Meet Sophia, the owner of So Floral. Creator of earthy, unique and creative floral pieces.
We love the supportive, creative community of Raglan and we are always interested in meeting people who are making their businesses and lifestyles work to suit our small-town living.
Sophia specialises in NZ grown flowers, both fresh and dried. You may have seen her dried flower work around town or complementing the interiors of some of our beautiful homes in Rangitahi! Sophia uses flowers as a form of art and is passionate about sharing her knowledge – whether it be to her lovely customers buying individual bouquets, or to groups of enthusiastic audiences in the workshops.
We spoke to Sophia about why she chose to live in Raglan, and how she has created a successful business in our thriving town.
“I was wanting to move back to NZ for the last few years. We visited last February and fell in love with Raglan’s charm. The surf is definitely one of the main reasons and we loved the community feel and holistic lifestyle it had to offer.”
Sophia has been based in Raglan for the past 12 months. With the economic challenges which we have all been facing, we were keen to hear about how she is adapting her business to suit the changing times:
“I would saying moving from Bondi having everything so accessible has been challenging, adapting to having to do orders online and be patient with not always having what I may need. I have become good at improvising!! We do find NZ so expensive compared to Australia, but we have planted and grown veggies which is also so rewarding and what I really missed about NZ.”
“We are taking on more local workshops and will focus more on our DIY online courses which are accessible to anyone with a postal address.”
“We also sell pre-made designs and do custom designs and styling. Weddings will become more of a focus next season. Raglan is definitely a spot for intimate weddings which I love.”
Sophia began her studies in Hawke’s Bay, then continued her education in Sydney at Pearsons School of Floristry. “I’ve always loved creativity and nature, so it was the perfect career for me. I guess it’s in my DNA too… my Grandma was a florist and had her own shop and also Mum used to make wreaths and love dried flowers.”
You can see Sophia during the week at the Tiny Shop in Raglan town centre and hear all about what she has to offer. You can even create something beautiful in the comfort of your own home – her workshops are fun to do for birthdays, hens parties, dinner parties or whichever occasion you wish to celebrate.
And if you decorate your home with any of her beautiful creations, be sure to share photos with us – we would love to see them!
So Floral:
www.sofloralstudio.com
@so.floral
www.facebook.com/sofloral
