Special to Times
Rouvalis Flowers on Beacon Hill is celebrating 40 years in business. The business was started by the legendary Bill Rouvalis, known for extravagant floral designs in addition to being a grand personality in the Boston social scene, but current owners, Emily Montany and Sean Murphy, have become legendary themselves.
Rouvalis is known for high-quality plants and flowers, show-stopping floral designs, and impeccable landscaping. The duo met at Boston Architectural College while studying landscape architecture and design. Sean had worked for Bill up until Bill’s death and then took over the business along with his partner Emily. Emily grew up in rural Connecticut and attributes her love of nature to her upbringing. She began her career in garden center retail where she honed her floral and plant skills. Sean originally hails from Western Massachusetts and had an early start with yard work and plantings. The design aspect intrigued him, which led him to enroll at Boston Architectural College in landscape design where he met Emily while working for Bill Rouvalis. As the leader in all things floral, the iconic Beacon Hill shop on the corner of West Cedar and Pinckney is reminiscent of a flower shop one would find on the left bank of Paris. The window displays and awning lure the most casual passersby to wander in and experience the beauty of nature. The knowledgeable and welcoming staff is adept at making suggestions for an arrangement or advising on plant care. The flower cooler is a conversation piece as well since it was originally the meat locker of the butcher that used to be at this location many decades ago. Don’t let the small space fool you. They are bigger than they appear. With a design studio and landscaping warehouse in Charlestown, Rouvalis is more than just a little flower shop around the corner. They can assist with container gardens for your front door or balcony. They are known for their roof top gardens, as well as for interior courtyard designs. Rouvalis is known for both their residential and commercial landscaping besides the flowers, arrangements, bouquets, plants and accessories. Walking through the Beacon Hill neighborhood, you will also notice the many beautiful window boxes that are also Rouvalis designed. They employ a landscaping team, which is spearheaded by Sean and creates the most beautiful displays in the area. Emily leads the floral design team and has successfully graced many hotel lobbies, events, weddings and private homes with her work and the work of her team.
Having been with the company just over a year, the General Manager and Beacon Hill resident Christopher Eramo also assists with the business. With his background in interior design and luxury retail management, Chris works closely with Emily and Sean on furthering the brand experience both internally and externally as well as growing the business.
Rouvalis now offers scented candles to coincide with the seasons. To honor this milestone, the team has created a signature scent, Autumn’82.