On Location: Portland, Maine Spring Photoshoot

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 afgaimari

In early February, we packed up case after case of glass, pottery and home accents and headed to Portland, Maine – home of Deb Ivy, our VP of Brand Experience. A Maine native, Deb has been with Simon Pearce for over seven years and brings her passion for home to everything she does. Her insider perspective on Portland brought us to all the best spots – where we got some amazing shots.

Deb scoped the The Blind Tiger as the perfect locale to base our early-spring campaign photoshoot. Built in the 1820s, this luxury inn is a converted captain’s mansion located in Portland’s West End. With big windows that let in lots of natural light and decor that melds traditional and contemporary vibes – the space has that fresh-yet-heritage feel that’s just so us. Its rich, vibrant color scheme and antique accents lent endless possibilities for gorgeous shots.

And what Simon Pearce photo shoot would be complete without the best-looking cocktails imaginable? We set up shop at Twelve – the hottest seat in Portland right now. Their Bar Manager, Sylvi Roy, came up with a few amazing concoctions inspired by our drinkware. As a thank you, we left behind a special decanter, made just for them.

Because Deb knows all the best folks in Portland to partner with, we got bespoke jewels from local jeweler Nell Ballard to outfit our Ring Holder, and gorgeous carrot cake with lemon cream cheese frosting from Spün in Freeport to make our cakeplate shine. Sadly, we had to return the rings after the shoot, but got to take home the cake and relish in the leftovers for days.

With classic New England scenery and fresh artisan inspiration from all angles, Portland was the perfect place to come together and inspire one another. Our all-female team of stylists, floral designers, photographers, art directors, and marketing mavens came together over four long days to bring this brilliant vision to life. We can’t wait to share more of it with you in our emails, on the site and on our social channels. Follow us and stay tuned!

Fall Highlights for Celebrating this Season

November 18, 2022November 18, 2022 jamesmurray27Leave a comment

As the holiday entertaining days approach, Simon Pearce designed a variety of new items to enhance good times with family and friends. With the popularity of the recently launched Shoreham whiskey glass; we extend the unique gesture of its curve into a complimentary decanter and double old-fashioned. The decanter’s streamlined silhouette is a statement piece for any bar, and feels great in the hand when pouring and serving for celebratory times this season.

A wonderful new entertaining item is the Hampton chiller. Pursuing design concepts that are both functional and beautiful, we brought together hammered stainless steel and our glass to create a stunning combination. The spherical glass shape can be filled with crushed ice, and the benefit of the 18/10 stainless insert is to keep your wine or champagne bottles chilled without them getting wet sitting in the ice. Separately, the metal component can be used as a tabletop sleeve like a coaster to place a bottle in, while the glass shape can double as an ice bucket or even a vase.

Exploring interesting material combinations is a hallmark of our design pursuits. Expanding on our popular barware category, we brought together a smooth sculpted wood handle with a stainless steel element to create a few quintessential bar tools. As a great gift for the home bar user, we created a grey leather/suede pouch to conveniently put the tool set away when not in use.

As our forest of glass evergreen trees keep growing, we explored other mediums that our unique tree design can be interpreted in. After sculpting our trees as prototypes to be made out of beeswax which were launched last year as tree candles, we then took the same models to cast the trees in our own pottery. Two options of glazes are available of a classic white dove, or the reactive green glaze called moss glen that has interesting tonal detail along its edges. The new pottery evergreens make a great addition to any glass tree forest to create a striking decor statement.

We developed the technique of adding a watery swirl around a glass vessel first on a Waterbury tumbler and then a lamp. To add a touch of expressiveness and swirl to our wine glass collections, we brought this concept into a classic red and white wine glass shape. Each Waterbury glass is entirely unique resulting from a small gather of molten glass added on the glass floor while the vessel is being formed.

Our perfectly imperfect form and edge treatment of the Burlington Hurricane shows off the unique characteristics of our glass. This year, it has been interpreted into two new sizes. The new small and large sizes combined with the medium are great as a grouping in clusters of all three items on a table, console or mantel. Perfect for illuminating a holiday table for gathering.

Simon Pearce Summer Photo Shoot

July 13, 2022August 26, 2022 afgaimariLeave a comment

Just before the big tourist rush hit Cape Cod on the Fourth, a group of us made our way to Massachusetts for an on-location shoot for our summer campaigns.

