Times:
Willow and Stone
Dashing into Willow and Stone on a wet and grey morning was like scurrying into an eclectic eccentric’s haven. Absolutely my cup of tea. Despite describing the shop as an outlet of electivity, a strong and enticing aesthetic runs through, combining both antique/vintage and contemporary items perfectly and unpretentiously.
Sarah, owner of W&S, is gorgeous and that beauty is reflected in the utterly tangible gorgeousness of Willow and Stone – a shop of quality fittings and unusual paraphernalia. I could sit and drink my cup of tea in there quite happily all morning; grubbily and greedily touching, like an over-excited child, everything within reach.
Willow and Stone – now expanded into two shops almost next door to each other on Arwenack Street – began solely as a website. Through a series of unfortunate events, a shop in Truro falling through and then another in Falmouth, Sarah was forced to begin her business all online. A brave and fearless spirit of entrepreneurial quality beams across as she relates the grim and daunting situation that faced her more than five years ago.
Sarah came to Falmouth and graduated with a prestigious degree in Illustration – for a while she dabbled in drawing locally- then, puss in boots style, she upped to London to pursue something other than art. As a diehard antiques lover, she spent five years with the exciting and challenging job of marketing, photography and website management; a huge deal and fabulous training. The Cornish bug had bitten, however, and her lust for the Cornish lifestyle was biting at her designer heels. To move back to Fally would require something special to keep her and handsome artist husband Nick happy and in the black; a gap in the market was siphoned out – and the Willow and Stone concept was born. Investing time and savings into the business meant that when the first shop fell through, Sarah and team were heartbroken, and understandably nervous. Not to be stopped they found another way to make it work. As previously mentioned the store was originally built online, and 75% of the trade is still web based, however for the last five years Sarah has fronted her dream shop, recently expanding into a more contemporary subversion two doors down.
The second shop, the old Confectioners, was not added due to a lack of space necessarily, but as she wisely acknowledges tradition is not immune to fashion. A pure indulgence on her part: without wanting to spoil or dilute the aesthetic of her first-born, she set up a more modern and retro store, which is more stationery and print based – creative in a crafty way, wholly influenced by illustration and typography (perhaps her graduate self seeking an outlet). Their best seller is ‘The Wise Guys’ make your own paper creatures, and Bold and Nobel type products.
Quirky and cool, Sarah’s first employee- Emily of Sideways Cornwall- was chosen by her golden retriever, Rosie shortly after opening the shop. Since her first, Sarah now employs seven staff, many tending to be students – which is perhaps a nostalgic allusion to her past, but also because she loves the feeling of camaraderie and diversity that the students bring to the job.
As usual, I simply couldn’t resist, and treated myself to some wickedly Cornish chic fisherman’s lamps, designed for outdoors; but I have bucked that tradition and am using them as beside lamps… I strongly urge that you head down and immerse yourself in the antiquity and ironmonger-esque pastiche where one might feel quite at home.
The website is currently under a relaunch, but you can catch up with the news by following Sarah’s blog: http://willowandstone.blogspot.com/ and by following her on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/6er25r9
