Max Gill Design

About Max Gill Design

After receiving his degree in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley, Max Gill was compelled by more creative pursuits, eventually finding floral design the perfect medium as it seemed to him to draw from all of his greatest passions: gardening, sculpture, painting and art and theater history. Originally from upstate New York, Max has called the Bay Area home for almost 35 years. Perhaps best known for his work at Chez Panisse where he has done the flowers for over a decade, Max started Max Gill Design in 2005 and now offers full floral services for weddings, special events and private clients such as Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, and Lauren McIntosh. His work has been featured at Chez Panisse, Quince, Zuni, Pizzaiolo and House and Garden Magazine. Informed by natural process, Max’s work is distinguished by his reliance on specialty blooms and botanical rarities gleaned from local growers, his own formidable cut flower garden in North Berkeley, and a long list of bay area nurseries. "My work is always botanically inspired. What I find most compelling in nature is when plants are struggling to find their place in the environment. As they fight to overcome the challenges of space and light, often surprising us with their juxtaposition, they create beauty through adaptation."