LYNNFIELD — Sofya Cooper, owner of Front Door Festive, is gearing up for the second fall season she will spend decorating doorsteps to help people get into the fall spirit.
Cooper said Front Door Festive was created out of pure passion. She works full time as a benefits consultant, but Cooper was still searching for a creative outlet.
When she saw someone in Texas last fall operating with a similar concept to Front Door Festive, inspiration struck and she said she thought, “I could do that, and I love doing that.” She added that “pursuing a passion” has been the “driving force” behind Front Door Festive.
“I loved the reaction I garnered, too, like happiness and joy and a bit of unexpected fun to people’s homes,” Cooper said, thinking back to last pumpkin season.
Cooper said she will be going down to Pennsylvania next month to attend a produce auction where she buys pumpkins in bulk directly from farmers. The pumpkins are then stored in Cooper’s garage after being washed in solutions that help deter animals from eating them.
Front Door Festive has three different pumpkin packages available for purchase, and all packages include design and delivery. Cooper said each design is tailored to the client’s needs.
“When people order, they can choose color palettes that they like. They could tell me if they want one big display at their front door or split between the front and side doors or like sprinkled around their yard, which I think actually looks really nice,” she said.
Cooper added that, when it comes to designing, she also takes accessibility into consideration, ensuring she doesn’t block entryways with pumpkins.
Package 1, called Cute as a Pumpkin, is perfect for cozy porches to give an entryway a fresh and festive glow without taking over the space. It’s small in scale but big on impact. This package includes 15-20 medium to large orange and white pumpkins, six specialty pumpkins and 10 tiny pumpkins. Package 1 is $300.
Package 2, called Pick of the Patch, is Front Door Festive’s most popular package. It’s ideal for families and elegant homes, and the package is effortlessly festive and perfectly balanced. The package includes 25-30 medium to large orange and white pumpkins, 10 specialty pumpkins, 15 mini pumpkins, 10 gourds and two bales of hay. Package 2 is $550.
Package 3, called Go Big or Gourd Home, is for grand entryways, special events or homeowners who want it all. The package includes two extra large prizewinner pumpkins — which are over 75 pounds each — 50 medium to large orange and white pumpkins, 20 specialty pumpkins, 25 mini pumpkins, 20 gourds and two to four bales of hay. Package 3 is $900.
While Front Door Festive is based in Lynnfield, Cooper has very wide delivery capabilities spanning north to Newburyport, south to Quincy and east to Carlisle. She has a map on her website, frontdoorfestive.com, where people can check to see what the delivery fees may be.
Residents of Lynnfield, Middleton, North Reading, Reading, Wakefield, Saugus, Lynn, Peabody and Danvers get free delivery. Residents beyond that delivery zone will need to pay an either $25 or $50 delivery fee depending on their location.
Pumpkin delivery and installation this year will be during the first two weeks of October, and Cooper is encouraging shoppers to get their orders in before Sept. 15.
Cooper added that she offers pumpkin pickup the weekend before Thanksgiving and the weekend after Thanksgiving to ensure all pumpkins are composted. This is an optional service, as some clients may opt to keep their pumpkins or dispose of them themselves.
Cooper will be at Historic Lynnfield’s Fall Festival and Lynnfield Moms Group’s Touch A Truck events, both on Sept. 27, where interested community members can get more information about Front Door Festive.
As someone with an October birthday, Cooper has also always loved fall. In fact, she said it’s “the happiest month of the year for me,” and she hopes to share that festive cheer with anyone interested in a decorative pumpkin installation this fall.
