Invest in Us!

We want to build stronger community, create more jobs, and GROW, so we're raising funds through small business bonds on @thesmbx marketplace. They start as low as $10 and investors will receive monthly payments at 11.5% interest over a 5 year period.

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Paraíso Plant Studio is a people-centered house plant nursery and Berkeley’s largest house plant destination. With a focus on community they strive to inspire hope and joy through our intentionally inclusive and education-based plant space.

Our Story

When I started my business in 2018, I had been struggling with postpartum depression for 2 years. Gardening and plants had been key to my recovery, and I wanted to share this powerful tool with others. I began by selling plants and what I called “plant chandeliers,” one-of-a-kind hanging plant holders and terrariums from antique chandeliers and lighting fixtures, at local markets and festivals. I started with a $300 investment and within one year I was able to open our first brick and mortar store. By 2021, we had generated $1M in revenue, and secured our first long-term lease in one of the most highly sought-after shopping destinations in the Bay Area, in Berkeley’s Fourth Street shopping district. Since then, through Covid and drastic changes in socio-economic conditions, we have created stability for our business and our team. 

Today, we are a highly regarded houseplant nursery. Both my background in Interior Design and Community Organizing shape our business model. We are values-forward, community builders, and culture creators who embrace change. Through our passion for house plants, we create community by forming deep and earnest relationships with our customers. We focus on meeting customers where they are in their plant journey and providing accessible plant care education so that they are successful at caring for their plants. Resulting in an incredible returning customer rate and help people who think they are plant killers become plant people.

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Our Business Plan

We have obtained a lease 2 doors down from us that is almost 3x the size of our current space. This will increase our street visibility, inventory and customer capacity, and allow us to combine our floral business with our growing workshop and plant jobs. Estimating scaling our business by double our revenue and diversifying into other areas for additional growth opportunities. It will also help us create more fail-safes and pivot plans to maintain stability in the event of an economic downturn.

Use of Funds

We will use the funds raised for working capital for a new location expansion, labor, and inventory.

  • $235,000 (94.0%) - Working capital- expansion to new location, labor, and inventory
  • $15,000 (6.0%) - SMBX Funding Success Fee
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Plant Chandeliers was born at Urban Ore

Plant Chandeliers was born at Urban Ore

Plant Chandeliers was born at Urban Ore

Photo Credit: Urban Ore Instagram

Urban Ore in Berkeley, California, is a magical wonderland of artifacts and junk looking for new life.They contract with the city of Berkeley to salvage items from the Berkeley Recycling Center (Solid Waste Transfer Station), and today they salvage two to six tons of waste every day! Urban Ore is the kind of place that artists and creators of all sorts wander through looking for something to spark our imagination. When I was a kid, my dad was a carpenter and we'd go there on weekends looking for materials for his projects. Today, Urban Ore is the place where I found the inspiration for what became this really cool business called Plant Chandeliers. 

Wandering through the lighting department I found a spooky-beautiful old brass "Maria Theresa" chandelier for $45, it was broken and dingy but I knew I could do something cool with it. (PSA: The same chandeliers sell at Antiques markets & Ebay for $75-200+. So, even with a few comments on the internet saying Urban Ore is expensive, if you research the market you know you are getting good deals there.)

Eventually, I added little cups (or bobesche, in lighting terms) to the chandelier and planted succulents in it. Today, it's in my parent's backyard under a little tree. I ended up having 5 chandeliers holding plants of all sorts hanging up around our living room before I realized maybe I could try selling them. Urban Ore's business model made it possible for me to have access to really unique vintage and antique parts that I used to build my business, and develop new ideas and products. It's awesome to know we're part of the re-use ecosystem, and I hear that Urban Ore is taking the next step in their journey and becoming a worker-owned CoOp! 

Want to give it a try? Here are some of the best strategies for finding cool stuff @ Urban Ore:

  1. Check them out on weekdays too, not just weekends.
  2. Embrace the mess: It's an organized mess, but if you're more used to big box stores you might experience a bit of culture shock. It's a giant warehouse with many nooks and items that have come from all around, most in need of cleaning and repair. You might also experience the occasional interesting smell:)
  3. Pricing: Most things are tagged, but the employees will give you good deals if you're buying a lot. "But they get it for free, why do they charge so much?" Nothing is free, and to get the items sorted and salvaged there, imagine the hours of labor required plus the cost of doing business in the Bay Area. 
  4. Keep an open mind and employ your instinctual human hunting skills. I can't tell you the cool stuff I've found there. In my last visit, I bought a $65 antique hand-painted trunk maybe from Russia or Spain TBD and a $30 giant rattan wall hanging for my plants.
  5. Urban Ore is a Bay Area institution! Respect the people, the space, and the stuff, and it can be a great resource for your next cool project or business.
  6. Pro-Tip: If you're germaphobic, bring some work gloves while you shop. 

Other Bay Area salvage yards to check out (in no particular order):

  1. Omega Salvage, Berkeley, CA - A high end salvage yard
  2. This & That, San Pablo/Richmond, CA - cool stuff but be ready to dig through some mess.
  3. The ReUse People, Oakland, CA
  4. Building Resources, San Francisco, CA

PS: We're not affiliated with, or sponsored by, Urban Ore or any other salvage yard. We're just fans of their business and recycled materials.

Been to other salvage yards or cool spots for reclaimed items? Let us know in the comments below.

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