Our flower shop has been in the same building in the historic downtown district of our hometown for over a decade. It’s filled with a lot of memories, and has been a great home for the business. But it’s over 4000 sq ft, and with the economic decline and changes in the industry, we’ve found that we just don’t need all this space anymore. It’s time to bid farewell to 220 W Central, and move on to a different place for the new chapter of the “next generation” of our family business.
Chad and I spent more than a year hunting for a space. There are — surprisingly — a lot of requirements for a flower shop! We need room for retail, design workspace, storage, an area to clean and process incoming flowers and plants (with available plumbing for utility sinks), and a place for a walk-in cooler. We really wanted to stay downtown, too. We searched and prayed, prayed and searched, and our patience finally paid off. We found the perfect space, right behind our current location, and the stars aligned to make it ours. We’re moving as we speak, and hope to be settled in by the first of July.
I’m so excited to share it with you all! Want to take a little tour?
It was formerly an art studio with a gallery up front and a workspace for artists and classes in the back. {Hello, retail space and design space!} When you walk in, you’re greeted by a beautiful saltwater aquarium, lots of natural light, bold color palettes, fun lighting fixtures, and exposed ceilings. It’s like a creativity factory, and I know our design team is going to find lots of inspiration working in such a unique space.
I love that the building feels completely modern, but has little throw-back touches like these exposed pipes. The lady who owns the building and created the art gallery is an interior designer and creative powerhouse, so we’re moving our stuff in and not touching a thing.
Until we get settled in and find our groove, we’re putting the consignment boutique on hold. I’m going to maintain a small shop online and hopefully reopen a brick-and-mortar boutique again sometime in the future. For now, I think I need to put all of my energy into learning everything I can about floral design, and managing and marketing our blooming business.
I’ll keep you updated on the progress, and I can’t wait until I can post finished “after” pictures of our new digs!
What do you think?