Photos by Nicole Taylor
Putnam County resident Nicole Taylor brings Reiki principles to her five-star Etsy shop with air plants, sun catchers, and more.
Personal health and wellness have become even more popular topics and practices post-pandemic. An increased interest in aromatherapy, meditation, crystals, and other forms of energy rejuvenation have inspired businesses all over the Hudson Valley to introduce creative ways for customers to take care of themselves.
Nicole Taylor, creator of The Charmer Boutique, uses the ancient Japanese practice of Reiki healing to create appealing home décor, such as sun catchers and air plants, with a relaxing essence to transform the energies of customers’ homes.
Taylor was introduced to Reiki as a child after her aunt trained as a Reiki master.
“I was always intrigued by her energy work,” she says. “I would watch her and vividly remember feeling a shift in the energy of the room.” In the practice, the Reiki master uses their hands to transfer a “universal energy,” which is used to heal the body physically and emotionally, according to Taylor.
With the emergence of alternative and holistic medicines and health practices, Reiki has become a popular form of wellness management. And, as a registered nurse who works in Somers, Taylor has field experience healing people.
“Although it does not cure diseases or illnesses, [Reiki] can help manage symptoms as well as improve the patient’s well-being” she says.
After practicing and perfecting the Reiki practice, Taylor used beloved childhood memories for a second piece of her small business — suncatchers.
“Growing up, my parents always kept crystal prisms in their windows which would cast the most beautiful rainbows onto the walls. They always seemed magical and a bit enchanting,” she says. Her Reiki background and love of home décor gave Taylor that spark of inspiration when she saw an air plant holder and got the idea to add her own unique touch to it.
In November 2020, Taylor created her first air plant sun catchers. She posted them to her social media and, within an hour, they were receiving tons of attention. Taylor launched an Etsy page for The Charmer Boutique soon after, and business has been booming since then. From her home studio in Putnam County, Taylor creates these magical home pieces while working full-time as a nurse and spending time with her husband and three children.
Taylor transfers Reiki energy into her sun catchers just as she would to a customer themselves.
“I personally begin by cleansing my items using sage or Palo Santo,” she says. “Next, I simply focus on the items and create the intention that the piece [will] bring positivity and calmness to its owner. The focus is held for a few moments with my hands on or just above the pieces before the attunement ends.”
The Charmer Boutique’s catalogue has grown from just one design idea to over 20 products listed on the Etsy shop. The business’ first designs were simple prisms on air plant catchers, but Taylor soon incorporated agate crystals into her pieces, which have become extremely popular on the site.
Several of Taylor’s products have achieved a ton of popularity online. The Aria, for instance, features an agate crystal hanging below a pair of prisms. Each 30mm glass prism dangles and shimmers inside golden hoops. Every agate crystal is one-of-a-kind and unique to the sale. The Simplicity has the same geometrical plant holder with one understated prism below it.
These houseplants are meant to be low-maintenance for the customer. Once per week, owners will need to soak the plant in room temperature water for about an hour. After the plants dry upside down, they can be placed into the chamber. Whether they hang in office-lit spaces or rooms bathed in natural light, they’ll thrive with minimal effort.
The Charmer Boutique is a five-star rated business on Etsy, which is a huge achievement for an online small business. Taylor’s secret? Ensuring excellent customer service. Handwritten thank you letters, quick communication and correspondence, and custom requests are all part of this boutique’s charm.
Taylor recommends that her products be placed in a window that offers moderate sunlight for the plants to survive.
“Air plants are simple to care for and require temperatures from 50-90 degrees,” she says. “They require no soil and can tolerate both natural and office lighting.” The Charmer Boutique products can be placed in any room desired, but make sure the room offers lots of light so you can enjoy the calming and beautiful energy of the rainbows the prisms create, handmade by one of the Hudson Valley’s own.
