The Franzie of Franzie's Flower Design: From Hotelier to Hotel Flower Designer

Franzie’s Flower Design, resident florist for the JW Marriott Houston Downtown, has an ace up her sleeve when it comes to designing for hotels. With a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management and six years experience of working in luxury hotels both domestically and internationally, she understands the hospitality business from the brand to the guest. “It has been an absolute dream to be an exclusive partner of the JW Marriott brand” says Franceska, Founder and Creative Director of Franzie’s Flower Design. “I started my hotel career with Marriott Hotels & Resorts as a Management Trainee and even assisted with the launch the world’s tallest hotel, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. Talk about a full circle moment.”

Franceska’s desire to travel has lead her to live on 3 continents all before the age of 30. Her passport holds over 50 stamps and it is in these new cities that she discovers new ideas for her floral designs.

“Our company’s design pillars focus on modern, monochromatic and chic designs. We typically use 1-3 different types of flowers in mass and focus on odd numbers and architectural lines to create interest. Defying gravity is a common theme in our arrangements and the quality of our blooms are never compromised. I always say, we’re only as good as our wholesalers. The best designs can be achieved but if our flowers don’t hold the same from day 1 to 7, that’s all someone will remember.”

So how did Franceska bloom from hotelier to hotel florist?

"I remember being in Istanbul for an event I was managing and taking photos of the Four Seasons Bosphorus lobby flowers. I couldn’t believe that it was someone’s “job”, to design for this hotel, every week with fresh flowers. It suddenly was my retirement plan but I’m happy I didn’t wait that long! I have always loved flowers. Even as a little girl, I'd pick flowers around my home and design each arrangement specifically for the room it was placed in. Who knew that would be my specialty today!? After college I even worked for a floral design studio on the side of my corproate job, just to be around flowers. It was a fun side gig but it never dawned on me that I could be a Flower Designer. I was still focused on my corproate hotel career."

Shortly after her Istanbul realization, being a Flower Designer was all Franceska was focused on and soon graduated with a Masters in Flower Design from Los Angeles, California. Ironically with an offer to step into the W Los Angeles - West Beverly Hills as their new florist, which she politely declined due to starting Franzie’s Flower Design in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where she was living at the time.

“Focusing on hotel lobbies and the design which we create through flowers and it’s impact it has on the guest as they walk in fascinates me. Our mission is to tell unforgettable moments through unforgettable floral experiences. It truly takes my breath away every time we step back from an install that we created from scratch and hear someone ask, “are those real?”

It’s been an absolute honor to have a blank canvas at the JW Marriott Houston Downtown which we get to design every week, for the past 76 weeks.” Regular hotel guests and locals are often seen every Thursday night in the lobby sipping their beverage of choice and watching the previous week’s floral display being switched with a fresh new display. “It’s the highlight of my week, recalls one regular guest. It’s a great excuse to come down here for a drink and to be surrounded by lots of pretty flowers”.

Franzie’s Flower Design is also the proud florist of Tiffany & Co. and has designed for many other prestigious luxury hospitality and retail brands. She recently held a 6-month residency for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts at the Fairmont Dallas where she was the in-house florist. On occasion she has freelanced with other floral design studios across the globe and designed for properties like the Corinthia London.

Franzie's Flower Design can be found in Dubai, Houston and Dallas and travel easily to other destinations. They have a non-profit sister company called Franzie's Flower Friends which will launch in September 2018.

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