The Online Flower Service Every Bay Area Modernist Will Want to Bookmark

Here at the San Francisco Dwell office, we’re always on the lookout for companies that take a straightforward service or product and turn it into something special. Thus, when we were introduced to Florealm, we were excited to hear that with just a few clicks of the mouse, Bay Area residents can schedule to have a locally grown flower arrangement sent to the person of their choice for just 20 dollars—or for themselves for that matter. After seeing how they've been able to do this in such a modern and sustainable way, we knew we had to dig deeper.

As an up-and-coming online floral company that has dedicated its services to working with local farms from around the Bay Area, Florealm places curated arrangements in simple glass jars and delivers them at prices that are extremely reasonable. Ever since one of their jars landed at our offices at Dwell—which led to the whole staff being drawn to it and a pleasing scent filling the air—we knew we had to meet the person behind the petals. Though countless flower delivery services can already be found wherever you go, we were pleasantly surprised to see how these arrangements are so thoughtful, contemporary, and quite affordable.

As founder Esther Hu soon explained to us, "We are the modernists of flowers." When Hu first started the company a couple of years ago, her main goal was to create something she could be proud of, and that would bring happiness to her customers. When we asked her how she first envisioned making this happen, she explained, "We want to be a pioneer in flower self-care."

You might be wondering what "flower self-care" actually means, as were we. Though you’re given the option to send a flower jar to someone else as a surprise delivery, Hu really imagined Florealm as a way to treat yourself well by bringing nature closer to your everyday life—particularly to your office desk. Thus, you can opt for either a single delivery or weekly subscriptions.

We all know how taxing the daily grind can get, and how we can sometimes forget what it’s like to enjoy nature. By connecting customers to the asset of the flower itself, Hu aims to prove that having a small, delicate selection of flowers right by your computer screen, can have a surprising effect on your mood. She points out, "We want to bring the essence of flowers to a modern setting and to reconnect with nature wherever we can."

When she began her research on how she could provide a daily dose of nature, she firmly decided that she would keep it local and focus on sourcing flowers that are seasonal, unique, and interesting for the senses. In order to stick to this principle, delivery is currently only available in the Bay Area, though she’s looking to expand into other locales in the future, where she’ll also concentrate solely on local farms. 

Something that really stood out to us when Hu sent a jar to our office, was that each arrangement held a meaning that was explained on an accompanying tag. To add to the specialized nature of these deliveries, each one is completely unique, so you won’t be receiving something typical or expected.

Hu feels strongly that flowers have the power to bring a calming, peaceful, and happy vibe to whatever space they land in. Why not take your chance to embrace it, especially when you’re at the office, facing a long week ahead of you?