Best gift shop: bloom

The display window features ceramics, woodwork and glass shaped like flowers and animals in all different colors. Big, red block letters spell the word "love." An ever-enticing and unique display is just one way the owner of bloom draws customers into her one-of-a-kind boutique.

Mimi Sullivan-Sparks opened bloom in 2004. She worked as a fashion designer for 13 years, the last of which she spent brainstorming and preparing to open her own business. Her main focus was around the store's concept, the word "bloom."

"That means it's color- inspired, fragrance-inspired, texture-inspired," Sullivan-Sparks says. "It's pretty much all inspired by nature."

The displays encourage customers to look around and see the color. With the exception of select jewelry pieces, bloom's merchandise is laid out specifically so it can be touched and experienced, she says.

A key idea of the store, she says, is that just like nature, it's ever-changing. Even those who stop by as frequently as once a week will notice some extreme changes in the way the store is set up.

"They walk in and they'll be like wow, this is completely different, you didn't have this last week," she says.

She will sometimes work on the display windows for many months before she actually puts them up, depending on how complicated the idea is.

"For instance, right now I already know what I'm doing for my Christmas window, but it won't go up until November," she says.

Other less complicated windows, like the Mother's Day/Spring one currently on display, take only a few months to devise. The Mother's Day/Spring window was inspired by a Renaissance botanist and illustrator.

Sullivan-Sparks says she is inspired by life in general, but she doesn't think it's necessarily important her customers know the ideas behind the displays.

"It doesn't need to be literal and obvious," she says. "It's just an inspiration."

The most appealing aspect of the store is the wide variety of products.

"We have a really eclectic mix, so just about everyone that comes in can find something they like, either for themselves or a friend." Sullivan-Sparks says.

• Facebook Comments
• Site Comments

Be the first to comment on this article!

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Enter the characters in the image above:

log out