Interview with Javier Salvador of By Appointment Only Design

Today, I’m delighted to feature an interview with Javier Salvador of By Appointment Only Design.  He runs the company with Tony Marklew.

I first met Javier at the Designer Wedding Show last October and their stand was absolutely breathtaking!  Here’s a link to the blog post I wrote about the event if you’ve not seen it before.

Now for the interview…

When did you start By Appointment Only Design and where are you based?

By Appointment Only Design started organically.  We had a restaurant and venue in Lincolnshire.

Having both studied fashion, our interest in design is very strong and the constant need to make things look beautiful is never-ending. Clients asked us to cater for their weddings and then create their flowers and vision for their day. Flowers are only one of the many mediums we use to transform spaces for events and weddings.

Two years down the line, as our clients were from London, we decided to open our shop there. It’s now been four years and we’re going strong with new services and products being launched all the time.

We ‘re based from our boutique in Chiltern Street although 2012 sees us moving to a larger space and shop. The news will be published soon!

Could you tell us more about your company and the floristry services you offer?

We offer a unique flower service where no two weddings are the same.

Clients come in for a consultation with either Tony or myself and we discuss their requirements.

We’re a wedding concierge company with a strong bias in floral design. So, clients may only come in for flowers but end up leaving with stationery, cakes, photographers and the like!

Where do you get inspiration for your floral designs?

Our inspiration comes from fashion, interior trends, books, magazines and day-to-day activities….from walking through Regent’s Park, to going to work or the architecture of buildings.

How would you describe your style?

Our style is generous, abundant and at times ‘over the top’.  However, it’s our eye-catching displays that are still the talking point of weddings we created four years ago and the reason why a lot of people come from events they’ve been to!

What are your favourite flowers?

Our favourites change as the seasons evolve…..from ‘Bowl of Cream’ peonies, to hellebores….we never get tired of flowers!

What has been the highlight of your careers?

The highlight of our careers happens on a weekly basis, when we see our clients’ faces as they walk in the rooms we’ve created!

Sometimes just seeing a bride’s face when she holds her bouquet to her nose.

What are your plans and hopes for the future?

Our plan is to take By Appointment Only Design global with studios in the USA, Middle East and Asia.

We already have a wealth of clients whose homes we decorate annually in London but they’ve been asking us to do their parties in The Hamptons, decorate their homes in New York or create spectacular flowers for their children’s weddings in the Middle East.

Our homeware collection is going strong.  We’ll be launching another candle in the spring, a heavenly scent that will bring back memories of early childhood.

We have plans for a crockery range and a three storey townhouse in which to welcome our clients.

But until then, we’ll have our new shop very soon where we’ll be opening our flower school.  Tony and I will be teaching on a bi-weekly basis, from one-day courses to four week career courses.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to improve their flower arranging skills?

Practise, practise, practise!!!! It’s only by being surrounded by flowers that you’ll improve your technique, develop a style and get better at what you do.

Sitting at home and dreaming of being a florist won’t get you anywhere!

Many thanks to Javier for all his help in compiling today’s blog post and I very much look forward to hearing more about their flower school!

And if you’d like to keep up-to-date with By Appointment Only Design’s news, they have a blog and are on Twitter.

(Images : By Appointment Only Design)