MEET US
The creative people behind F+L.
We're designers, dreamers, and storytellers.
AMBER SHADER
Founder, Principal Designer & Creative Entrepreneur
Amber Shader is the founder and creative force behind F+L Boutique and F+L Home—two lifestyle destinations built around style, connection, and community.
With more than 12 years of experience and a background as a Fortune 100 HR executive, Amber brings a unique combination of strategic leadership, creativity, and a genuine people-first approach to everything she does. What began as a boutique has grown into a lifestyle brand where customers come to shop, discover, feel inspired, and, most importantly, feel at home.
Through F+L Home, Amber has expanded her vision into interior styling and design, with a particular passion for beautiful, impactful transformations without major demolition. From in-store consultations and in-home styling to space refreshes and full-room transformations, Amber and her team create interiors that feel elevated yet livable—layering color, texture, function, and personality to reflect the people who live there.
Her approach to both fashion and interiors is rooted in the belief that great design should feel personal, approachable, and a little bit unexpected. That philosophy has helped F+L earn national recognition, including features in Vogue and Martha Stewart Living, as well as being named Best Store and Best Store Design in the USA.
At the heart of Amber’s work is something much bigger than aesthetics. She is passionate about building community, inspiring confidence, supporting other small businesses, and creating experiences that make people feel good. Whether she’s styling a room, curating the shop floor, or dreaming up what’s next for F+L, Amber believes the best spaces—and the best brands—should tell a story.
Outside of F+L, Amber loves spending time at the beach with her husband and son, where she finds endless inspiration in the relaxed beauty and effortless charm of coastal living.
BLONNIE BROOKS
Creative Director & Visual Storyteller
Blonnie works behind the scenes at F+L, bringing the brand’s visual world to life through photography, graphic design, website content, social media, marketing, and all the creative details that make F+L feel distinctly F+L.
Her love of visual storytelling started early, back in fifth grade, when she worked on her school newspaper with a dot matrix printer and an impressive amount of ’90s clipart. Thankfully, both her tools and her taste have evolved.
Her connection with photography began years later while capturing everyday moments with her daughter. What started as a personal love of photography grew into a creative career. Blonnie has worked professionally as a photographer since 2009 and has since expanded into filmmaking, graphic design, and digital content.
At F+L, she brings all of those talents together—photographing new collections, styling product shoots, creating social campaigns, designing event materials, updating the website, and turning creative ideas into visuals people can instantly connect with.
Blonnie has a natural eye for the little details that make a big difference. Her creativity, talent, and ability to turn an idea into something you can see and feel make her such an important part of the F+L team. We’re incredibly lucky to have her behind the scenes helping bring the F+L vision to life—and making everything look just a little bit better along the way.
KAREN SANTANGELO
Senior Interior Designer & Style Consultant
Karen is a retired New Yorker who relocated to Middletown with her husband four years ago—and we couldn’t be more thrilled that she found her way to F+L!
With a degree in Interior Design from SUNY and more than 30 years of experience spanning fashion, luxury home furnishings, and interior design, Karen brings an incredible wealth of knowledge, creativity, and style to the F+L team. She also ran her own interior design firm for several years, working with clients throughout New York and Connecticut to create beautiful, thoughtfully designed spaces.
After years of an accomplished career, Karen was happily enjoying retirement… until Amber convinced her to come out of retirement and join the F+L family. And honestly, we couldn’t be happier she did!
Karen has that rare combination of an incredible eye for fashion and design and a personality that lights up every room. Her bubbly, welcoming nature makes everyone who meets her love her instantly, and her decades of experience give her an instinctive ability to see what works—whether it’s an outfit, a room, or that one perfect finishing touch.
Whether you’re refreshing your wardrobe, redesigning a room, or simply looking for a little inspiration, Karen is here to help you discover your personal style and create beautiful, welcoming spaces that truly feel like home.We’re so lucky to have her—and if you’ve met Karen, you already know exactly why.
MICHAEL VALICHKA
Visual Merchandising & Design | F+L Home
With 11 years of experience in visual merchandising, Michael brings a creative eye, infectious energy, and a natural talent for creating beautifully curated spaces to the F+L team. As a set designer for QVC, he knows how to create environments that feel polished, layered, and inviting—and he brings that same expertise to both F+L Boutique and F+L Home.
Michael is an integral part of the F+L retail experience, helping oversee the boutique side of the business and curate the ever-changing mix of home décor, accessories, and unique finds that give F+L its signature look. He also works alongside the F+L Home design team on residential projects, helping bring each space together through styling, and those all-important finishing touches.
One of Michael’s specialties is creating real-touch floral arrangements for F+L Home clients. His eye for scale, texture, and natural beauty allows him to create arrangements that feel effortless and elevated—adding that final layer of warmth and personality to a room.
His personal design aesthetic leans toward mid-century modern, but his true passion is creating spaces that feel collected, interesting, and uniquely personal. He believes the magic is often found in the unexpected combination of pieces, textures, and details.
We are so grateful to have Michael on the F+L team. Michael brings a distinctive blend of visual storytelling, creativity, and hands-on styling—helping turn beautiful rooms into spaces that truly feel like home.