Brave Floral is a florist in Maplewood, NJ located on Baker St. It is owned and operated by Valerie Braverman. In the fall of 2021 the existing shop expanded into the adjacent store. Virden Home was brought on by the very talented interior designer, Spaces by Hollie Velten, to help bring some of their unique designs to fruition for the upgraded retail space.
Photographed by Breanne Furlong and generously supplied by Spaces by Hollie Velten
Accent archways were one of the main features within the new space. Designed to showcase a unique architectural element but still allow light to flow to the back of the store. Brightly painted in contrasting colors tied them into the remainder of the stores rich color pallet.
Between each archway were custom made birch floating shelves to house the store's inventory. Finished only with a clear coat of polyurethane to enhance the wood's natural beauty.
Photographed by Breanne Furlong and generously supplied by Spaces by Hollie Velten
The newer half of the store had beadboard wainscotting installed, painted Matcha Latte by Clare paint.
This side of the store duals as a work area, lounge and meeting space.
Photographed by Breanne Furlong and generously supplied by Spaces by Hollie Velten
Ikea sawhorses were a clever solution for auxiliary work tables. Virden Home made several birch table tops to be used with them and for various other surfaces in the store.
Photographed by Breanne Furlong and generously supplied by Spaces by Hollie Velten
Photographed by Breanne Furlong and generously supplied by Spaces by Hollie Velten
Continuing the theme, a custom cash wrap was created with matcha latte painted beadboard and natural birch countertops. Brave Floral takes on a lot of event work, having optimal workspace is a necessity. Hidden wheels allow this unit it to move freely out of the way when additional space is required.
A piece that provided way too much storage to get rid of, this steel and aluminum ladder shelf was refinished to match the walls and blend in with the store.
Lastly, our favorite piece, affectionately called the "amoeba tables" was a whimsical set of three nesting tables. It was constructed of double stacked baltic birch ply with raw edges to see the twenty plus layers of wood. Finished in the same clear coat finish to accentuate the natural pattern in the wood. The shapes carefully crafted and legs strategically placed so everything could sit together seamlessly.
Photographed by Breanne Furlong and generously supplied by Spaces by Hollie Velten