The Ladies of Foret Design Studio Opened a Boutique
Photo by Henry + Mac
Erin Heath and Rose Mattos let their fate be decided by a tarot card. Well, that, and a garage door.
The ladies behind the wildly successful Foret Design Studio had been toying with the idea of expanding their business to include a retail space for quite some time. But it took a new landlord revamping with a renovation and a well-timed drawing of the Queen of Swords card from a late-night tarot card reading to make their vision a reality. “We love doing more than just flowers and we wanted to build a brand off of our event company as another way to connect with folks in Boston…When we got a new landlord who wanted to redo the building’s facade by getting rid of an old, wooden garage door and installing windows, that was a game changer,” said Heath. And the story of the tarot card? “That’s true!” exclaimed Heath. “We consulted the deck one night about what direction to take with the business and drew the Queen of Swords.”
The card in question, that also inspired the store’s name, shows a queen holding a sword to the sky in front of a clear, spring sky with a bird over her head, which roughly symbolizes clarity of mind and the ability to rise above minor issues in order to make a good decision.
So far, the tarot card has not led them astray. The shop had its grand opening this past weekend and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “People come in and they will literally sigh, and say how nice the space is and how good it feels,” said Heath.
The interior, designed by Heath and Mattos with help from Shane Gibbons of Nomad Design Collaborative, features painted-white wooden walls, hand-built shelving and furniture salvaged from farmers’ market and Brimfield. The sunlit, plant-filled space mimics the aesthetic of the pieces for sale, which include home goods, apparel, and accessories. All of the lines are from small companies, many of them female-run, and several are local to Massachusetts. “Everything feels good or smells good, the aesthetic is simple and clean, but also natural,” said Heath. “It’s all of these things that we love and want to be able to share,” she continued.
An added bonus to shoppers: Foret Design Studio is behind Queen of Swords, separated by a glass door, so visitors can see floral designs coming to life while they shop.
Queen of Swords is located at 17 Hawkins Street in Somerville and is open on Wednesday through Friday from 12 to 7 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. For more info visit shopqos.com.
