Creativity Blooms Inside Florist Molly Ford’s Bed-Stuy Apartment
Millions of tessellating apartments across New York City form the living, breathing mosaic of the metropolis. And within them, countless stories unfold – overlapping and entwining like roots beneath the pavement. One particular vignette plays out in Brooklyn’s vibrant neighbourhood of Bed-Stuy, featuring a florist, a musician, a Pomeranian, and a walk-up brownstone. It might sound like a scene from a picture book, but it’s the colourful, ever-blooming world of Molly Ford.
Born and raised in Arkansas before moving to Oklahoma, making the leap to New York meant seeking out a sense of stillness, while leaning into everything the Big Apple has to offer. As the creative heart and mind behind Flowers by Ford, Molly knew she’d need to settle in an area with a touch of green – and Bed-Stuy was exactly that. “Brooklyn feels like a breath of fresh air. The whole city is amazing – hustle, energy, everything going on – but crossing into Brooklyn is grounding,” she says. “There are more trees, more parks – it just feels a bit more like home.”
Molly lovingly describes her home’s classic features, “It’s an old building with crown moulding, pocket doors and shutters, and tall ceilings across two floors. It’s beautiful,” she says. Curled up in her favourite spot in the living room, she watches the world go by, perched at her street-facing window on a Sixpenny chair. “We don’t get direct sunlight, so it’s all soft natural light in here,” she muses. There’s a candle burning, wild bouquets scenting the air, and everything seems to be in conversation with its surroundings. Even her brown and white Pomeranian Milo harmonises with the dark timber of the mid-century décor paired with cream-toned walls and linen.
Raised in a joyfully unconventional small-town home by free-spirited, artistic parents, Molly grew up surrounded by colour and craftsmanship. Her childhood was defined by imaginative play and a deep appreciation for beauty in both nature and the everyday. She describes her parents running a “12-step programme and rehab-like facility on a property with nature and art,” which laid the groundwork for her desire to pursue something similar – “working with nonprofits, focusing on sustainability and helping people practically.”
As she explored humanitarian work and studied community development, she eventually discovered floristry as the perfect outlet for her creativity, interning on weekends with a floral design company. “I worked long wedding days, helped coordinate, broke down the flowers – and I loved every second,” she explains. “But I thought floristry would always be a side thing.”
Like Molly, her husband Hudson was raised in an expressive household, and works as an artist and musician. He’s been her most steadfast supporter in establishing herself as a florist right from the start, and now helps run the operation. “He was the one who encouraged me to ask the floral company in Oklahoma if I could intern. He set up the Florals by Ford Instagram. He’s always supported me chasing my dreams,” she shares warmly.
In the wake of COVID layoffs, Hudson lost his job in tech and was left wondering what to do next, while Molly was considering her next move, disheartened by the loss of face-to-face connection in her people-focused industry. “We were both at home, figuring out what to do, so we decided to give this business a go – and haven’t looked back. That was four years ago, and now we run it full-time. We have a part-time employee, freelancers, a studio – it’s turned into something I didn’t plan, which is kind of the beauty of it.”
As a married couple and business partners, their dynamic is symbiotic, filled with “highs and lows that are specific to our situation,” as Molly reflects. “When something great happens in the business, we both feel it. When something goes wrong, same thing. Our fights are unique, our wins are too. I’m thankful to have someone by my side through all of it.”
Part of being self-employed is rolling with the ebbs and flows of creative work (“We have busy seasons and slow ones,” Molly recalls), and trying to build a life that feels sustainable and fulfilling. “Our schedule is super non-traditional,” she notes. “Friends are like, ‘You’re going to the beach on a Tuesday?’ But the business supports the life we want. If he had a nine-to-five, and I worked weekends, we’d struggle to connect.”
No two days are the same for Molly, but that’s what she loves. “I think most perceptions of floristry aren't too far off (aside from the long hours and physical labor) but it’s so fun. It’s honestly pretty magical.” A day of sourcing starts early at the New York City Flower Markets, which Molly describes as “a magical street.” There, she “bops around to all the best spots, sourcing flowers, branches, plants, and greenery.”
