Flowers by Design

""Flowers are the new element of interior design,"" Leatham declares in this enthusiastic, self-congratulatory decorating book. A former fashion model turned floral designer, Leatham does the flowers for the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, as well as for a star-studded roster of clients that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Emanuel Ungaro and Kate Moss. His novel techniques include displaying flowers out of water, bending long stems inside clear glass vases for dramatic effect and""drowning"" blossoms in water so that their shapes and patterns are magnified. One of his favorite tricks is to take a tall vase and balance a clump of flowers near its opening so that the bunch appears ready to tip out of the container. His emphasis on""sculptural shapes"" and""bold statements"" will inspire readers to rethink the way they display flowers in their own homes, but most of his designs are not meant to last more than four or five hours, making them rather impractical for the average novice decorator.