can relax and enjoy your clients, whatever their taste. In my opinion, you are the world’s number one event and floral designer and you’re not even trying to be. Thank you sir for these much needed discussions!
Sharon Auld
March 2, 2010
I agree completely with your post. When faced with people who bad mouth their clients’ style or taste, a phrase I tend to use is “anything can work in the right setting”, but the truth is that it isn’t about the setting. It is about who they are and what is appealing to them…that should be enough. I completely agree that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and our job as designers is as you have said, to translate the clients’ vision into reality. Not to mention respecting our differences as people. Thank you for the post.
Kindle@RedesignDiva
March 2, 2010
Awesome topic!
Ditto what Chris Campbell said…plus I know what you would say to those who say you are over the top..i saw the video and loved it! Inspired me for weeks..:)
Much love to you sir!
Andrew Parravano
March 3, 2010
Diversity is the spice of life. Whether over the top, bad taste or subtle hues…we all have something to add to this life and “we’ all need to appriciate what is given. Our job is to provide joy not judgement.
Eve
March 3, 2010
This is an interesting issue. As many people as there are in the world, just as many variety of tastes exist. Yes the client deserves his/her vision to be materialized. However, I would have to say that it is partly the job of the designer to steer the decor into the ‘right’ direction. i do not mean replace it with something completely different, but rather elaborate on the vision, and make whatever colour combination and wild decor ideas as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
A wedding professional needs to be adaptable and have the ability to interchange fluently between variety of styles, tastes, colours, eras, textures… A great wedding designer should be able to ‘see’ and ‘guide’ the design process so that the final product is the combination of the bride’s vision and the designer’s knowledge/talent/expertise. The bride may have the vision, but she may not have been exposed to other potentially suitable ideas that can compliment and enhance her vision. And of course there is a very gentle way of steering the processes- there is no need to be judgmental, rude and condescending.
Do not forget that there will be guests at the event who will judge your work. The guests will know who was the event designer/floral creator and they will hold you or your brand responsible for the outcome. Creating something wacky and edgy whilst exercising your creative muscle is a great challenge, but there is a huge difference between that and totally chaotic and tasteless requests which need to be considered very carefully when signing up a client.
susanna
March 3, 2010
trovo i tuoi lavori stupendi è molto ispiranti
Barbara Ramoutar
March 3, 2010
I do come across such clients, and give my best advice and ideas ,with her’s , allowing the client to get the control.
working along her ,with what was her idea with some of mine to give the best show, of whatever is the event,, subtlly
I ouite agree with you Preston about ,others in my field ,and all of what you said ,,, who’s the leading the rest, to follow. who , and other Event Planners , who feels we Designers and decorators ,are to do our job and LEAVE she says,, thTHE EVENT IS IN THEIR HANDS.they run the show.
Had to remind her of what you said ,we have to be there ,, I mostly awlays do,, yes in event something goes wrong,
Also that a designer/decorator should never never plan an event, until we do the course. But untill a few years here in the third world countries we were.And still do,
Tracey Kumer-Moore
March 3, 2010
I do tend to agree with most of what EVE says for example: “A great wedding designer should be able to ’see’ and ‘guide’ the design process so that the final product is the combination of the bride’s vision and the designer’s knowledge/talent/expertise.”
This could not be illustrated any better than with the images you used here in this post. By the way, I think the paper chair covers are fun and fantastic!
I will admit that there have been times that certain “themes” that have been presented to me as a planner to help produce have been hard to get my head around. I always looked at it as, if I couldn’t get excited about the concept, I could not give my clients the entire scope of my passion for producing the event as they envisioned and that would not be fair to either of us. I have certainly NEVER been rude or condescending to them but I’ll be honest in saying I am sure that lack of excitement manifested itself physically. I didn’t get the client I didn’t want I suppose.
BUT, this post and the comments have got me thinking on both sides now and I really appreciate the ability to reconsider how I approach this the next time a potential client comes to me with an idea that may not be “my kind of event”. With a bit more digging into my imagination, it could be EXACTLY what I was looking for!
And Preston, this statement: “Even if you think your competitors have bad taste WHO CARES as long as they have clients”…PRICELESS!!!:)
Janel
March 3, 2010
Thank you for this post! You are so right. Now, I have to let you know, if you don’t mind, I may have to use a quote from this post for my new personal mission statement =)
Jean Neuhart
March 4, 2010
Hi Preston. Thanks for bringing up this topic. While our work is a reflection on us, ultimitely it is the clients’ wishes and desires that we have to create and bring to life. We can guide, steer, make suggestions — whatever — but it the end we have to make the client happy.
MELISSA
March 4, 2010
WHY DO WE ALWAYS WANT TO PUT OTHERS DOWN AND THINK OUR TASTE IS BETTER THAN ANY ONE ELSES!!!
I THINK IT COMES FROM NOT FEELING GOOD ABOUT ONESELF AND PROJECTING THAT OUT TO OTHERS….
IF WE FEEL TRULY SAFE WE CAN BE OK AND SEE THE BEAUTY IN EVERYTHING….
XXOO
MELISSA
Gayle O'Donnell
March 6, 2010
Your paper decor ideas aren’t just ANY paper ideas. Wanted to tell you, but couldn’t on the radio show, that your idea for my staff to do an all paper table top in a competition (just happened last Sunday) got us second place (only missed first by 2 votes!) in the People’s Choice awards and got rave responses. Tables don’t have to be expensive to be well done and you were right in your suggestion. Plus it was fun doing something “outside the box”.
Ali- Berber Events
March 8, 2010
the best ever true, artist, creative designer, event planner producer, etc, will be the first one to say that he is, in every single day, learning, perfecting and getting inspired and so forth. let alone a client who just embarked in a new journey of making an event. so clients & their vendors are do not know it all. i believe, Eve’s comment explained it well, the limitations & danger of the approach to simply materializing the vision of every client without any reservations or believing in having the responsibility to respectfully, disagree even reject the client’s vision.
Personally, i found it easier to, successfully, deal with this challenge by simply working with not clients but partners. it is wonderful the relationship you will have with your client when you make him understand that he is a partner in the project he brought you in, therefore both of you agreeing on putting your egos on the side and just do what is best for the event.
Vitra Imambaksh
May 23, 2010
The client is the boss.However with tact and diplomacy we can try to influence the thinking and subtly introduce some variations..Otherwise just do what the client wants and add lights and candles to take away from the “bad taste”..Lord this is so diificult especially for a decorator who is professional!!!
Navjot
October 11, 2010
I am reading your inspirations and each time I realize that Universe is no longer round and it is flat as it only take seconds to find about the different parts of the world online and through telecommunication channels so efficient. I have to thank you for making me realize that spirituality and nature combined together create mind blowing impact because the designs help you connect to the soul of your clients and guest.
Thanks again.
Anonymous
November 3, 2010
So True Mr.Preston! Thank you for such a “strong” response on “making the client happy” no matter what the “taste” of their project might be. I’ve been doing “decorating”(from your book, website) and your work is awesome!!! Again, thank you for your words of “wisdom”………..from Ms Sharon
SILVIAALEXANDRA
November 15, 2010
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY?
SILVIAALEXANDRA
November 15, 2010
Sr PRESTON LE ENVIE UNAS FOTOS ,NO SE SI LE GUSTO,COMPARTO CON UD LA PASION DE LAS FLORES
Ellen
September 19, 2011
The client is the boss. It is our job as floral designers to bring their vision to light.
I love your work. YOur open-mindedness and lack of ego help you transcend boundaries.
Heather Chesnet
January 18, 2012
agreed completely!