The new owner of Danville Florist Kelly Allen has had a busy holiday season. She splits her time somewhere between DIY renovations and assembling fragrant baskets adorned with pinecones and Poinsettias.
“I would have to say probably my favorite thing to do is the Christmas arrangements,” said Allen.
She’s still fairly new to the title of small business owner, but is embracing the role of florist. Kelly and her youngest daughter Megan run the shop full-time with the help of the entire family (two more daughters and a handy husband). Together, they’re making some changes to the old building.
They’ve revamped the space with fresh paint, barn wood, custom cabinets and a new homestead style. The family even uncovered some precious hardwood underneath three layers of flooring, a big HGTV-esque moment.
“We are trying to make it our own. We’ve added some antiques. We’ve brought in more gift items, a little more farmhouse decorating. We’ve totally redone the inside of the business,” explains owner Kelly Allen.
It’s an opportunity that came about in 2016 after the longtime owners of Danville Florist, Tammy and Jim Lakin, suffered a horrible loss. Tammy passed away suddenly at the age of 50. Jim was soon looking to hand the reins over to a new owner.
“He (Jim) decided to sell the shop and try to keep it going and he made me an offer that was hard to refuse… and here I am,” said Kelly Allen.
The Danville native spent her career in the medical field but always had a passion for floral arrangements, design and crafts. She’s done flowers for weddings and even worked for Danville Florist part-time back in the 90s. Now, at 58, this was a chance to let her business dreams bloom.
“I won’t say it hasn’t been stressful, but it has been very rewarding, especially when you have customers come in and say they love what we’ve done and the changes we’ve made,” Allen said.
Megan Allen, 28, decided to go all in at the floral shop after she realized it was too much to do part-time at the shop and keep up at her full-time career.
“I just said, I’m going to do it. I’ve got to help mom out,” remembers Megan, who enjoys seeing the floral arrangements come together during the busy wedding season.
Her older sister handles social media and helps with busy holidays. Dad is also there to pitch in with an antique or delivery. Together, they hope the business will thrive.
“The hope is just to be successful within the town and county. We are only one within the town, but there is a lot of good competition in the county,” Megan Allen said.
By Lindsay Doty
