Spruce & Adorn has a Green Thumb for Creating a Budding Brand Message
By Reese Randall
November 4, 2020
A natural talent for planting the seeds of design and sowing a world of beauty, Jenifer Schweitzer, founder and creative director of one girl’s graphics and the retail shop spruce & adorn — a marketplace for life, styled with intention — has a new offering that is downwrite wild.
With a love for community, a love for the universe and an appreciation for heroes, Schweitzer looked to the soil for a soulful salute to those individuals working on the frontline during the pandemic. She offers a nostalgic form of expressing gratitude using recycled stationery: You handwrite a message on a notecard accompanied by a plant-able, non-invasive envelope made of wildflower seeds.
"Every day I’m challenged with what my impact is within the current events of the world," says Schweitzer. "I’m motivated to continue my service and work toward creating good vibes and intentional options in our current climate.”
When Schweitzer contemplates the risk as a shop keeper celebrating design innovation as it compares to the risk our frontline workers — or heroes have, she is inspired to play her part. Design is Schweitzer’s passion and purpose; as well as her contribution to making the world a better place. Having opened her graphic design firm, one girl's graphics, nearly two decades ago Schweitzer originally shared visual stories through print and publication design, branding and marketing campaigns. “By accident, I became involved in interior consulting," explains Schweitzer.
In 2002, Schweitzer found herself consulting consumers at Pier 1 Imports and Arhaus Furniture. She found that people craved design knowledge to beautify their space, so she leaned on her graphic art acumen to coach them through the process.
Schweitzer’s environmental clients range from private residents to commercial businesses. Known for her eye for unique goods, clients hire Schweitzer to curate gifts for special occasions and holidays. Curating specialty gifts led Schweitzer down another path to express her design sensibilities. She decided to open spruce & adorn five years ago as a call-to-action for such design needs.
“The idea was seeded to create a marketplace for sustainable products to help educate consumers in being more conscious of their buying power. It’s an accessible and sensory environment for those who want to engage in childlike discovery of these special finds,” explains Schweitzer.
"With spruce & adorn, I am committed to keeping my role in sustainability and design innovation moving forward,” says Schweitzer. Once, thinking design was superficial, it was the events of September 11, 2001 that she witnessed something deeper. "The occurrence of COVID-19 has added a similar sense of deeper meaning, too — for when we are in a situation of despair — mindfulness can elevate us into doing bigger and better things.”
In 2019, spruce & adorn opened as a residency at Ineffable Cà Phê in Lawrenceville by redesigning the café’s 18x24 storage closet into a store. "I used my superpower of taking a space and redesigning it into something functional and beautiful," says Schweitzer. The designer set-up shop at the cafe as a retail test model to demonstrate how a brands’ ability can function within a community with a purpose. “Prior to COVID-19, I regularly hosted music forums, empowering seminars for my corporate clients’ brand initiatives and a platform for mind-and-body conversations,” says Schweitzer.
Empowering her customers to celebrate our unspoken heroes has helped shape Schweitzer’s own initiative to say thank you to frontline workers. She offers a timely gift idea during the month most notable for giving thanks. The a-la-carte thank you note card (with plant-able wildflower seed envelope) can be purchased with or without a gift card to spruce & adorn or to Ineffable Cà Phê.
Adding items to a customer’s list of wares and gifts to buy at spruce & adorn is timely for the upcoming holiday season. Schweitzer’s most iconic product is a premium lotion candle with an organic cotton wick. “It has a multi-purpose function. After the clean essential oil candle has been used the possibilities for the glass jar are limitless,” explains Schweitzer. Other sought-after gifts and products include a handmade Blessing Kit rolled in up-cycled denim, one-of-a-kind up-cycled REC.T.T. apparel pieces by Idia Dega Fashions; a vegan beauty line, essential oils and plant-based aromatherapy products. The list goes on to include approximately nine vendors Schweitzer considers her ‘goods for good’ line. They each have good global initiatives built into the cost of their product.
Mindful of everything from using natural cleaning solutions to sanitize her shop, to thanking our frontline works and endless product reusability, Schweitzer does not prescribe to any service, product or ware being a one-hit-wonder; yet she strives to utilize and sell items with multi-use. “My purpose is to be in service of our environment and to be of service to my customers,” says Schweitzer. “I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be.”
Visit @spruceandadorn via Google and Instagram for online updates. 3920 Penn Avenue. Appointments are recommended. To Make an Appointment: Book Here. For our frontline heroes: Participate Here. Website coming 2021.
Stop by the spruce & adorn After-Hours Pop-up shop on Thursday, Nov. 4 and Friday, November 5; 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at The Clemente Museum, 3339 Penn Ave., Lawrenceville.
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