Flowers have always been close to home for Katie Daniels. Raised in Lunada Bay, she grew up surrounded by the community that would eventually become an integral part of her life and career. Today she owns STEMS Floral Design, a charming shop in Malaga Cove where her story with flowers began when she was just 15.
Her first job was at the very flower shop she now owns. Katie worked alongside its previous owner, Jodi, on and off for more than 15 years, learning the nuances of floral design along the way. Although she initially planned to become a teacher, another vocation eventually proved impossible to ignore.
“The flowers were calling my name,” she says.
After returning home from a chapter in San Francisco, Katie knew that flowers and design needed to be part of her life. She began creating arrangements from home for weddings and events. As her business grew, an opportunity arose to purchase the shop where it had all started. That was 16 years ago.
“I’m forever grateful for this special place and the gift of designing that Jodi shared with me,” she says.
Malaga Cove continues to be a natural choice for the business. Katie was part of the last graduating class at nearby Malaga Cove School and remembers spending afternoons in the plaza. Its familiar charm and close-knit atmosphere continue to resonate with her.
“Every day,” she says, “I can’t believe this is where I get to create.”
More than 25 years into floral design, Katie remains inspired by its ever-changing nature. Each trip to the flower market can bring a new discovery, and the seasons continually offer fresh colors, shapes and textures. Current favorites include hellebores, peonies, fritillaria, sweet peas and orchids, though she admits the list is always evolving.
Recent floral trends are embracing more structural, textured compositions, with calla lilies, amaranthus and anthurium taking center stage. Unexpected additions from the produce aisle—papayas, pomegranates and grapes among them—are also finding their way into her arrangements.
“The surprise of a beautiful bouquet can really change someone’s day.”
Working with nature, however, requires flexibility. Flowers are perishable, crops can disappear unexpectedly due to weather and shipments can be held because of pests. For weddings and large events, those surprises require quick substitutions and considerable creativity. Katie credits her floral teams, co-designers and crew with meeting those challenges.
“Never dull,” she says of her work. “Your creativity has to step up big time.”
COVID-19 brought an entirely different challenge. STEMS Floral Design was forced to close temporarily, while weddings and events were canceled or dramatically altered. What Katie remembers most from that difficult period is how strongly the community rallied around the business.
That relationship with her customers remains at the heart of STEMS. Many have been with Katie since she purchased the shop, accompanying one another through life’s milestones: weddings, birthdays, babies, celebrations and memorials.
“Many of my clients I now consider family,” she says. “Many conversations end with, ‘I love you.’ That is most special.”
Her own family has been equally important. Katie credits her parents and brother, Chris, with being actively involved in STEMS from its beginning and throughout its success.
Ultimately, what keeps Katie devoted to flowers is their simple ability to connect people. While anniversaries, birthdays and celebrations may be traditional occasions for a bouquet, her favorite reason requires no occasion at all.
“My favorite gift of flowers is the ‘just because’ gift,” she says. “The surprise of a beautiful bouquet can really change someone’s day.”
After decades surrounded by blooms, that small moment of joy still means everything.
