Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD – Floral design with a flair is how Pat Canavan and Andi Fredette describe their new business, One of a Kind: Consign & Design. Located at 232 Main St. in Fort Fairfield’s Village Square, One of a Kind is a full-service florist.
“We do anything from weddings to everyday occasions to funerals,” said Fredette, floral designer and store manager. “We have silk, dried and fresh flowers, as well as greenhouse plants and indoor/outdoor plants. We have a vintage flair to our shop, which is a few antiques and vintage finds that we have. We do some recycling … we reuse containers. We also do a little bit of consignment. If you had an antique that you were wanting to sell, we would bring it into the store and consign it for you.”
“We’re fairly particular in the items we’re going to bring into the shop,” said Canavan, owner. “We plan on having a local artisans’ corner where local artisans will have their items for sale. We will be offering the new ‘Our Maine Street’ magazine and we’re working on getting an application approved to sell Yankee Candles. We also repurpose items that may or may not be vintage as they fit the shop’s flair and flavor, and we recreate something individual and unique.”
One of a Kind will also provide balloons, balloon bouquets, and gift baskets.
“The sky’s the limit; we can do anything,” said Fredette, who also has experience as a wedding planner. “If somebody has an idea and it’s never been done before, bring it to me. I love a challenge.
“We truly are one of a kind,” she said. “The vintage flair that we bring sets us apart from other florists. We don’t design according to how they teach Floral 101; I’ve never gone to school for what I do … it comes from the heart. I’ve worked in the business for over 25 years in different parts of the country, so I’ve picked up a bit of flair from everybody I’ve worked with.”
Ironically, the two women had never met until a few months ago.
“We each spoke individually to Terry Greenier who owns the building about renting space,” said Canavan. “I originally wanted to do consignments. I’ve been a collector for years and I moved out of a bigger home into a smaller home, so I have a lot of items that I wanted to sell, but didn’t want to put them in a garage sale.
“I spoke to Terry and he said, ‘You know, there’s another woman in town who’s been talking about opening a flower store. Maybe you should talk to her,’” Canavan said. “I tracked her down, we started to talk and one thing led to another.”
Fredette and Canavan agree they complement each other very well.
“What I don’t think of, she does,” said Canavan, “and vice versa.”
In addition to being repainted, the building has seen the addition of an 8-foot by 8-foot cooler to display the flowers.
“We pretty much had to refresh and update the store,” Canavan said. “However, things have fallen into place quite nicely.”
Delivery within the town limits of Fort Fairfield will be free.
“We will be able to offer delivery to other towns and areas,” said Canavan, “and we’re working on connecting with a distributor such as Teleflora or FTD. We haven’t chosen one yet.”
Presently Canavan and Fredette are the only employees, although Canavan hopes to hire a part-time employee in the near future.
One of a Kind will hold its grand opening Thursday, July 16 during regular business hours.
“People should stop by and check us out,” said Canavan. “You never know what you’ll find at One of a Kind.”
Business hours at One of a Kind will be from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 472-6076.
