Christopher Paul Flenin, who has worked in the event decorating industry for over two decades, shares his journey with New Sarawak Tribune.
A journey of passion and decor
Since young, Christopher Paul Flenin has had an interest in aesthetically decorated displays.
Always in awe of the prominent details and how each item flawlessly blends in with another, Paul recalls the days when he would create a replica of a beautiful car he saw travelling down the road.
“I remember when I was 11 years old, I was already passionate about decorations. I once saw a car that was nicely decorated. Inspired by that, I would build cars out of boxes and decorate them. Those were enjoyable times for me,” said the 44-year-old.
Born and raised in Sri Aman, event decorator Paul moved to Kuching in the 1990s. During those days, hardly many complexes were nicely decorated for every festival.
However, when he saw how his workplace — the department store Parkson — had decorated its outlet for Christmas, he was immediately intrigued.
“It was in 1998, when I worked there and observed the decorations. I’d get excited every time they displayed them. Then I started doing my own research on the items they were using, and I began looking for them around Kuching.”
According to the Bidayuh man, decorative items were hard to come by in those days.
“Nobody sold fairy lights like they do now. It was usually the chilli-looking fairy lights sold at hardware stores back then. Aside from that, there were baubles, which I kept till today.”
His first hands-on decorations
Curious to try out his own handmade decorations, Paul managed his handiwork at a friend’s flat in the early 2000s. There, he had curated a Christmas decoration.
“Though I wasn’t paid much back then, I did it out of a genuine desire to liven up the place with my handiwork. And I’ve been changing the decorations on a regular basis since then. Many people would stop by to take pictures with it.”
Paul’s work then began to appear in different places throughout Kuching. He started to deck the halls of the St Mark church in Batu Kawa.
“From there, I improved myself and became more creative and bold with my decorations. In 2003, I began receiving clients who wanted to hire me for wedding events.”
That was when he started decorating homes and wedding halls. However, Paul admitted that it was not as elaborate as it is today.
“Even so, I’ll make sure my decorations don’t appear the same before and after the event. For each decoration, I usually ask my client what their theme colour is, what they love, and what their characters are, and then I curate the decorations based on what they want.”
Offering a slice of grandeur, Paul added that his prices are reasonable since he works within his clients’ budgets. To him, a nice decoration represents the couple’s memorable night. Hence, he hopes to be able to put together decorations that will serve as a landmark of memories for the newlyweds.
Sharing further, Paul said that he gets his inspiration from observing decorations at other major events or shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur.
He also said that he often visits the capital city for research purposes and to seek decorative items for his work. Apart from that, he obtains items from online shopping platforms.
When asked about the differences between wedding decorations back then and now, Paul said that, apart from the less detailed embellishments and lack of structural use, the use of backdrop was also different.
“I used to use satin. But it lacks that grand feeling. Then I discovered that using jersey cloth – stretchable and heavy — exudes a sense of grandeur.”
Though each event has to be the best and look different than before, Paul said that planning the decorations is not a hassle.
Despite having been in the industry for decades, he still finds the stiff competition among decorators in the market to be challenging. Nonetheless, he chooses to see things in a positive light.
“To me, everything is all based on blessings. If a client wants me to plan something for them, I will gladly do it. If they do not, it is fine as well. But it would be a lie to say that there were no stresses during the decorating process. Undoubtedly, there will be stress and tension. I just try to remain optimistic.
“If we continue to stress, nothing will go as planned. If I do feel it, I’ll take an hour off before continuing. Before we start working, my team and I usually say a little prayer,” he said.
Pillar of support
Though he works alone most of the time between planning and decorating, Paul attributes his two decades of success in the industry to his uncle, brother, and friends.
“My uncle helps me in the building of structures, while my friends and brother help with the decoration. I am forever grateful to have these people around who continue to encourage me and share ideas on how to better the decorations.”
Despite the fact that working in this industry can be tough, Paul never gives up and always strives to do better.
As a passionate event decorator, he regarded working in this industry as a hobby. He also provides services for birthdays, corporate events, home decorations, festivals, and other occasions in addition to weddings.
“I don’t see myself retiring anytime soon.”
He is currently setting up Christmas decorations in different places while juggling events in the final month of this year. Plaza Merdeka, Awah Cafe, and other hotels are among the various places he decorates.
His favourite festivals? Christmas and Chinese New Year.
“The former for its dreamy wonderland vibe, while the latter for its oriental vibe.”
Those who wish to view more of Paul’s creations can do so on his Tiktok account — Paul Decos.
