Greenpoint at Work: Brittany Sullivan, Owner and Creative Director at Grace and Grit Flowers

Greenpointers’ newest series, “Greenpoint at Work,” is taking a deeper look into the lives of people who work in the neighborhood.

For this edition, we interviewed Brittany Sullivan, the owner and creative director at Grace and Grit Flowers (37 Greenpoint Ave Ste. #402). The charming Greenpoint florist and studio sells seasonal bouquets and whimsical arrangements (mostly designed by Sullivan herself!) to lots of local spots.

We spoke to Sullivan about her job as a florist, the tough work behind the scenes, and the meaning behind the name of her shop, plus her favorite things about Greenpoint. 

Read our last “Greenpoint at Work” interview here.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Tell us about your job as a florist.

I’ve been a florist for over 10 years now! Some may think I “play with flowers” all day but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. While I do get to be surrounded by beautiful stems, there is a lot of fast-paced, back-breaking work involved that a lot don’t see.

When we’re in production mode for an event, a typical day starts out very early at the flower market on 28th Street [in Manhattan] where I choose what’s looking the freshest and best for my clients. We are so lucky to have such a great market where flowers are flown in every day from all over the world. Additionally, we have some amazing local farms that we source from during their growing seasons. 

Then, it’s back to our studio at 37 Greenpoint Avenue to process, prep and fulfill orders. On top of large scale events, we also do daily deliveries throughout all of New York City and smaller events with our A La Carte offerings. My team and I will spend a couple days carefully putting together all the arrangements. Then it’s off to install it all at the venue!

I sometimes say we are a very pretty and glorified moving company since we’re constantly packing up and loading vans. Catch us at our loading dock on West Street at any given Saturday morning! We love working at some of our favorite venues in Greenpoint like Rule of Thirds, The Box House Hotel, Brooklyn Winery, Greenpoint Loft and Radio Star — just to name a few! 

Though “back-breaking,” it sounds like a fun job. What do you like most about it? 

My favorite part is acting as a liaison of kindness or love between two people! It’s why I brought back our deliveries and will (typically) design them all myself.

Each one comes with a handwritten card so I get to see all the sweet messages people are sending out into the world. To be able to create art and then send it out with a purpose has turned into my life’s calling. This is a genuine labor of love and each arrangement is handcrafted with intention.

It’s also allowed me to connect with our community here in Greenpoint. I have customers who started ordering with me while I had a pop up in a plant store on Manhattan Avenue seven years ago, and I still send out their Valentine’s Day flowers. We’ve also been able to partner with some amazing local businesses like Tend, Dandelion Wine and Ovenly (R.I.P.) over the years.

At the end of the day, I think people become florists and stick with it because we want to make people happy and be of service. The world can feel so dark, so having a craft that just puts happiness and beauty out into the world makes me feel like I’m at least making a small difference every day. 

I love the name of your Greenpoint shop. Why did you call it “Grace and Grit?”

I was trying to find something that reflected the duality of what I do while also reflecting where we live. Like I just mentioned, there is a lot of beauty but there’s also a lot of hard work and “yuck.”

In 2017 when I was pregnant with my daughter and watching Barack Obama’s farewell speech, my ears perked up when he thanked Michelle for “her grace and her grit.” I couldn’t think of a better way to describe what this work entails.

People come to us at such monumental and sensitive times in their l lives and it’s important to me to always handle that responsibility with so much care, but at the same time make space to get down to business and get the job done in a city that doesn’t make it easy. 

Do you think the neighborhood influences your work? 

Have you SEEN that smoke bush tree on Kent Street off Franklin? Hats off to whomever owns it because I marvel at it every year when it blooms. 

Some folks keep amazing gardens in front of their homes and then our waterfront parks allow us to take in the beauty as well.

What are locals’ most popular orders? 

This is a toss up! Definitely our Signature Arrangement which is a classic garden style design featuring our favorite flowers in a beautiful color palette which changes weekly.

The other is our “Happy To Serve You” arrangement which comes in a ceramic version of the iconic blue and white Greek design coffee cup! So once the flowers have expired you have something to keep!

What do you do when you’re not at work?

I’m a single mom of an 8-year-old, so I’m typically with her or catching up on sleep! We love visiting McGolrick Park and hitting up the farmer’s market (which isn’t complete without a pop from Mom & Icepops). 

I also attend a lot of concerts. The past month was Nine Inch Nails, Garbage, Morrissey and Rilo Kiley. Music has always played a huge part in my life since going to punk shows where I grew up in North Jersey. When I post an arrangement to our Instagram, I typically try to pair it with a song that might help evoke a feeling. 

You can also find me at The Richardson (whose florals I do) or grabbing a bite at one of the great restaurants we’re so lucky to have in our neighborhood! 

And every so often I make it to a museum for inspiration. Having been a cinematography major at the School of Visual Arts, I try to make it to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria at least once a year.