Westfield Flower Box
The motto of Westfield Flower Box, “Thoughtful blooms for thoughtful people”, sums up the essence of the business. Located at 210 East Main Street in Westfield, its focus is on providing premium flowers from local growers as well as suppliers that care about sustainability and fair practices. It also promotes a sense of community through workshops and events held in its event space as well as off site.
“I source from farmers in Cicero all the way down to Bloomington when ever possible. Local flowers last much longer. If needed, I obtain flowers from sustainable growers in places such as California or out of the country. I do research. I am mindful about workers are getting paid fair wagers and growing practices such as spraying flowers,” says Westfield Flower Box owner Carmella Thatcher.
Thatcher left her job in customer service for an HVAC company to pursue her love of art and flowers. For two years she worked out of her home, building her flower arrangement business, crafting her signature flower boxes, and offering her flower bar concept at events. Last year, when space opened on East Main Street next to White House Donuts and across from Field Brewing, she jumped at the chance to have a brick-and-mortar site.
“We took over two spaces, a barber shop and a pizza place. My husband and I did all the build-out work ourselves. We designed a small event space with natural light. It is available for photographers to rent for shoots. It’s also where I hold flower arranging classes, flower and seedling markets plus monthly meetups with local farmers,” says Thatcher.
Flower arranging classes and workshops are open to all ages and each can accommodate 15 to 20 people. Thatcher also holds off site classes in businesses such as field brewing or at private homes. The monthly flower and seedling market can include vegetables like tomatoes, herbs and cucumbers. Local Flower Hour allows people to ask four to five farmers questions while buying starts for sale. Thatcher shares that the classes are a great way to get out and meet other people from the community.
“The business is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday but people can order arrangements online for local delivery every day of the week. If they drop in to the store, they can choose from the flower bar and sit on a cozy couch while I whip a bouquet up from them. There is a vase wall, or people can bring in their own container,” says Thatcher.
The flower bar consists of fresh seasonal stemmed flowers ready for bouquets or arrangements. Thatcher transports the flower bar to organizations’ events and parties, providing guests with a creative and interactive activity. Her largest flower bar accommodated 250 people at a corporate gathering.
Thatcher’s custom flower boxes and creative installations are also crowd pleasers. The flower boxes are painted with any logo or saying request and filled with beautiful flower arrangements. Likewise, the installations are perfect for photo opportunities at celebrations such as bridal or baby showers.
“Flowers have a healing aspect. Working with them gets people out of their usual day-to-day living. I have always been a creative person, and I love mixing art and flowers,” says Thatcher.
The Westfield Flower Box is located at 210 East Main Street and is open Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
To order online for delivery or arranged pickup Sunday through Saturday visit https://localflowerbox.square.site or call 317-763-0088.
For information on upcoming workshops and classes view on Facebook and Instagram or visit https://www.westfieldflowerbox.com/studio-workshops-and-events.
