Bringing Big Ideas to Life at Decor and Props With Founder Zachary Williams

Meet our Founder, Zachary Williams.

Zachary Williams - BACO Limited

At the heart of every striking display and unforgettable event moment is a vision - and behind Commercial Decor and Props is the creative mind that makes those visions a reality. In this edition of our “Meet the..” series, we sit down with Zachary Williams, the founder of Decor and Props, to learn how it all began, what inspires his work, and what’s next for the brand.

Tell us a bit about yourself - what’s your background, and how did Decor and Props come to life?

Although I have no formal training in prop making, I've always been fascinated with creating things. I started my career in the music business and, over time, moved into events and the production of those events.

It was through the production of these events that I began to see the opportunities and the pain points in event production, and it was this that led me to the world of props - the missing link is so many events. Human beings see the world through stories, and I found that props are one of the quickest ways to bring people into that story.

Where do you draw inspiration for your designs and custom creations?

For us, the most important thing is the client brief. We try to keep that as a priority over any ideas we might have. It’s important for us to understand the environment in which these props are going to be placed and used. From there, as vague as it sounds, I try to turn to things of nature, whether it's trees, plants, or animals to root ideas and scenes around.

As humans, I tend to find that we understand and are grounded in nature much more so than, say something mechanical. I like to start with nature and from there move on into the man-made creations such as cars, buildings, lights or whatever the scene is asking for.

What makes Decor and Props different from other décor companies?

The big advantage we have is we have our own production facility and we're vertically integrated. We rely very little on outside vendors, so we're able to control our lead times as much as possible.

We also have the good fortune of being located in an area of the world which lends itself to efficient product development and creation. When we first started this business, there was a degree of scepticism about whether props made in China could meet the standards and requirements of props made in the West. I'm happy to say, years into this business, that we have proved our sceptics wrong. Plus, at the end of the day, the reason that we are located in this part of the world is because that's where I grew up and that's where I started the business.

If I had grown up in another country, I would have started the business in another country. It just so happens that this was where I was. So this is where we are. And we take full advantage of the positive aspects of being in this part of the world from a cost point and creative standpoint. South East Asia is a truly dynamic place to be for developing products and creating things.

What’s next for Decor and Props?

We've been playing around with 3D printing over the last couple of years. We've yet to produce any large-scale projects with these machines, but they are fun to play around with. We've also been experimenting with different metals for the building of our larger props, trying to come up with ways to make them as light and yet as strong as possible.

Every day brings something new. And on most days, I would rather be doing this than any other profession, and I guess you can't argue with that.

Want to see our founder’s passion in action?

Explore our gallery of custom props and seasonal décor or get in touch to start your next project.