BLOOM & CO. CURATED LIVING
Nataschia Wielink and Kalin Falconer were sipping mimosas while browsing a pocket-size boutique in Williamsburg, N.Y., when they had a lightbulb moment: “Wouldn’t it be neat if we did something like this?” Kalin recalls asking. The friends returned to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., with the vision of opening their own cabinet of curiosities. Not long after, what used to be a run-down deli was transformed into the downto-earth emporium that Kalin, an event florist, and Nataschia, a photographer, had imagined. From unique plant pots to eco-friendly Swedish towels to soothing soaps made with essential oils, the boutique is curated with items that are both good-looking and hardworking.
The store’s own scented candles (think Grapefruit + Mango and Mint + Eucalyptus) are hand poured in house — the back of the store functions as a studio where the duo makes their candles. When social distancing measures allow, it will also once again host floral, painting and craft workshops. For these two, with wineries down the street and drips of wax at their feet, slow living isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle. “The store looks like how we’ve decorated our homes,” says Kalin. “Simple and unfussy.”