SHARE THE LOVE
with Yeonni from Marmalade Floral
Our neighbor Yeonni, recently welcomed us into her Mount Pleasant flower shop. We had the chance to photograph some of her exquisite arrangements, ask her about her budding business and her other favourite shops in the neighborhood.
Can you tell us a bit about Marmalade and how it came to be?
Marmalade is the first business me and my partner are running together. Very spontaneously, we received an offer to take over this space, and had just a few weeks to accept and create an initial plan. Since we both love spaces and interior design, we were able to build out this space in a simple and efficient way that still satisfied our design desire.
What has been a highlight since opening Marmalade?
We opened Marmalade at the beginning of a pandemic, full of uncertainty. Especially during the first months, we had very mixed feelings about what to expect. But some time later, people began to notice, and a growing number of customers came to the shop saying “My wife sent me here”, or “My partner really loves your Instagram!”. And though we are a young business, we already have a solid core of regulars behind us. So I would say the highlight that stands out the most is seeing people positively respond to my whole creative approach and style.
What attracted you to the flower business?
Mostly my creative side, I've always loved styling and arranging things. I have loved cooking and plating since I was very young and I found arranging flowers is similar to cooking. In the kitchen I’d be using fresh ingredients, doing prep, and plating. WIth flowers, I’m sourcing particular flowers, processing all the raw stems, and arranging. So, in a way, being a florist is just another extension of my creative interests. Especially now that I grew to appreciate flowers much more than when I was young.
How would you describe your signature style?
I like flowy looks, especially the shape and movement of wild fields and meadows when the wind blows through them. These sorts of scenes are definitely reflected in my arrangements. Most of all I avoid anything that strays away from natural colors and form.
How did you find the transition from florist into your own floral business?
Most things remained the same except the added responsibilities of being a business owner. In addition to running the shop’s day to day operations, I source and process the flowers, take photos, manage our social media and, mostly, arrange flowers. What’s really nice about having my own business is being able to create my own world and work inside it.
What would you say are the most popular flowers in a Valentine's arrangement?
Everyone knows, it’s the classic, red rose. But I’m personally not a huge fan of roses for arrangements, except for David Austin and majolica roses, they are darlings. It’s our first Vday at Marmalade and I’ll probably make something not so red nor rosey. Probably I will keep with our style, but really focus on creating a romantic vibe.
What are your favourite flowers to receive?
I love a big bunch of Chamomile, Tulips or Peony, or just a few stems of Ranunculus and poppy. And sometimes, just a few grasses from out in the wild is the best :)
Can you tell us about your Valentine's Day plans at the shop? Which arrangements will you have available?
We have an ongoing 15% off promotion for the month leading up to Vday. We wanted to share some warmth during the gloomy winter season with some bright flowers. We will focus more on romantic colors for Vday but we probably won’t change much of our style. Also, we are working with Janaki Larsen who is making some VDay vases for Marmalade, which can work perfectly for someone looking for a beautiful ceramic vase to go along with their flowers.
Favourite coffee shop in the neighborhood?
We are coffee people and really like to try different cafes in the city for our morning coffee and pastries. So we often drive around for it. But recently, we’ve really liked going to ‘L’atelier patisserie’ for simple yet rich croissants and coffee for pickup! We are friends with the Nemesis crew and look forward to their roastery opening nearby.
Best spot for dessert?
This is hard to answer as we’re not really dessert people. That said, I love all kinds of fruit, and that’s usually what I’m having for dessert haha. Though for stuff nearby, we are big fans of ‘Body energy club’. But can it be my dessert place? We love their Acai bowl and Avocado bliss smoothie, and find their offerings to be simply really fresh. And only sometimes, we crave ‘Rain or Shine’ for malted milk chocolate ice cream.
Favourite grocer?
Granville island market. I get too excited every time I’m down there. Because the majority of our home cuisine is Korean, we frequent Hannam K-mart. But our regular rotation includes Whole Foods, Kin’s Mart, Parthenon Market (canned fish), and La Grotta Del Formaggio (Love their focaccia sandwich).
Favourite dinner spot in the neighbourhood?
Autostrata, Anh and Chi, The Fish Counter, Acorn, Como and Tacofino Ocho.
