A day in the life: OF A CHRISTMAS DESIGNER
Janet Waite is the brains behind the festive decorating service Seasons by Design (@seasons_by_design)
7.00 am
Lay in bed and catch up with messages from the USA.
All my supplies come from the States, so a lot happens overnight.
8.00 am
Time for a quick shower before having some fruit for breakfast. Lots will be running through my head for the day ahead.
9.00am
Head into my workroom. Do a quick sweep and tidy up of all the debris and glitter from the day before – it’s messy work! I am not someone who can keep all their supplies in tidy boxes. It needs to be easily accessible and simple.
11.00am
Music goes on – of course it’s a Christmas playlist! Working on custom orders today. It’s a very long 14-metre stair garland. This needs around 30 bows, so that’s where I start.
2.00pm
Time for break and something to eat.
It’s my time to think about the next day and what needs to be done. Answer some queries and catch my breath.
3.00pm
A client stops by to pick up her order. Everyone always says the finished product looks amazing and far better than it does in photos. My biggest frustration is that photos don’t do them justice.
4.00pm
Back into the workroom to finish sticking all the items down on the garland, before fluffing bows and cleaning glue strings. Then it’s time to work on a new wreath idea. It’s The Grinch today, people just seem to love that theme!
7.00 pm
My wonderful housekeeper has cooked dinner tonight, I am usually too tired to cook.
8.00pm
I do watch TV in the evening, but I’m always working whilst doing this. While I’m watching I’ll cut ribbon and make bows for my next customers – I make well over one thousand bows in a season.
9.00pm
Spend a little bit of time catching up on emails and check in with suppliers in the USA. I’ll place a few orders for new supplies, then do a little online research for the next theme I am planning. My brain never switches off at this time of year. I actually start taking orders in August to get ahead.
11.00pm
I head to bed but not to sleep. I’ll keep working, making lists and planning for the next day. Tomorrow is a big tree installation, and the next day I’m teaching a masterclass at a big department store, so I’m busy thinking about this as I drift off to sleep.