Glen Egeland creates out-of-the-ordinary floral arrangements, so it seems only fitting that his Barrington Flower Shop is also unconventional by design.
Egeland, who opened his store in 1988, doesn’t display his English-styled arrangements in traditional floral shop manner, on row after row of shelves. Instead, in a charming, century-old building in downtown Barrington, he has created a Victorian, house-like interior to showcase his designs.
The shop encompasses two rooms and a loft area decorated with an ever-changing mix of antiques, reproduction art and vintage accessories-and, of course, dozens of exquisite fresh, silk and dried floral designs. Everything is for sale, with custom florals also available.
“People see what our designs look like in a real house setting, and that helps them imagine ideas for their own homes. Plus, they like browsing for other treasures here, too,” Egeland said.
The store, in an 1872 building that once served as Barrington’s post office and general store, features a large living room area, where formal English furnishings serve as a backdrop for elegant table arrangements, unusual wreaths and striking free-form wall florals; a porch-like room, where more casual florals mix with rough-hewn furniture and accessories; and an upstairs bedroom loft, featuring a colorful mix of designs often inspired by the quilts displayed there.
“Our style is English, loose and airy, with a lot of branches and ivy amid the flowers. It’s definitely not the carnation and daisy look,” said Egeland, who also uses fruits, feathers and other non-traditional decorations.
The shop’s most unusual project was a $26,000 order for an outdoor estate wedding, in which Egeland and his seven designers decorated the trees with orchids and made arches and canopies using orchids, ivy, lemonleaf and camellia foliage. More typical is a shop specialty in which they create huge decorated grapevine and honeysuckle wall sculptures for the immense walls in cathedral-ceiling homes.
Basic offerings include customized fresh arrangements from $35 to $50 and large silk wreaths for less than $90. Free at-home consultation is available for orders over $100.
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The Barrington Flower Shop, 201 S. Cook St., Barrington, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and by appointment Sunday. Phone 708-382-4090.
