“I don’t want centerpieces to look like they’re gasping, desperate for air,” says Los Angeles-based floral designer Eric Buterbaugh, who has spent the past 16 years creating inventive arrangements for friends and clients including Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, Madonna, Salma Hayek, the British royal family, and countless boutiques. Now Buterbaugh, who is the designer-in-residence at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, is hosting quarterly workshops at the hotel starting on Tuesday, October 6 at 11 a.m. Buterbaugh will share tips and tricks on the art of arrangement that will inevitably include such bon mots as this: “For me, if you put together too many colors, it’s like a fruit salad.”

Before he began exploratory pilgrimages to the flower mart, the talented creative ran the London office of Versace. Over the years, Buterbaugh has honed an eye for design as he’s watched various fads come and go in florals as well as fashion. He’s always favored monochromatic arrangements, but Buterbaugh’s ingenious ideas have resulted in a range of floral looks over the years. “When I started, we did very complicated flowers with metal, but now I love arrangements that are simpler. But always more flat than dome-like,” he says. He’s not a fan of the flower ball, which he says can make blooms look as though they’re choking. Rather, Buterbaugh likes nosegays with room for roses to breathe. Learn the art and meet the artist while sipping a mimosa or two.

By Elizabeth Varnell

Pictured: Floral designer Eric Buterbaugh
Photo courtesy of Eric Buterbaugh

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