Finding Her Calling: It’s the fantasy of many New Yorkers to own a small business in their own neighborhood, to roll out of bed every morning and head to work a few doors away. After working at a nonprofit, training people to become public school principals, Phoebe Crary knew she wanted to open a shop near her home in Brooklyn. The question was, what to sell? Drawing on her love of plants and flowers, Crary decided that a floral design shop would be the perfect addition to Atlantic Avenue’s main drag, just around the corner from her home in Boerum Hill. “I was looking for something creative, with an interesting business model,” she says. “I wanted to bring amazing flowers and unique designs to Brooklyn, in the hope that those who shared my enjoyment of flowers could indulge themselves closer to home.” Once she found the location (a narrow, charmingly worn former antique shop) and spent a year renovating the space and taking floral design classes, Opalia Flowers opened in February 2006.Blossoming Business: Named for the goddess of fertility and abundance, the shop is indeed abundant, with vases and jars brimming with heavy-headed peonies, velvety roses, and vibrant orchids handpicked from the Chelsea Flower Market a few times a week. Customers pop in for blooms to go, and Crary whips up custom bouquets based on their color, scent, and flower preferences. Although the majority of her business has been weddings, Crary is now moving into the corporate and nonprofit event world, having recently provided arrangements for Symphony Space’s annual gala at the Rainbow Room and for an auction for Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, where her centerpieces served as the decor and auction items. “[Crary] was very engaging and willing to work with us on a limited budget. Her designs were creative and elegant, without being too stuffy or too precious,” says Symphony Space’s Nicole M. de Jesus.
Signature Looks: Crary specializes in lush, compact arrangements that spotlight flowers’ hues and textures. “I’m interested in seasonal materials. I’m always inspired by new things I see at the market,” she says. She’s also not afraid to play with color, mixing coral peonies with chartreuse snowball blossoms, or spiking an arrangement of pale yellow roses with deep purple dahlias.
Signature Looks: Crary specializes in lush, compact arrangements that spotlight flowers’ hues and textures. “I’m interested in seasonal materials. I’m always inspired by new things I see at the market,” she says. She’s also not afraid to play with color, mixing coral peonies with chartreuse snowball blossoms, or spiking an arrangement of pale yellow roses with deep purple dahlias.
Opalia Flowers\' Phoebe Crary.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash
“I never want to do the same thing twice—even 10 years from now I want to be able to say that,” Crary says.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash
Crary contrasts coral peonies and pink sweet peas with vibrant greenery.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash
