Charles Hutson, owner of Hutson Floral Design, moved to Denver’s City Park to do one thing: design beautiful floral arrangements. While specializing in wedding creations, bouquets, container gardens, and custom arrangements, he also teaches design and holds workshops for aspiring florists.
What’s your floral design background?
“I started at a neighborhood flower shop in Chicago. I had a love for flowers and they needed help, so I started setting up weddings. The longer I was there, the more I became interested in learning the design aspect. It wasn’t something I thought I would be doing, but I fell in love with it—now I’ve done it for 15 years. I headed up the retail side for a while, then decided to go out on my own, freelancing for large companies in Chicago and Hawaii, and later Colorado. This pushed me to another level and I gained so much knowledge seeing everyone else’s processes. I’ve had my own business since 2016, but I was also freelancing on-and-off until recently. It grounded me so much that I wondered, ‘Why am I not doing this for myself full time?’”
What does your creative process look like?
“Part of my process is physically creating a satisfying atmosphere with candles and music, organizing all my things so I can work and create, and then taking a mental picture of what I want to do before it actually happens, by setting out a vase and gathering thoughts beforehand. I’m inspired by nature a lot of times, and it makes sense because that’s where flowers and blooms come from. But being inspired by other people and what they want is huge too; sometimes you need to do what they want and make their vision a reality.”
What’s special about being a Denver floral designer?
“In Denver there just feels to be more creativity in the air. You can do whatever here, because Denver is such an evolving city; creating new things and trying new concepts. With nature and mountains in the background too, there’s more inspiration to really create. I also know that in the floral industry here people are all willing to help each other which is very different from my experience in Chicago.”
Any advice for the aspiring florist?
“You need to work hard, have an open mind and heart, and take advice from others who might have more experience or even less experience than you, because you can gain knowledge from both. Keep yourself humble, be authentic, get inspired by others, and create what you want. Don’t let trends keep you from doing what you really want to do. And finally, surround yourself with people who support and value your creativity.”
