Just a couple of blocks from her downtown condo, Katie Hunt’s flower shop feels less like a storefront and more like a quiet discovery. It reflects a life of creativity, adaptability and a surprising return to Memphis.
“Born and raised,” she says, thinking back to growing up in Memphis and her years at St. Agnes Academy, where she attended from preschool through 12th grade. “It was a really wonderful home away from home in a lot of ways.”
After graduation, she craved something new. Reflecting on her decision for college, Katie says, “I was ready for a change.” She headed to the University of Kansas to pursue textile design and architecture. After completing her studies there, she moved to Seattle for graduate school, where she then built a decade-long career in architecture.
“I loved it,” she says. “I got to experience Seattle in a wonderful, rare little moment before Amazon fully took over.” But as the city changed, so did her sense of home.
Her return to Memphis in January 2019 came just before the world shifted. Within months, the pandemic changed daily life, but for Katie, it also opened a door.
Today, her work spans three distinct but connected roles. She is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Memphis, an architect at LRK, and the owner of a growing floral business. Although these may seem like separate paths, each informs and enriches the others in a natural, interconnected way.
At LRK, she works on projects rooted in adaptive reuse—reimagining existing structures. The same approach informs her teaching, where she challenges students to analyze space, function and design. It also shapes her floral work, where form and structure are as important as beauty.
Katie had always been interested in flowers and arrangements. What had been a creative side interest began to take shape as something more. With a $100 gift from her grandmother, she decided to try. “I'm just going to use this $100 and see what I can do with it.” She organized a Valentine’s Day bouquet pop-up and sold out, even given the winter weather.
From there, things grew: she offered no-contact bouquet pickups outside her condo and built relationships with loyal customers. Later, through an architecture client, she was invited to open a downtown retail space. With the help of a grant, she converted the space into a working flower shop. “There wasn't even a door onto the sidewalk,” she says.
Now in her second year with the storefront, Katie’s business reflects her diverse experience. The shop is open on weekends, but most work happens behind the scenes. “The primary source of my business is event floral: weddings, large events and business subscriptions.”
Her architectural background is more influential than people expect. She is especially drawn to installations that balance creativity and structure. “Anything involving ladders, heights, or figuring out mechanics is really fun,” she says. “A lot of thought goes into the mechanics of floral design—you're not supposed to see it. It's like your underwear: it's there, you look good, but nobody thinks about it.”
That thinking carries into the classroom. Teaching architecture requires clarity, patience and the ability to break down complex ideas. In many ways, her floral work mirrors that process. Each arrangement, like each design concept, starts with a problem to solve and becomes something functional and expressive.
She approaches her work with a practical mindset, especially when it comes to weddings. “Not everybody has a large floral budget for their wedding. I have learned how to do the most with what I have for any event.” Balancing creativity with honesty has helped her build trust with clients.
What makes Katie’s presence in Memphis unique is not just what she crafts, but how she crafts it. Her shop is intentionally understated. “There's something almost secret about it. People discover it, and it feels like something they've stumbled upon.”
That sense of discovery has become part of the experience. “I have a lot of repeat customers,” she says, “but I also have people who come in every weekend who ask, ‘How long have you been here?’”
In many ways, that question captures her story. After returning to Memphis with a fresh perspective, Katie has moved seamlessly between teaching, designing and creating. As a result, her body of work feels thoughtful, layered and distinctly her own.