Katherine Slayton has an eye for design. With the right tools, she can create anything from beautiful bouquets to statues of animals made of flowers. Her love for florals comes from her father, who owned a flower shop in North Carolina. “Dad opened a flower shop as a retirement project and called me to help him one weekend. I told him that I didn’t know what to do but I would come help him. I ended up having the time of my life,” says Katherine. “I got to know my dad in a way I’d never known him before. He was always going to the office when I was a kid growing up, so I didn’t know that he was a talented floral designer.”
After Katherine’s father passed away, she bought the business from her mother. Twelve years later, Katherine sold the business and began a career in the assisted living industry. “I didn’t realize I would still be working nights and weekends like I had been doing in the floral business,” says Katherine. After fifteen years, Katherine decided to retire out of assisted living. “I quickly learned that I was not the kind of person to just sit at home and do nothing. So, I decided to open up my flower shop, Katherine By Design,” she shares. “When I do my work, I try to incorporate things that my dad trained and taught me. I took myself to a couple design schools just to make sure that I was well rounded in my skills and abilities.”
One of Katherine’s favorite things about what she does is seeing the element of surprise on people's faces when she delivers her florals. “There are a lot of intrinsic rewards that make you feel good inside about what you do. Even if it’s a funeral piece, you’re doing something that’s going to have long lasting meaning for somebody,” says Katherine. ‘When I opened Katherine By Design, my goal was to bring some new things to the community and a more artistic approach to florals versus the everyday approach where all the bouquets look so much alike. I’ve really been having a good time with it,” says Katherine.
Katherine can help you with all your floral needs. She provides florals for weddings, parties, funerals, private home decorating, bouquets, and more! Call her today at 803-335-9089 or email her at katherinebydesign@outlook.com.
