AMHERST — A table in the studio workroom is covered with empty glassware and vases as numerous flowers, such as asters, snapdragons and amaranth, are being conditioned in water, waiting to be turned into arrangements for an upcoming wedding.
In time, Laura Mae Pfeffer will unpack the flowers, strip leaves from them and prepare the arrangements, thinking about the color and shapes and how the various plants will work together to create a perfect bouquet.
“You make every piece an artistic design,” says Pfeffer, describing her style as a modern, color-driven approach to floral design.
While acquiring flowers and designing florals for events in New England and New York has been her job since 2018, originally starting from an apartment in Brooklyn, Pfeffer is now embarking on an endeavor where people can drop by for everyday flowers, grab-and-go bouquets and custom-made arrangements, with a chance to talk with her about what they would like, or to preorder online at saltflowershop.com.
This week, Salt Flower became a retail storefront in the Mill District, at 83 Cowls Road, where Pfeffer not only has the production space to continue her work — with four main sinks and large amounts of storage — but for customers to find a range of gift items.
“My dream has always been to open a flower shop,” Pfeffer said.
Originally operating as Until We Wed Flower Co., marking a career change after being an editor for literary publications, Pfeffer said she has always been someone who understood the concept of art.
“I’ve always been a creative, artistic person, and this seemed interesting to me,” Pfeffer said.
Her initial foray into the business was to purchase a bunch of flowers at a local Trader Joe’s store, followed by classes to learn more about being a floral designer. She even had a cooler built into her apartment and later moved to her own studio in the city.
Before the business became more formalized, Pfeffer did a couple of weddings for friends to ensure that she could make a go of it, and then put money into advertising. Early on, she did more weddings for couples.
“I was very new to it, but got a bunch of weddings,” Pfeffer said.
Pfeffer arrived in western Massachusetts at the height of the pandemic, choosing to leave the city with her husband and infant, relocating to Deerfield to live with her husband’s family, before buying a home in the Cushman section of Amherst. Now with two children, Pfeffer said the shop can accommodate her career and responsibilities as a parent.
Pfeffer has been working from a studio in another part of Amherst and will continue to have the cooler there until she gets more settled, calling the new location perfect for the store and for her own needs.
“I didn’t know how fantastic this space was,” Pfeffer said.
Her landlord is Cinda Jones, the president of W.D. Cowls Inc., who encouraged her. “I’ve seen how community-driven Cinda is,” Pfeffer said. “It’s not just renting a space wherever. I feel lucky to be here.”
Pfeffer hopes the store fits in with the other nearby businesses, noting a customer might head a few doors down to Provisions to pick up a bottle of wine after getting a bouquet or gift.
The shop has a range of “giftable items that can be given to anyone or for yourself,” she said. These include candles, handmade jewelry, bath soaps and cool floral salt. She’s also leaning into well made, organic floral-infused products, where possible.
Pfeffer said she hopes to expand the offerings, too, such as creating bunches, possibly a “mama and baby” bunch that includes items that work for both infant and mother, and a “get well” bunch for someone in recovery.
What she appreciates about being in the region is how she can acquire so many of the flowers from local farms. One of those is now in North Amherst center, Little Bend Flower Farm.
While she does depend on a wholesale market in Springfield, where flowers are brought that are grown overseas and shipped to the region, she will get as much as possible from local growers and flowers cut the day before she needs them. Those include Hart Farm in Conway, Tip Top Orchard in Buckland, Old Friends Farm in Amherst and Many Graces Farm in Hadley.
Jones had the space open after it had been used as a pop-up for Herrell’s Ice Cream, which has since moved into a more permanent storefront. Jones said the store should complement what is available nearby, including at the neighboring Mill District General Store, and fits the vibe of the site created in recent years.
To get the space ready, and leaving intact the main counter separating her workspace from the customer area, Pfeffer painted arches on the wall that form the backdrop for the shelves holding products. There is also a stand made by her husband from a barnboard. Original greeting cards are held in a rack attached to the wall.
The dominant colors inside are chartreuse, a yellow color, mauve, a violet color, and charcoal, a nearly black color.
Pfeffer said the Salt Flower name aims to make the place comfortable for those who might not otherwise venture into a flower shop.
“I wanted something that was not too frou-frou,” Pfeffer said. “Salt Flower felt earthy and grounded to me.”
Initially, the store will be open for customers weekdays, except Mondays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pfeffer is planning an opening party Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
