Flower and Decor Shop Brings a Personal Touch to its Products and Services
Writer / Julie Yates
Photographer / Linda Oldiges
The team at Rusted Window, a flower market, home decor shop and gift store, recently celebrated its two-year anniversary at the Indiana Design Center on South Rangeline Road. Stacy Molander, owner and creative director, strives to procure unique design elements that make her business different than a traditional flower and decor shop. Besides offering items that cant be found in typical retail stores, Rusted Window specializes in design planning for weddings and other events.
Although Molander studied studied interior and floral design at IUPUI, she worked as an account manager for Pulte Homes of Indiana. A 2003 cancer diagnosis made her reassess what she truly wanted to do, and with the support of friends, her career began to move in another direction.
At that time, I decided I needed to embrace a creative outlet, Molander says. I started dabbling in floor design. A couple of girlfriends pushed me on. In 2009, out of my home, I started doing weddings in Carmel and Fishers. At first I missed a steady paycheck, but I kept going. [Two years ago], we moved the business from East Carmel Drive to the location we have now.
Molander is enjoying her current location in the Indiana Design Center, where she says a spirit of collaboration abounds.
I love being at the Design Center, she says. I appreciate the marketing and cultivation they do for the businesses there. People who come to the Center find themselves entering many of the stores since the businesses complement each other.
One type of product that sets Rusted Window apart is curated gift baskets for all ages and occasions. The baskets are assembled in a thoughtful way, using information about the recipient provided by the purchaser. The result has personal meaning and doesnt give the impression that it was grabbed off of a shelf in a big-box store.
Likewise, the shops design services strive to give clients a result that stands apart from their neighbors. Offerings include silk arrangements, candle holders, pillows and wall art that are not common or stale. Also available are creative, upcycled pieces that contribute to a homes unique and personal look.
COVID affected our walk-in traffic, but during the time we were shut down we still did local deliveries for gift baskets and flowers, Molander says. Many of the weddings we had booked were rescheduled or postponed. The upside is that our online business tripled.”
Customers are drawn to Rusted Window through word of mouth and social media. Others who frequent the shop are recipients of flower arrangements or gift baskets. Some customers take advantage of the flower subscription service, which has a variety of price points and is offered on a weekly or monthly basis.
Our customers get our personal attention, Molander says. Suggestions are made according to the information about their lives and their preferences that they give us. We want people to come back because they are happy with their purchase.
Rusted Window is located at 200 South Rangeline Road, Suite 120B at the Indiana Design Center. For more info, call 317-205-1716 and visit RustedWindow.com.
