Behind Lavender Living:
More than a name. A way of living.
Lavender Living began with a simple idea: that the things we surround ourselves with, the work we choose to do, and the way we treat one another can bring meaning to everyday life.
The name Lavender has always felt all-encompassing to me.
It's a color made from more than one thing, and somehow that became the perfect reflection of what I wanted this business and life to be. Different styles, different stories, different people, different ways of creating and living. There is room for all of it.
And underneath everything has always been something even simpler: the Golden Rule.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Treat people well. Show up. Create with care. Take the time to listen.
To me, that's part of what it means to Live Your Lavender Life.
WHERE IT BEGAN
The idea for Lavender Living began many moons ago during a quiet moment on Anna Maria Island.
I came across the Starfish Co. in Cortez, Florida, and a simple definition stopped me:
work (wurk), a productive use of time that gives life meaning.
That stayed with me.
And then we met Captain Richard.
Richard lived on a yellow boat across the island and would come inland every so often. We met him at Starfish, and we stopped to listen as he told us about his boat, his life, and his family.
You could tell how much it meant to him simply to share his story and to have someone genuinely listen.
There was something about that moment that stayed with me, too. We could have kept walking. A lot of people probably did.
Instead, for a little while, there was nowhere else we needed to be.
He understood that definition of work in his own way, too. His life looked very different from mine, but the meaning behind it wasn't so different at all.
Maybe that's part of what I carried home from that trip: how much meaning there can be in what we do with our time and who we choose to give some of that time to.
Lavender Living didn't begin with a perfectly mapped-out business plan. It began with a feeling.
ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER
It started with furniture.
There was something I loved about taking a piece that had been overlooked or forgotten and seeing what it could become again. Restoration led to interiors. Interiors led to thoughtfully chosen pieces for the home. And somewhere along the way, flowers found their place too.
Or maybe they were always meant to.
Today, Lavender Living is a floral and design studio filled with flowers, plants, beautiful things for the home, old pieces with stories still left to tell, and plenty of ideas for what comes next.
The pieces have changed over the years. The reason behind them really hasn't.
I still believe our surroundings matter. I still believe what we do with our time matters. And I still believe the smallest things, a vase of flowers on the table, something old given another life, a conversation, a kindness can change the way an ordinary day feels.
LIVE YOUR LAVENDER LIFE
Over time, Live Your Lavender Life became more than something we said. It became the best way I knew to describe what had been behind Lavender Living all along.
Be present.
Notice what's right in front of you.
Make room for things that bring you joy. Create something. Grow something. Give something another chance. Treat people well. Find meaning in the work you do and the people you share your days with.
Take the time to listen.
And when something beautiful is right in front of you, take the time to notice it.
That's living your Lavender Life.
— Kelly