November 13, 2020Flower Person

Lacie RZ Porta, Floral Framing Specialist

This week's Flower Person is the gorgeous Lacie RZ Porta, designer, artist and flower preservationist. Her clean, simple aesthetic and love for flowers culminates in stunning framed florals that live forever. Through her knowledge on and deep understanding of preservation, Lacie has founded and launched her business of pressing, preserving and framing gorgeous florals in Brooklyn, NY. In this interview we talk about where her passion for flowers originates from, her daily rituals and much more!

Hi Lacie! Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do

Hi! I run Framed Florals which is a flower preservation studio based in Brooklyn! Framed Florals specializes in pressing flowers and framing them in minimal wood float frames. I live and work in Greenpoint, and my days are filled with pressing and framing a lot of flowers!

Lacie RZ Porta floral preservation framing flowers beauty The Qi Flower Person Interview

Sounds like days well spent! Where are you from and where do you call home now?

I was born in Brooklyn, raised on Long Island, and I’ve been back living in Brooklyn for the last 12 years! Brooklyn is definitely my favorite place and forever home!

Your work with flowers is stunning. Where did your love for flowers come from or what first drew you to flowers?

I’ve always loved flowers, and my love of them was reinvigorated after my wedding! Flowers have such a way of changing a room, representing memories and feelings, and always make people feel happy! I love being able to work in this medium.

I love seeing a full vase of flowers in every room! What are you working on at the moment?

Right now I’m working on getting some frames and fun flower things ready for holiday shopping! I’m always honored when people want to gift my work, and I’ve been trying to incorporate as many of my clients favorite flowers into my upcoming pieces! Personally I’ve been working on gardening in my aerogarden! Which is a tiny little garden that I have in my kitchen, I’m currently growing tomatoes and basil!

Aerogardens are all the rage right now. What are some inspiring words you love and live by?

I love the quote “no rain, no flowers” and think about it on both good days, and challenging days! Some days do feel more like rain, when things are challenging or running a business feels overwhelming, but they make way for the flower filled bright days!

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Love that quote! Thank you for sharing :) What’s a daily ritual that’s made an impact in your life?

One ritual that has a positive impact on my day is my walks to work! I’m so grateful to have my studio in the same neighborhood and can walk to and from work! I listen to “What a Day” podcast which is my daily update on politics and news and I drink my coffee as I ease into the day! By the time I get to the studio I’m ready to get to work pressing all the flowers!

What are you drinking and eating currently?

Currently I’m excited to eat anything that I can add basil from my basil plant to! So far it’s been a lot of vegan pizza, pasta, and wraps!

That sounds delicious! What brings you pure joy?

Spending time away from work, social media, and being in nature brings me pure joy! My husband and I took a day off to visit Central Park a few weeks ago and it was a day that felt like pure joy! Drinking coffee, wandering around, listening to the sounds of the park was such a relaxing day.

Who is someone that had the most impact in your life for the better?

My creative community of friends, fellow business owners, and creatives have had the most impact in my life for the better! I’m so fortunate to have such an incredible community of people to call on and be inspired by. They’ve shown me how to mesh my social justice views with my flower business, how to be unapologetically myself in my brand, and to infuse all of that together in Framed Florals! Being a solo entrepreneur doesn’t have to be lonely when you have a wonderful system of people to lean on!

Finally, where do you find inspiration or what have you found super inspiring lately?

I’m constantly inspired by artists in other mediums outside of the flower world! I love finding inspiration from ceramicists, jewelry designers, graphic designers, painters, chefs, writers. Right now I’m feeling most inspired by artists who focus on mental health! With the pandemic, winter approaching, the time difference making it darker earlier, I’m so inspired by artists working to bring mental health to the forefront of their work. Right now I’m loving @yasminecheyenne, @shopsundae, @hailethomas, @grland.co!

Quick fire Q’s

Favorite affirmation?

“Just Google it” which my pal @lindscholz printed on a shirt! Google was my bff when I launched my business and my motto when presented with something I need to learn or figure out!

Favorite book?

I’ve read 30 books in 2020! So it’s hard to pick only one so two of my favorite books I’ve read this year are “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi, “Daisy Jones & The Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid!