If you ever pass the big red building on Observer Highway {think: the giant Chambord Place sign} on your daily commute, you’ve crossed paths with the Flowerbox Wall Gardens and its sister shop, Naturalist Headquarters — right here in Hoboken {at 651 Observer Highway, to be exact}. Chances are, you’ve passed it up and didn’t think twice about checking it out, that’s why we’re giving you an exclusive peek inside Read on to learn more:
What is Flowerbox?
Patrick Blanc was the French botanist known for devising the “green wall” concept however his original idea requires a lot of work for irrigation, leading to the development of the preserved wall garden and how Flowerbox came to be.
Flowerbox is a French preserved wall garden concept, where the flower roots are immersed into a non-toxic glycerin-based stabilizing solution to preserve from the inside out. Beyond the typical Reindeer Moss creations {as sold by many businesses for it’s long lifespan and easy accessibility}, Flowerbox excels in lush, jungle, and leafy applications of various plants and textures.
Beyond wall arrangements, Flowerbox can create custom pieces from greenery-based chandeliers to extravagant table centerpieces. Unlike their west coast competitor, Garden on the Wall, this Hoboken-based business takes on projects of all sizes, no matter how small.
This low-maintenance solution is also guaranteed through 5 years after installation—- additional perks proving that the company stands behind their masterpieces all over the country.
Behind The Business
The brains behind the business, Serkan Yapicila, brought the Flowerbox concept to the United States back in 2011 — owning the sole rights to the entire US market, and the first to bring preserved wall gardens to the United States. Kara Kelly joined the team as the client-facing lead, leveraging her experience in luxury retail management on the sales side of the business.
READ: A Visit to Thumbelina Boutique in Hoboken
Flowerbox first started in their warehouse in Hackensack, but the duo quickly noticed the need to move as interior designers from New York City wouldn’t make the trek to their space. After a long demolition and rebuild process across the street at the town park blocking their entrance and signage, the shop has been open for business for almost a year.
The sales office, showroom and production facility {ie. the creators} are all located in the same space. This allows in-person consultations and hands-on with projects for as much as their local clients would like. This personal aspect allows the business to appeal to both a small local and large commercial audience.
All About Upkeep
We know what you’re thinking: what about the maintenance of these live plants? These preserved wall gardens don’t require soil, sun or water to survive — it sounds almost too good to be true, but it is! The plants are harvested, soaked, and preserved entirely only living off of the nutrients that they are soaked and preserved in.
Favorite {Local} Projects
Since the preservation is non-toxic, the creations have been installed in various locations: including daycare facilities, hospitals, and schools. One of Kara’s favorite installations was locally at the Brunswick School, where they recreated their Owl logo in greenery.
From subtle decorations in restaurants such as Halifax {at the W Hotel in Hoboken} and Talde {in Jersey City} to a giant set of eyelashes at Wonderlash Studio and on-set designs for the Rachael Ray kitchen: the team is open to big custom creations, and have never said no to a challenge.
The biggest, and another personal favorite, installation was from their 700 square foot, 2-floor, aerial map design that wrapped the lobby corners inside of the Hilton Canopy Hotel in Maryland. If you’ve been inside the Minelli apartment complex in Jersey City you may have seen another one of their similar hall-to-ceiling installations.
Their Sister Shop: Naturalist
Naturalist is a new US-based concept {another first in the United States} that features ultra-clear resin dining tables. This unique proposition is the only manufacturer that can offer this finished project of extreme clarity, requiring special {and super tedious} technique to get high-quality transparency.
Serkan has a background of furniture experience with his family, and after opening the retail space needing something to fill the room besides plants: expanding into the Naturalist business and offering dining tables, side tables, and seating for cafes, restaurants – and homes!
The high-end clientele of Flowerbox helps to accommodate the high-prices {due to quality} of the Naturalist tables which range from $5,000-50,000 + side tables ranging from $750-1,300. However, they do a lot of retail sales online for their metal and wood wall art, which started as a fun side project for smaller needs.
How to Buy
These preserved wall gardens are popular for commercial use {because of their low-to-no maintenance}, but the Hoboken HQ also sells locally. Their regular store hours are Monday-Friday 9:00AM-6:00PM and Saturday/Sunday from 12:00PM-6:00PM. There’s about a 4-6 week lead time for their seven employees, so be sure to give enough notice for your custom needs.
See More: A List of Jersey City Boutiques to #ShopLocal
Their clear resin products are so trendy and desirable that they’ve been asked to buy their sample cubes. PSA: keep an eye out on their upcoming “royals” furniture line, featuring crowns and meticulous sculpting.
Work Together!
If you’re a local shop owner, the team at Flowerbox is open to partnerships and currently only have one distributor in Washington, DC. The team is actively trying to stay ahead of the market and working on re-seller partners but right now they can ship flower boxes anywhere in pallets, they are all over USA.
Have you ever checked out Flowerbox and Neutralist? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
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