A Bright New Face on Hesperian Boulevard

Not long ago, Oakland resident Anahid Raad stumbled on a Craigslist ad for a vacancy at 17945 Hesperian Blvd., the longtime site of Britney’s Flower Cottage.

On Feb. 1, she signed the lease papers. Seven days later, Anahid Designs floral shop was open for business—just days before Valentine's, the busiest day on a florist's calendar.

But Raad insists, that's just her style.

“I’m like a free bird. I always have to move from one place to another,” said Raad, her blue gloves tainted from coating wooden shelves with lime green paint.

Given her globetrotting tendencies—she’s lived in Turkey, Canada, Holland and Germany—it's a bit of a surprise that this Iranian-born free bird would plant roots on a busy San Lorenzo thoroughfare. 

Walk into the tiny shack and you can catch Raad hard at work cleaning, painting, unloading plastic bins and arranging colored glass vases teeming with fresh orchids, dewy stemmed roses and pastel pink and ivory carnations. 

Although the previous owner left large flower refrigerators, side shelves, ribbon racks and other florist shop features intact, Raad hopes to continue renovations to make the store completely her own. 

She recently painted the exterior facade a vibrant shade of orange because, she said, it’s the color of happiness. “Orange has the power to drastically affect one’s mood,” she said. 

Among the many trinkets for sale: glass hummingbird ornaments, stuffed teddy bears, birthday cards and colorful balloons.

Near the cash register, Raad pulls out a large photo album and flips through pictures of the larger weddings and special occasions she catered while working at her previous flower shop in Los Angeles. 

“I absolutely love big weddings,” Raad added. 

Among her more impressive floral design projects: elegant green lily centerpieces arranged in Italianate pots, a 10-by-7-foot ivy chandelier, and a 14-foot manzanita tree draped in pink and white flowers.  

What comes as a much bigger surprise is Raad’s professional training—she’s had none. 

Instead, ten years ago, Raad opted for the self-taught method, and learned the art of floral design by leafing through the pages of florist trade magazines. 

“When I was first starting out, a friend asked me to do an arrangement in the ‘Hawaiian style.’ At the time I was new to this country and had no idea what that meant. So I looked it up in a magazine,” she said. 

This hands-on, do-it-yourself approach may pose as a problem for some, but not for Raad, whose creativity comes naturally. Her past experiences include work as a seamstress and interior designer. 

“You can learn how to care for flowers, you can learn the techniques of arranging them, but design is something that comes from within. It’s not something learned. The talent is either there or it isn’t,” she said. 

When asked what her favorite flower is, Raad casually responds, “Orchids,” but she is quick to add, “All flowers are like my children. You can’t say which one is your favorite." 

For Raad, there is a personal attachment that comes with working with her scented blossoms. She cited how she once shed tears, calling out for her dear cymbidiums because, as she said, she missed them. 

“I love my flowers and just want other people to love them too,” she said. 

The phone number for Ahahid Designs is 510-317-2007.