“When I’m done, Hudson pulls up in our van, and we load everything in, store by store. Then we head back to Brooklyn to our production studio. We meet our freelance team who process the flowers, prep the vases, and we start designing.” From here, the project starts to take shape, “On site, we handle all the installations: arches, aisle arrangements, ceiling installs, flower mounds, table designs – you name it. It’s long hours and lovely days. I really love what we do.”
Home is a deeply personal concept to Molly, tied up in memory and connection. As art-lovers, the works hanging on their walls are of particular significance. “We’ve collected paintings from around the world. One of the first pieces Hudson and I invested in is hanging in the living room.” As well as collecting art on their travels, they also gather “antiques, ceramics, and little knickknacks,” which are curated with care. “There are pieces that have traveled with us – art, pottery – that remind us of different chapters. We’ve tried to make the home reflect our creative lifestyle and personal style. I feel joy every time I look around,” she smiles.
To Molly, home isn’t so much a physical place, but rather an intangible feeling shaped by the people around her. It’s the culmination of relationships and experiences woven over time. “People are my home,” she observes. “I love creating a physical space, nesting, making an apartment feel like a home. But the biggest constant is the people: friends from Oklahoma who now live in New York, people who’ve known Hudson for years. We’ve always hosted, always gathered. That’s what makes me feel grounded – being surrounded by people who know me well.”
Comforting rituals eased into and honed over time, set the rhythm of the home. Production and flower arranging is done at the studio, and there are transitional spaces like the flower market and client meetings that offer separation between home and work. Still, Molly conducts a portion of her work at home, including admin, writing, proposals, and filming for social media, so it needs to serve a dual purpose as sanctuary and workspace.
To support this two-fold function of business and leisure, they begin each day with a routine that prioritises presence, not productivity. Hudson sets their coffee machine on a timer, so there’s always a fresh pot waiting when Molly wakes. She lights a candle, sips her coffee, and tries not to go straight to her phone. Some mornings, she’ll do morning pages (from The Artist’s Way), but if it’s an early start, it’s simply shower, walk the dog, and head out the door. “Slower mornings are my favourite – coffee, maybe some journaling outside if the weather’s good,” she adds.
Part of embracing slowness in work is tuning in with her energy and establishing a foundation of self-care. “I notice when I’m dropping things or forgetting stuff – little signs I need to slow down. I try to take breaks: sit in the garden, go on a walk, talk to a friend.” Her relationship with rest has shifted since becoming a business owner, and balancing output with restoration is no longer a nice-to-have, but a necessity. “I do my best work when I’m rested, and people are paying a lot for flowers that will eventually die – so I want to give them my best. I try not to overload the calendar and to build something sustainable that can last 10, 15, 20 years,” she says.
Occupying the garden unit, Molly and Hudson love to entertain in their flower-trimmed courtyard, “We host Friendsgiving every year – we move furniture out and there are 30 to 40 people all on long tables,” she explains. “We also do summer barbecues, Christmas parties, birthdays, intimate dinners, game nights. I love hosting. I think it’s important for building community. It’s a way to make people feel seen, loved, celebrated – whether for big holidays or little everyday moments.”
The floral arrangements adorning the tables during outdoor gatherings are picked straight from the home plot. “I’ve planted a lot in our backyard – grasses, greenery, flowers – so I can clip a few stems and put them on the table. It feels nice to keep things organic and in-house rather than going to the market every time,” she says.
The idyllic blend of indoor and outdoor living isn’t lost on her. “Having our own outdoor space is such a luxury. It’s so lovely to be able to sit outside in my pyjamas with a coffee and not be in a public park.”
Four years on, what started as a small floral studio has grown into a flourishing business – and a lifestyle punctuated by creativity and community. In every bouquet, every dinner party, and every quiet morning spent journaling by the window, Molly has grown a world of her own.