Flowers with artistic flair
An attention to detail and an eye for the very best flowers sets Tammy Currier’s floral designs at Heights Floral Shoppe apart.
Heights Floral Shoppe, which has been in the Fairmount-Taylor shopping district for 44 years, is the place to go for artistic, personalized floral arrangements. "I don’t design by formula. Each arrangement is a response to a particular customer and the flowers available that day," said Tammy L. Currier, who has owned the business since 2007. An appreciative customer once remarked to Currier, "Everything that leaves this store has a little bit of you in it."
Two years ago, when Currier was looking for ways to cut costs, she decided to stay in the neighborhood. Recently, she moved a few doors down Fairmount Boulevard to a light, airy space inside Paysage, an interior design store on the corner of Fairmount and South Taylor Road. She says, "This shop provides solace—the beautiful colors and wonderful smell when you walk in. I didn’t want to take that away from my customers and from people who like this shopping district," said Currier.
Heights Floral Shoppe customers can enter though Paysage’s entrance, which faces South Taylor, or through the blue door to the left of the pergola. That entrance has a ramp making it wheelchair accessible. The new location, which has a parking lot, makes it easier to visit the store and browse for a while. "This block is becoming a popular destination for shoppers from outside Cleveland Heights," Currier noted.
Currier brings an unusual mix of artistic and literary talent to her floral designs. With aspirations to become a writer, Currier majored in journalism and literature at Central Michigan University, with a minor in art. She was an editor for a pioneering online bookseller in Cleveland. After working for many years as a visual merchandiser, Currier took a hiatus and spent several months painting her way through Italy and Greece.
She has a gift for eye-catching displays, which customers notice as soon as they enter her shop. The compact space is a visual treasure chest of home and garden decorations, books, paper flowers, soaps, containers, and wall art. "I can look at an empty room and see just how it should be arranged," she says.
Currier brings the same three-dimensional ability to flower design. "I go to the wholesale flower market every morning. I look for the best flowers, and when I find them, I can visualize the designs I will do." She learned the nuts and bolts of the floral business from the former owner, Jay Szabo. "In a small concern like this, you learn by doing," she noted. "I like the freedom of owning my own business and of making my own vision a reality."
For Valentine's Day, Currier suggests "thinking outside the red heart" and beyond red roses. She suggests roses in other colors that open beautifully and can be enjoyed for several days. A fresh garden arrangement of tulips, roses, and hydrangeas—while untraditional—can turn into a lovely surprise.
Heights Floral Shoppe has both delivery and wire services. Located at 3451 Fairmount Boulevard, the shop can be reached by phone at 216-321-4114 or on the web at www.heightsfloralshoppe.com.
Meredith Holmes is a writer and editor, and lontime resident of Cleveland Heights. She was the city's first poet laureate.