1) Grey Gardens
Go for: the seasonal blooms
Get bouquets to go at Grey Gardens in the Cedars.
Bryan Long has designed florals professionally for 17 years. When entrepreneur Shannon Wynne asked him to open a store in his Cedars development on South Harwood, Long couldn’t say no. “I saw the space, I saw the vision, and I was like, yes, I can do this,” he says. His European-inspired flower shop, Grey Gardens, opened in January. Long sells fresh-cut stems, wrapped flowers to go, and small vases with buds at affordable prices.
How do you care for stems once you get them home? The best way to keep stems fresh is to put a couple drops of bleach in the water. This prevents bacteria from growing. Also, it is important to give the stems a fresh angle cut. The more exposed the interior of the stem, the more the flower will draw up the water.
Favorite blooms? Peonies. I am from Michigan, and my grandmother always had peonies in her garden. Little lime hydrangeas are a cone shape and a beautiful lime green. In the fall they start to turn this beautiful pink. And gladiolas. Again, as a little boy, my grandmother would take me to the city market, and she would let me pick out a bunch of glads, and I would arrange them in a vase. I love a vase with nothing but glads. They are so stately.
2) The Candle Bar
Go for: a new flame
Nashville transplant The Candle Bar opened as a pop-up shop in Deep Ellum earlier this year, and it will keep pouring through August. The interactive shop is built around the candle-making experience: grab a friend and pay $40 to reserve a spot in a one-hour workshop. First, choose a vessel in a wide range of colors and modern designs. Then, spend some time in the fragrance section. Forty scents are divided up into sweet, woody, spicy, and fresh families. (The most popular are whiskey and oak, and sea salt and sage.) Now it’s time to pour. Take a seat and an instructor will guide you through the process. Once your candle has burned down, the vessels are pretty enough to be used as vases or desk accessories. The store also offers grab-and-go gifts such as stationery, (more) candles, grooming products, and coffee mugs from sister brands Paddywax, Olivina Men, and Design Works.
3) The Scent Room
Go for: the smell test
Deborah Turner was tired of going to the same department stores to find a new perfume. “We stick to the same scent because it’s easy that way,” she says. “It becomes not a fun experience.” On a trip to Italy with her husband, her one request was to visit a niche perfumery. “We went to Siena, and there’s this beautiful little shop,” she says. “So I thought, this is the one, this is it.” After visiting with owner Vincent Gambino, Turner walked out with two scents and an idea for a store. A few years later, she opened her own niche perfumery, The Scent Room, in West Village, with Gambino as her mentor. Turner carries more than 300 unisex scents, all by artisanal perfumeries you’ve probably never heard of. Turner encourages shoppers to stay, sip wine, and sniff as they find their personal favorites. She says to think of choosing a scent as a journey. “Every day I’m discovering more,” she says.
Where to Wear It:
(left to right)
Power meeting — Fior Fiore by Eau d’Italie
Brunch with friends — Bombay Bling by Neela Vermeire
Vacation — Desvélos by Acqua di Sardegna
Date night — Mon Nom Est Rouge by Majda Bekkali
