Anyone who knows Sarajane Johnson knows two things about her: she is one of the hardest workers you will ever meet and she is talented. Like everything-she-touches-is-magic kind of talent. Between that, the energy of someone in the single digits, and an internal alarm clock that won’t let her sleep past 6:30 am, she has been quietly rocking the floral and interior design world for almost 20 years.
It goes without saying, that it has been hard to track her down over the last month. She’s been flying between two out-of-state construction projects, juggling local interior accessorizing projects, hosting a handful of wreath-making workshops, sourcing for her annual stocking clients, and styling custom topiaries and floral arrangements for local shops and friends. Not to mention, at the top of her list, raising three delightful (but also very busy) children in our very own Yalecrest neighborhood.
“I love having lots going on,” Sarajane admits with a smile and a self-deprecating laugh,”I’ve always been this way, and staying busy makes me really happy…I have a hard time saying no: if a girlfriend or client calls and asks me to fill a planter, decorate a table, or throw together an arrangement, I’m there.”
Sarajane’s topiaries and potted arrangements at Mabo
Sarajane asked us to meet her at one of her favorite local shops in town, Mabo, where she is delivering an assortment of custom cedar and rosemary topiaries and paperwhite groupings. “Everything in here is amazing. Everything.” Sarajane raves about Mabo owner Emily McMaster while she introduces us. We talk about some new items in the store, and Sarajane points out a few of her favorites, like the emerald green mules on the bottom shelf.
“I need those for wearing around the house…like for lounging in a smoking jacket. Can you imagine me?” We all laugh at the thought of Sarajane lounging.
There is a soft spot in Sarajane’s heart for local small business and she sources from them whenever possible. She was 24-years old herself when she opened Lily and Co., a floral and gift boutique in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She had moved to Jackson with the idea of becoming an architect, but quickly found her talents lay in interior and floral work. Within two years of moving to Jackson, she ran the most respected floral shop in the region.
Some of Sarajane’s favorites at Mabo, including owner Emily McMaster.
Today, Sarajane’s business is moving more towards interiors and she is slowly stepping away from floral after selling Lily & Co. in 2015. During her tenure at Lily and Co., Sarajane developed remarkable sources with vendors around the country. “I’m very picky about my sources. I spend a lot of time on research and travel to find them. That is really a big part of the fun of what I do and what makes me different from other designers.”
Bringing the outside in is another tell of Sarajane’s work. It’s hard to spend 20 years as a floral designer and not have an organically-grounded style. “I would say my style is traditional, but by geography: my east-coast projects look east coast, my western projects look western. I want my work to be timeless; I’m not opposed to trendy, but I want my work to last decades.”
“But, really, my work isn’t about me, it is representative of a family and a life. I will never do a showcase or a model home, because I want my work to be about the lives of real people.”
“Of course I do what I do for myself. But I do it, really for others. ”
SARAJANE’S HOLIDAY WARES AND SERVICES
Topiaries and potted floral arrangements
Mabo, 925 E 900 S
Custom Stockings
Personal shopping sourced from boutique and high-end retailers across the United States. Arranged and wrapped in a custom stocking. Accepting requests for 2019.
For interior design service, wreath-making classes, or stockings contact Sarajane directly at sarajane@sarajanejohnson.com. She is currently accepting interior design clients for late Spring/ early Summer.
