I’d like to start featuring more of my favorite vendors in the Pittsburgh area. Those that I trust and that do amazing work in their respective fields! The first to kick it off – April from Mocha Rose Floral Designs. April does amazing work, and will be relocating to a new store shortly! I hope to help her document some of the progress as she makes the transition. In the meantime, if you’re looking for an uber-creative and fun florist in the Pittsburgh area, look no further!
I like to dig into people’s minds a little, and April provided some excellent answers to the questions I posed. Read further for some great info and background into her style and store!
Date of Opening for Mocha Rose: 2005
Specialization: Modern and event design
A background on Mocha Rose: We are not your traditional florist. We don’t do retail. We don’t do balloons. Our goal is simply creating fabulous events from small dinner parties to giant over the top weddings.
We follow current fashion, decor and event trends and design each event based on a balance of style and ascetics and how those will become a cohesive look that every single guest will talk about for years to come. We focus our talent on flowers because that is what we do best and then enhance the overall look of the event with linens, lighting and decor.
Where did you learn your technique for your floral arrangement and why did you get into it? That is a loaded question. As a child, my mother ran an art school and as I got older, I would sit in on every class I could whether it was painting, weaving, pottery or crafts. My grandmother was a painter, a potter and a florist. Between these two amazing women, I grew up surrounded by art and later on found that I was born with a natural talent.
I studied art in college but couldn’t find a way to translate my talent and love of art into a career. I entered the job market as a social worker that focused on therapy for children with Autism. I was a job I truly loved, but I still missed working creatively.
After I married my husband in 2005… I fell in love with the aspect of planning an event and being able to use my artistic talents again. In the next few months, I developed a passion for floral design that could not be stopped. My grandmother (aka my floral lifeline) taught me the basics of wiring and taping and was always available when I had a question. However, she worked during a different generation and I wanted to learn a modern, European style.
I spent the next year reading every floral textbook, article and website I could find and was able to teach myself how to process, design, and price floral arrangements. I am 95% self taught and train each employee from the start in this modern style. I built my business on everything I wanted in a florist as a bride. I wanted modern style, great communication and full service (after all, I didn’t want to be setting everything up in my wedding gown, right?) Here we are, starting our fifth wedding season and moving into a bigger space (more on that in a second). So we must be doing something right.
What made you decide to open your store? We started small. Very small. In fact, I didn’t think it would be a full time business and continued to work as a therapist. I quickly realized that there was a need for what I had to offer and moved into the Penn Avenue location in March of 2007 and quickly became booked to capacity that season.
Three words to describe your style: Modern, Funky, Lush
Who is your ideal bride? That’s a tough one! Can I say I love them all? I guess if I have to narrow it down, I love brides that are: stylish, experimental, and trusting. I love when a bride is so excited about the flowers that you can just see it in her eyes. Most of all, I LOVE the couples that continue to keep in touch after the wedding.
Favorite flower to work with: Peonies. I think they are truly nature’s perfect flower. Sadly, they are highly seasonal so in the summer and fall, I have to get my fix with garden roses (almost equally as luscious and fragrant).
If you weren’t a florist, what other career would you choose? I’d probably have my doctorate in Social Work right now and would be focusing on Autism research. Or who knows, life threw me the whole floral designer loop…maybe I’d be a train conductor.
Best-ever business decision: Only expanding as much as my current business allowed. I never took a loan out for the business and in this day and age, I’m extremely happy that I do not have business debt. We worked out of a tiny space for so long and it was hard, but the time came and the business is there so it’s time to expand…
Worst-ever business decision: Thinking I could do it all myself. I have put in way too may hours over the years and it was a hard lesson learned. Thankfully, I’ve found some pretty awesome employees along the way.
Most exciting part of searching for a new storefront: I guess the secret is out. We are relocating!! By March 1st, we will have a brand spankin’ new studio located just up the street from the current place. Everything about it is exciting! We did well working out of a cramped 800 sq. ft. space the last two years and I’m very proud that we were able to pull it off. However, it was just too small to be producing the events that we do. So we are moving to a 3500 sq. ft. studio complete with a showroom, gigantic work area and loading dock!!! Oh and better parking for our customers
Most challenging part of searching for a new storefront: Trying to look at a blank space and imagine it as a functional design studio. The space that we are relocating to is huge, raw and concrete. It’s a little overwhelming to picture as a whole. So I’m working with an architect and I’m treating it like I would a giant event space. It’s challenging, but it sure is fun picking out wall treatments, furniture and decorations! (And It just so happens that I have a lot of pretty things laying around.)
Current favorite song: “Old White Lincoln” by Gaslight Anthem
AND OF COURSE
Favorite flavor of cupcake: Grapefruit from Vanilla Pastry Studio (and I don’t even like grapefruit!)
Thanks, April!
xoxo
Leeann
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