Personal arrangements: Newport Beach co-op space features local businesses and talent
The smell of roses as well as light streaming in through a window facing a grassy courtyard fills Crystal Schachter’s suite at Seaside Gallery and Goods, 124 Tustin Ave., just north of Pacific Coast Highway. That’s where she runs Studio C Floral, lovingly arranging centerpieces, mementos for special occasions and tokens of affection for her clients.
Decluttering was the first order of business on Friday. Luckily her modest office/workspace doesn’t take too long to tidy up. After about 10 minutes of clearing countertops and dragging wicker baskets around to clear a path running between sets of shoulder-height IKEA bookshelves, she’s ready to put together a bouquet.
Schachter selects coral, peach and apricot-shaped roses in shades of white, pink and papyrus yellow, pairing them with white snapdragons. Leaves and thorns dance momentarily along a slight draft in her workspace before falling in a pile at her feet as she uses a specialized tool to clean up each stem.
She then trims each stem to a uniform length and wraps them in decorative paper and cellophane. A thin, vivid blue ribbon tied in a neat bow completes the arrangement.
Schachter used to do arrangements on a larger scale for weddings and other large events. But she found herself frequently exhausted by the high-volume and high-pressure nature of that business model, and wanted to spend more time with her children. When in-person weddings stopped happening during the pandemic, she took it as an opportunity to shift her focus to individual clients in search of heartfelt gifts and forget-me-nots.
“Don’t get me wrong, weddings are a big deal,” Schachter said. “But I feel like what I’m doing now is more personal, like each arrangement means more to each individual client.”
Studio C Floral is just one of over two dozen artists and local businesses, mostly run by women, taking up residence at the cooperatively run Seaside Gallery and Goods. The space is a sort of year-round “pop-up” venue showcasing regional talent that might otherwise struggle to find floor space in South County, owner Kathy Shaw said. Other offerings found there include jewelry, clothing and home goods.
The gallery and market space regularly hosts workshops featuring flower arrangement, painting, ukele lessons and more. This October the space celebrates its 10th anniversary. And on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 22 and 23, all resident vendors and artists will be participating in a sale with discounts starting at 10% off, Shaw said.
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