Creating beautiful customised floral arrangements for every special occasion is this enterprising white collar professional-turned-florist
For Pauline Ho, working with flowers isn’t just her job, it’s also a form of therapy. The owner of up-and-coming floral boutique Fleurapy shares with CATALOG the path she took to realising her passion and the biggest life lessons she’s learnt since starting out on her own.
Hi Pauline! Can you take us through your journey of becoming a full-time florist?
I used to have a 9-to-5 job at a creative agency. After leaving, I got into social work. At that time, flowers were going to remain a hobby, but as friends began ordering arrangements from me, it slowly took up most of my time and one day I realised, “Hey I’m doing this full-time!”. It’s been a year and a half since then.
Was deciding to become a full-time florist an easy decision to make?
It was easy for me because I didn’t have loans to worry about. My friends were extremely encouraging. While my parents were worried, they were also supportive. My mum even helped me prep flowers when I was working out of our house.
How did the interest in flora and botanicals come about?
I was never interested in florals until 2013, when one of my best friends invited me to a flower potluck she organised. The first arrangement I made was truly ugly (not even a retrospective observation, by the way). But I somehow fell in love with it. From that point on, I started observing the landscape around me more because I was perpetually on a hunt to snip off plants imagined would look nice in an arrangement.
When putting together a project for clients, what’s the process like?
I ask a lot of questions! Aesthetic preferences aside, I also dig deeper to find out what the desired emotional outcome is. If it is a bespoke bouquet order, I like to find out things like the recipient’s favourite books, movies and even fashion brands.
Spill your secret: Where are the best places in Singapore to buy supplies?
I get my plants and flowers from the Thomson Road nurseries. I also like to shop at homewares stores like Crate & Barrel, MUJI and Robinsons for interesting vases!
What’s the most memorable project you’ve done to date?
I recently completed an indoor floor-to-ceiling terrarium for Park Bench Deli. It is really a modern tropical jungle in there and we even had 3D-printed wall planters designed. It’s memorable because it’s the most permanent piece of work I’ve done to date.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned since starting Fleurapy?
I still get really excited when I’m shopping for flowers. Sometimes, I can’t resist buying flowers and plants for myself when I see something that’s so amazing, but just won’t fit into my orders. I also still find the whole process of putting an arrangement together super therapeutic – that’s why it’s called Fleurapy!
Photos courtesy of Pauline Ho.
Source: CATALOG Magazine