MEET KIANA UNDERWOOD OF TULIPINA FLORAL DESIGN

KU:  My client is someone who appreciates my work as an art lover appreciates art, and one who feels confident enough in my work and style to let me do what I do best.

TBC:  Where do you find inspiration?

KU:  I find inspiration everywhere – from my garden, a walk in my neighborhood, the San Francisco Flower

Mart, or an art museum filled with Van Gogh, Renoir, or Cezanne’s floral paintings.

KU: I have two. I love Brannan Street and Torchio Nursery at the SF Flower Mart. These folks are amazing

(and are there at 3 a.m. every day), and they never fail me. They always have the most beautiful flowers.

TBC:  Describe your design style.

KU: I have had many special moments, so it is a bit hard to pick just one. A few of my most recent ones were when a bride wrote me after her wedding to tell me that she had told everyone who would listen (and even some who wouldn’t) that I had done the flowers for her wedding, and, when my lovely photographer friend told me that I had ruined everyday flowers from a florist for her forever!

TBC:  What was your “big break”?

KU:  I have only been doing this for two years, and so I feel that there is a lot more that I want to accomplish, so I hesitate to call anything my “big break” yet. However, the growth of my business in a relatively short time period has been amazing. I have received so much positive feedback on my work and my blog and am so grateful to all of my regular readers, followers, and clients for that.

KU: Follow your passion and never give up! This was not my intended path. I was accepted into several law schools after college, but decided to pursue a Master’s degree in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins University. I had dreams of being a diplomat, but for practical purposes (and practicality can be a dream killer) ended up at a think tank doing research, which I quite disliked.
 
Once I had children, I stopped working, and it took me a long time to awaken to and embrace the path that I am on today. I’ve always loved flowers and putting arrangements together for my home and friends, but becoming a floral stylist as a career was never something that occurred to me. Once it did, and once I really put myself into it, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

KU:  When I am designing I tend to like to be alone in my workspace with my favorite classical music stations on Pandora and a cup of coffee or tea. I cannot function well in a messy space, so I try to keep my workspace as neat as a floral designer possibly can.

TBC:  What’s your favorite part about weddings when it comes to the florals?

KU:  Naturally, I like to see my work presented at its absolute best, which is why I am meticulous about placing my designs at the venue myself, or at least overseeing and approving every single table and/or space for perfection before leaving. My most favorite part though has to be seeing the bride with her bouquet.

KU:  I typically like to design alone, as I am very particular about how I want things to look, and generally the easiest way to control that is by doing it myself. That said, I do have one very wonderful assistant who helps me with all of my events. However, as the business continues to grow, I recognize that I will have to cede some control to maintain sanity (and scalability), and bring more people on board.

TBC: If you had to make a career change, what would you do?

KU:  As I mentioned above, I earned a Master’s degree from John Hopkins University in International Relations and Economics. I also speak 4 languages, love to travel, and have played the piano nearly all of my life. So, diplomat would still be a top choice, concert pianist a close second.

KU:  The essence of who she is!

KU:  I don’t describe myself as someone who has one particular style. Depending upon my mood, I’m anything from casual preppy to a slightly dressy bohemian. My favorite stores in the U.S. are Anthropologie and JCrew. I adore shopping in Tokyo, Japan, and Florence, Italy. I am in heaven if they drop me off somewhere near a Takashimaya department store in Tokyo.

Do you prefer tea or coffee?

KU:  Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon or with sweets.

TBC:  Do you prefer blogs or magazines?

KU:  I like a little bit of both, although with three 3 kids, my own business and my own DIY floral blog, I don’t get nearly as much time to read as I would like.

TBC:  Chocolate or Vanilla?

KU:  Chocolate!

TBC:  And, I have to ask…what’s your favorite flower?

KU:  I love many flowers, but if I had to pick just one it would be gardenia.