Planting the seed
By The Greater Bakersfield Chamber
While growing up, Amanda Klawitter was captivated by her mother Diana’s entrepreneurial and creative spirit, igniting her artistic drive and strengthening their bond through a shared love of nature and art. Now, the mother-and-daughter-duo has spent the past 16 years as co-owners of House of Flowers, a locally owned floral studio in Downtown Bakersfield
As a child, Amanda’s favorite hobbies were spending time in their backyard nursery and being in nature. This resulted in a close relationship with nature. She recalls her mom, Diana’s influence in instilling that within her.
Amanda recalls, “Some of my best childhood memories with my mom were going camping, collecting things in nature and trying to create art from that.”
After working at a flower shop and finding her passion in flower design, Amanda proposed their own shop to Diana. With a background as a business owner and an adventurous outlook, she enthusiastically responded, “Yes, let’s do it.”
The name “House of Flowers” is a callback to the shop’s initial start in Amanda’s home. It is also inspired by how they want their customers to feel when they walk in. They strive to create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.
“When you come in here, it’s important that you feel like you’re home. It’s our house and everybody else’s, too,” says Diana.
Their relationship as mother and daughter is not just a familial bond but a strong foundation for their business. Diana fondly describes them as “best friends” and “yin and yang” with their complementary skills. Amanda, the design-oriented one, taught Diana everything she knew about flower arrangements, while Diana, with her business acumen, guided Amanda on the path of entrepreneurship.
Planting the seed
As a locally owned and family-operated business, House of Flowers stands out with its distinct design, wide range of flowers and passion for serving the community.
Their unique approach to design gives each of their arrangements a personal touch. Diana and Amanda design all of their flower arrangements, unlike large chain retailer companies that use premade templates from wire services.
Amanda believes every business reflects its owners, and the duo wants to set their own path by avoiding commonly used industry arrangements. She happily notes that when customers see their products, they can immediately say, “That’s from House of Flowers.”
When putting arrangements together, Amanda likes to envision the recipient, asking herself, “Do they like designer items, or do they spend a lot of time outside?”
“It’s important to consider those things because that influences what type of flowers they might like,” she says.
This attention to detail and individualized care allows them to conduct successful campaigns, including their annual Mother’s Day catalog.
The House of Flowers’ Mother’s Day catalog features various flower selections and color palettes tailored for every type of mom. Visit their website to order a gift for the mom or mom figure in your life.
Diana and Amanda understand the special feeling of receiving flowers and take pride in playing a part in it. Amanda compares it to the first time a child sees a dandelion and blows on its petals.
“There’s something special about seeing something bloom because it captures a moment in time, and it’s really cool that we get to share that with people,” she says.
Their passion for flowers hasn’t waned even though they’re around flowers daily. They still have fun and describe themselves as “kids in a candy store” when picking flowers to sell.
They love going to the Los Angeles flower market and testing different varieties. Their flowers come from all over the world, from Southern California to Holland to Japan.
House of Flowers carries some of the most popular flowers, including peonies, anemones and tulips. They also offer seasonal flowers, such as ranunculus, which are perfect for weddings. Customers looking for something that lasts longer can also find live plants like lilies and orchids at their store.
Building roots and growing forward
As Bakersfield locals, Amanda and Diana love the support they receive from the Bakersfield community. They even have a wall of pictures featuring their loyal customers, especially those who continued to support them during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This support goes both ways; they intentionally give back to the community and support other local businesses. When choosing which products to sell, they are adamant about exclusively picking items from small, local California businesses.
“Supporting small businesses is really important because they are the ones who are helping shape culture,” Amanda says. “Small businesses pay attention to what the community needs.”
Moving forward, Diana and Amanda envision the future of House of Flowers as bigger and better. They want to ensure they are leaning into their passions and things they enjoy, including hosting more workshops and events at their store.
For more information, please check out ahofdesigns.com.
