Stepping into Fleurs du Soleil, the part florist/part gift boutique in Monterey, is a sensory experience. There are flowers, of course, but surrounding them is an entire store filled with carefully curated items with a bent toward sustainability and supporting the people who craft them. At the holidays, decorations give the shop an almost fairy-like magical feel.
The store is the creation of Kim England, a floral designer by trade who started in her garage for several years and then spent 17 years on Pearl Street in Monterey, before moving six years ago into the European-style building next door to the El Estero Car Wash on Fremont Street. A lover of France and all things French, England sought to create a community spot where people could order beautiful floral creations and purchase goods from her “lifestyle boutique” at a range of price points.
She and her team scour catalogs and work with designers and artists to keep the inventory fresh and interesting. England relies on a merchandiser to create themes for the store, and she fits in items she especially loves. “I usually put a ton of stuff in and they have to rein it in,” she says.
The selection includes housewares, books, clothing accessories, jewelry and lots of plants and planters. It’s not difficult to pull together a gift for under $20, but there are plenty of mid-range and high-end items to choose from. “We wanted to make it for everybody to come in,” England says.
The most popular gifts customers lean toward include plants, pots, candles and soaps, she says. A kitchenware section features local olive oil and products from Carmel Berry Company. Holiday decorations and accessories like winter hats and scarves are currently selling well; ornaments start as low as $5. A bountiful fresh magnolia and evergreen wreath with fairy lights hanging outside the shop recently was selling for $225.
The flowers people buy during the holidays are mostly for their own tables or events, less for gifts, England says. Yet part of what sustained her business through the early days of the pandemic, when weddings and events stopped, were people sending flowers to friends and loved ones.
“It reminded me that flowers are a great way to connect to people,” she says.
And a bouquet of a flowers sends a loving message at any time of year.
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