The owners of the newest local florist shop are working their magic on fresh flowers in a unique environment — a charming, cozy space that once served as a cider barn on an apple-picking farm in Marble Dale.

Dennis Sullivan and Darren McKenty are co-owners of Arrangements Flowers & Gifts, which is located along Route 202 in the Marble Dale section of Washington.

Mr. Sullivan and Mr. McKenty, who have been creating floral arrangements together for almost a decade, moved to their current location in March, although they still maintain a large workshop in Prospect, the town in which they both reside.

The co-owners noted that they make arrangements for all types of occasions, ranging from everyday to dinner parties, and from birthdays and anniversaries to weddings.

During a recent interview at the shop, Mr. McKenty noted that their new venue provides them with an opportunity to have a closer communication with their customers.

“We like working closely with our customers on their floral needs, whether it is a large event or arrangements for their homes,” he remarked. “Everyone has an individual style that we like to bring out in flowers.”

One of the ways the floral designers work with their customers is by creating bouquets for individuals who want something special to bring a hostess for dinner or customers who desire unique flowers with which to decorate their homes.

Dana Schulman, owner of the neighboring store D.K. Schulman Design, has purchased flowers from Arrangements on a number of occasions. She credits the co-owners with a creative eye in the color combinations and types of flowers they utilize.

“They are giving this area something different that no one else is doing,” Ms. Schulman stated.
Ellen Stiteler, a Washington resident and Arrangements customer, says she likes to fill her home with fresh flowers on a weekly basis and used to travel to New York to get the kind of flowers she wanted because she was unable to find them locally. Now, she says, she purchases her flowers at Arrangements.

“This is a wonderful addition,” she said. Mr. Sullivan remarked that he and his partner discovered the small Marble Dale building while traveling down Route 202 after a lunch in Litchfield.
“We fell in love with it — it was charming,” said Mr. Sullivan.

With its vaulted post and beam ceilings and a cheerful cobalt, blue-stained glass window, the space seems to be a perfect backdrop for the eclectic mix of exotic blooms displayed in the tiny shop.
Here a large vase filled with intriguing purple globe Allium beckons from a table in the center of the room, and an equally distinct cluster of lavender thistle fills a nearby pitcher.

These are just a few examples of the kind of flowers the co-owners shop for during their weekly treks to New York City, where they hand-select distinctive blooms from the New York Flower Mart to use in their unique arrangements.

Mr. Sullivan noted that although this is a trip that means leaving Prospect at 3 a.m., it is journey well worth making.

“It’s like being a kid in a candy store,” Mr. Sullivan remarked enthusiastically. “The choices are phenomenal, and it gives us the ability to really take a look at the nuance of color and style and how we can put it together. The variety is just amazing.”

During their shopping expeditions, the designers purchase flowers with an eye for the needs of customers who have engaged them to create floral arrangements for events, ranging from centerpieces and large entry pieces to stage pieces.

Events are their specialty, Mr. Sullivan explained, noting that they have been engaged to do events throughout Connecticut, as well as Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York.
Mr. Sullivan believes that the floral aspect of an event is actually one of the most important considerations in event planning, because the flowers are what he calls a “constant.”
This time of year, the co-owners are busy providing service for a number of events, as well as creating flower arrangements for weekend dinner parties in the area.

Mr. Sullivan said that they often use the homeowner’s own containers in creating floral arrangements to perfectly complement an intended setting.

According to Mr. McKenty, they decorate in all styles — from traditional to contemporary — and like to use unique flowers in making arrangements that create an organic flower feeling.

No matter what the setting or style, it is clear that these designers are passionate about what they do.
“It’s about bringing beauty to people,” Mr. Sullivan said with a smile.

Arrangements Flowers & Gifts is located at 239 New Milford Turnpike (Route 202), Marble Dale CT 06777. Arrangements can be reached by phone at (860) 868-6629 or by e-mail at www.arrangementsflorist.com. The shop’s hours are Tuesdays through Fridays, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and by appointment.