Nathan Johnson, creative director of GRO Floral & Event Design, studied design and photography in college. After graduating, he went on to a job in sales before starting his own floral-design business. The creative director quickly made a name for himself in the Dallas community and has designed events for household names such as Michael Jordan, Roberto Cavalli, and David Yurman. He also loves to design weddings, events, and even floral arrangements for personal clients. Every great designer has a bank of inspiration they call on when they’re creating, so we sat down with Nathan and asked him what makes him tick. What is he loving right now? What motivates him? (Perhaps he drinks a pint of queso before getting to work?) Read on.
1. Winston Lee Mascarenhas: He lives in Dallas and has had really good showings of his work in galleries throughout the United States. The textures and balance of his work is so detailed and intricate. I just need to hurry up and buy something before I can’t afford him.
2. Dutch Honeymoon Tulips: They are my wife’s favorite flower and were in her bridal bouquet. They are amazingly intricate with ruffled edges. We love them in white in an Aalto vase.
3. Atomic Ranch Magazine: The publication is a really cool way to get info and remodels of mid-century modern homes. We own a mid-century modern house in Lakewood and still can’t believe it’s ours.
4. Sonos speakers: They are my latest craze. I think my wife has cut me off from buying more speakers or maybe I have run out of rooms, but they are the perfect solution to have quality music throughout the house. We love listening to our Pandora mixes as we work or clean the house.
5. Granada theater: This East Dallas mainstay gets my last dollar of every paycheck. Date night you can find us there. We love music and there isn’t a venue in Dallas that creates a better music experience than Granada.
6. Aspen: We are slightly biased to Aspen as this is where we got married. It is a truly magical place (especially on Labor Day weekend) with great food and shopping. The holiday weekend offers something for everyone from a huge volleyball tournament, to the jazz festival, and usually amazing weather. Hiking Maroon bells is a must.
7. Houzz.com: The website is my Facebook. I get lost for hours in this website thinking about all the ideas I would love to do with my house. In fact, they did an article recently on us for a table centerpiece design.
8. Queso at Taco Joint: I could drink it. The owners are the friendliest people in Dallas and have a great laid back atmosphere that fits Lakewood perfectly. The Lester taco is also a must!
9. Dog Park at White Rock Lake: It’s about to get a face lift but our little Chiweenie considers this place Disneyland. We spend many Saturdays here letting our dog get chased by huge 60 pound dogs.
10. Anything that Lionel Morrison Does: I love his work at One Arts Plaza and his homes have an amazing simplicity that are perfectly thought through.
