Meet Helene Goode of East West Floral Arts - she's not your typical cookie cutter floral designer. Helene is a wonderful kind hearted woman with amazing abilities to create STUNNING floral designs. She listens to her clients' ideas, and transforms their thoughts into visual eye candy. To find out why Helene is one of our favorites check out her interview below and click on the images to see a sampling of her work.
CBL: What inspires you as a designer?
HELENE: I get inspiration in all kinds of ways: sometimes it’s a color combination I saw in a pillow, sometimes it’s a thing I want to feature, like crystals, sometimes it’s a look (e.g. modern and contemporary with metal), sometimes I simply get a fully formed image in my mind out of nowhere, and of course I’m always scanning design books and magazines and seeing the latest trends in color and style in home decor stores. One place that gets my motor running without fail is Home Depot, ideas just flood me there.
CBL: Tell us the best part of your job.
HELENE: Design is definitely the most exciting part for me. I can get so energized and elated for days because of a concept or simply the actual process of designing. I also really like getting to know the people I’m working with so that I can imbue the flowers with who they are.
CBL: What should a prospective client look for in a floral/event designer?
HELENE: Just like in any kind of relationship, I would look for an ability to communicate, a feeling of trust, as well as a resonance with the designer’s work and whether he or she has passion for their work. Everybody wants something different from their floral designer and no one designer can meet everyone’s needs. The one thing that I would not look for in a designer is who is the cheapest, but that’s my personal opinion and the visual product is more important to me. I would rather have less but have it beautifully conceived and crafted.
CBL: How did you get started in the floral/event designing business?
HELENE: I was a stay-at-home Mom for a year and a half. I felt like I was going to go crazy with nothing of my own to do, particularly nothing creative. In fact, for years I had deprived myself of following my creative side. I don’t know if it was coincidental, serendipity, or meant to be, but several things happened at once and I ended up attending the Floral Design Institute. I felt I had found heaven! I so ached and longed for the next class, I hungered for it. After the basic class was over, I just had to take the advanced class, and then I went on to study a form of ikebana for a little while. I still feel driven like that, a craving to create, to learn new things, new techniques…it feeds my soul.
CBL: When meeting with a prospective client, should they be prepared with ideas and photos?
HELENE: I get inspiration in all kinds of ways: sometimes it’s a color combination I saw in a pillow, sometimes it’s a thing I want to feature, like crystals, sometimes it’s a look (e.g. modern and contemporary with metal), sometimes I simply get a fully formed image in my mind out of nowhere, and of course I’m always scanning design books and magazines and seeing the latest trends in color and style in home decor stores. One place that gets my motor running without fail is Home Depot, ideas just flood me there.
CBL: Tell us the best part of your job.
HELENE: Design is definitely the most exciting part for me. I can get so energized and elated for days because of a concept or simply the actual process of designing. I also really like getting to know the people I’m working with so that I can imbue the flowers with who they are.
CBL: What should a prospective client look for in a floral/event designer?
HELENE: Just like in any kind of relationship, I would look for an ability to communicate, a feeling of trust, as well as a resonance with the designer’s work and whether he or she has passion for their work. Everybody wants something different from their floral designer and no one designer can meet everyone’s needs. The one thing that I would not look for in a designer is who is the cheapest, but that’s my personal opinion and the visual product is more important to me. I would rather have less but have it beautifully conceived and crafted.
CBL: How did you get started in the floral/event designing business?
HELENE: I was a stay-at-home Mom for a year and a half. I felt like I was going to go crazy with nothing of my own to do, particularly nothing creative. In fact, for years I had deprived myself of following my creative side. I don’t know if it was coincidental, serendipity, or meant to be, but several things happened at once and I ended up attending the Floral Design Institute. I felt I had found heaven! I so ached and longed for the next class, I hungered for it. After the basic class was over, I just had to take the advanced class, and then I went on to study a form of ikebana for a little while. I still feel driven like that, a craving to create, to learn new things, new techniques…it feeds my soul.
CBL: When meeting with a prospective client, should they be prepared with ideas and photos?
HELENE: Well, I don’t like to tell anyone they should have something prepared because some people feel completely in the dark and overwhelmed. I always tell people, “This is what would be helpful and if you don’t have these things prepared, don’t worry we’ll figure it out together.” The real basics I need to know are: what kind of look or atmosphere does the client want to achieve and what kind of colors are they drawn to. It’s sort of like picking a book genre so I can narrow my focus. It’s surprising to me how many people berate themselves for not knowing flowers and not knowing exactly what they want. It’s part of my job to educate them and draw out their likes and dislikes. I’m very flexible and enjoy working with people who know exactly what they want, those who think they don’t have any idea, and all the people in between.
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