Q&A; : A Celebrated Florist’s Style
Clifford Miller of the Flower Shop has had a busy seven years as florist to the stars (his clients include Brandon and Lilly Tartikoff, Kirk Douglas and Johnny Carson) . From his Los Angeles studio , Miller talked about entertaining styles and floral trends.
Question: What is the process of doing floral arrangements for a large party or charity event?
Answer: It depends; sometimes the (planning) committee makes a decision before I’m brought in, and sometimes I’m brought in immediately. With the American Film Institute tribute to Gregory Peck, I actually sat in on the menu consultations. We discussed colors, down to what food was going to go with the flowers, and how that was going to interpret Gregory Peck.
Q: What flowers did you end up doing for that?
A: Because it was being filmed for TV, we had to keep in mind that certain flowers photograph better than others and the flowers had to be kept low on the table. We picked a sort of silvery gray tone, with sterling silver roses and deep lavender tulips, which showed up as white on TV. It had a nice sheen.
Q: Is there always so much to consider when doing an arrangement?
A: Yes, especially now that so many things are taped. I did a beach-themed party for the Beach Boys at the Beverly Hilton and did tall palm trees on the tables. The first thing the lighting people said when they got there was, “This can’t happen.” So we had to strike half of the palm trees and within four to five hours redo the tables.
Q: What kinds of materials do you prefer to work with?
A: I love natural materials and I’m glad to see in home decorating magazines that things are turning back to a traditional look. L.A.’s been stuck in this mold for a while of having to be bigger and flashier.
Q: When doing a centerpiece, are there rules that you follow?
A: To some extent. There’s nothing worse than not being able to see across the table. I either like something above eye level or something below. If I’m doing a flower tree I’ll do something at the base, then flowers at the top. I think you get enough when you look past the person you’re talking to to the rest of the room and can see the flowers on the other tables. And I don’t really use fragrant flowers unless it’s requested.
