I grew up on all things creative: painting, sketching, writing, dancing, and always had a desire to create art from the world that was presented before me. I remember when I was little, I had this dream to showcase my art in a big city gallery one day. I’ve always had an intuitive eye for design, but never really knew what type I wanted to pursue. When you’re young, you have this crave to find beauty in the world and how it relates to you. It’s important to try a lot of different paths before you find the one that resonates best. After studying interior design in college, I gained more understanding of what types of art I was drawn to. In a way, it helped build the framework of where I am today. I dipped toes into the world of floristry by creating wreaths out of foraged and dried elements I found in nature. I fell in love with the different varieties of the seasons, and what intentional floral art could be. This was one of those “a-ha!” movie moments I felt truly at home with a creative outlet. It’s as if floral design was always waiting just below the surface for me to discover.

My name is Krista Joy Kintner and I’m the floral designer & owner of Little Joy Fleurs. When I was little, my dad would always leave fresh picked Lilac & Garden Roses from our backyard for me to wake up to. I grew up running through Eastern Washington’s wheat fields, climbing trees with my brother, and painting rocks I found by the river. Little did I know how precious these nature filled childhood memories would become. I’ve always known that I wanted to do something creative with my life, something that was an outpour of my very soul. Studying interior design, the shapes, lines, and curvatures, the way windows reflected light, everything seemed to have movement and its own story to tell. When the pandemic hit, I lost my job. It created this timeless bubble and opportunity to get back to the things I once loved. I wrote more poetry, painted, read, and crafted dried foliage wreaths everyday for a month. This opened the door to floral design. I wanted to learn all that I could about the different varieties, sustainable practices, local growers in the PNW, color theory, and how to execute larger floral installations. I freelanced for some of the best florists in the PNW area, and still do to this day. In any creative venture, there is always something new you can learn to help you grow, and to align yourself with those that have gone before you is key. I practiced designing, deconstructing, and reworking abstract floral arrangements at home on my own, which helped hone my individual style of whimsical and wild floral shapes.
The passion and essence behind my brand is to partner with nature to create intentional floral artistry with each design. The name “Little Joy Fleurs”, is partly my middle name yes, but also holds meaning to slow down and revel in the little joys of nature, as well as see them in our day to day lives. It’s been two years of incredible opportunities working with amazing creatives in the industry and my sweet clients. It’s a whirlwind of learning how to turn a creative love into a business, but I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

I think there’s so many layers to what drives this creative journey that’s blossomed into a full-blown business and dream of mine.

1. To Inspire & Hold Joy
The passion behind my desire to create is to inspire with the beauty of nature. I see floral design as a way to create floral sculptures of art, finding the movement in a stem and building things that breathe color and life into a space. Transforming venues and being able to create unique pieces for the happiest day of someone’s life is the greatest gift I could ever ask for. With each event and every design I learn new things about nature, It propels me forward to create new intentional and unique pieces.
Flowers really are the “little joys” of nature, and it’s this sweet remembrance to embrace their fleeting beauty. One of the truest skills of being a florist is to stop and notice things that might be overlooked and missed sometimes become the very focal point of creating. This business is founded on a pure love for what nature gifts us and I love learning how to partner with the different seasons to create something truly unique. This practice of taking an idea or vision and learning how to manifest it in a very tangible way is something that will always amaze and inspire me. It feels like a painting or puzzle piece I’ve dreamt about coming to life, one bloom at a time.

2. Sustainability
As I work with nature, I believe it’s vital to support sustainable practices that can help eliminate the large waste that is created in the wedding industry. Nature brings so much life to this earth and it’s important to acknowledge the ecological role we play within it. I try to cut down on waste by working with local growers, reusing mechanics after events, using compostable resources like Agrawool in place of toxic floral foam, donating blooms, and composting leftovers at the end. Experimenting with any leftover product that can be dried and reused for future designs is another sustainable practice. I believe what we take from the earth is returned in some shape or form, and it’s our job to protect the gifts and beauty it grants us.

The first rewarding aspect of being a creative is the bravery it takes. It’s a very vulnerable act to offer a piece of your heart and soul to the world and requires you to believe in the importance of your work. The second would be the ripple effect art has on its community. When someone sees an artist’s work, it awakens something new within themselves. I am continuously inspired by other florists, music, fashion, cinematic films, and sculptors, the list is endless. Art inspires art. Lastly is the journey. As creatives, I don’t think we ever truly “arrive” at a finish line. We reach goals, we grow, we become different versions of ourselves, but there is always a newness that comes in the humility of creating. It’s a reminder to always come back to the heart of why you started in the first place.