The week was full of long workdays unpacking products, beachcombing for props, scheduling shoots around the tides, and chasing the most beautiful lighting (often quite early in the morning – and with plenty of Beanstock coffee to fuel our efforts) – followed by short-but-sweet evenings sharing grilled pizza and ideas for how to best show our customers how much we love doing what we do.

Together, we came up with new ways to show the beauty of our handmade glass and pottery, in settings that bring forth the strong influence nature has on our designs – like showing the rugged New England spirit of our Bristol Hurricane standing up to the waves of the mighty Atlantic or our Revere Hurricane serving as illumination for the perfect summer view.

And we welcomed our newest colleague into the mix: Victoria (also known as @daisy_roots_ ) who created visuals for our retail stores for over five years, and is now bringing her incredible eye to our digital marketing efforts. We’re thrilled to have her on the team!

We hope you love the images we captured as much as we do – and that they inspire you to enjoy every moment of your summer. Check out the homepage to see our photos in action!

The story (and many uses) of our Glass Baskets

April 18, 2022August 26, 2022 afgaimariLeave a comment

When it comes to ideating new concepts in design, Simon and Pia are a dream team. The original glass basket was Pia’s idea, which was brought to life using the clean lines of Simon’s Addison Collection. We launched this first version in March 2018 and it quickly became a spring classic.

Addison Basket with flowers — Addison Basket

Two years later, we took the same simple shape and applied the wrapped-glass effect of Echo Lake for a texture that nods to a natural woven basket. Like all Echo Lake pieces, it’s made by master glassblowers nimbly wrapping a fine strand of molten glass around the silhouette. With both baskets, the handle takes some skill to apply, with a race against time and gravity to prevent it from flopping.

Addison Basket and Echo Lake Basket with flowers — Simon Pearce Baskets

As whimsical as it is, this sweet design has inspired a surprising number of uses: A vessel for pretty pastilles or cheeseboard crackers, an unexpected planter, a flower girl wedding accessory… Surely we’ll think of more as the years go on.

We like to think of our glass baskets as future heirlooms, darling markers of the start of spring, and unique vessels to fill and leave on a doorstep as a May Day tradition. How will you use yours?

New Designs for Winter Solstice

December 21, 2021August 26, 2022 jamesmurray27Leave a comment

With Winter Solstice upon us, we take every opportunity to enjoy the wintery wonderland as a source for new inspiration. A steady flow of ideas come from reflecting on this season, taking cues from nature for new evergreen trees, frosty decorative objects, and essentials to gather around the table. We transform what we see and experience into new glass objects to bring home and enjoy everyday. Our handcrafted glass is magical as it starts as a molten material that takes it’s form from the finesse and skill of the master glassblowers.

Setting the Table with Burlington Dinnerware

The organic shaped Burlington Collection’s plates and bowls have unique reactive effects in the glazing that are both casual and elegant. It can be paired with any of our glassware and flatware lines, but here we have it featured with our new Benson Tumbler and Warren Flatware.

The Benson tumbler evolved from the geometric design concept originating with the martini glass and it is universally useful for a variety of occasions. The Spruce tree is now offered in a new mini version that is a great gift or a nice addition to any beloved glass forest. Building upon our natural theme the potters created a great line of marbled clay vessels that are very unique centerpiece bowls and vases called Beachstone.

The new warren flatware is inspired by a teardrop shape, similar to the lamp in our lighting line. The streamlined flatware is 18/10 stainless steel that is cast and forged by skilled craftsman. Partnering with Bertozzi, we created new linen patterns for this winter. Our favorite is the naturally beautiful Ponderosa design with oversized pine needles in both a napkin and a runner. Another new addition is the shape of our classic evergreen trees as a beeswax candle in ivory, red and green. Lastly, a useful item for entertaining is the elemental Soapstone Chiller that can keep you wine cool or double as a mini ice bucket. Consider some of these new additions as part of your holiday celebrations as we officially head into winter.

Best in Glass: The New Shoreham Whiskey Design

August 13, 2021August 26, 2022 jamesmurray27Leave a comment

A Collaboration with WhistlePig Yields a Unique Glass

We were very optimistic about this new design when we saw the final samples of the Shoreham Whiskey Glass come out of the glassblowing studio. After many months of hard work and collaboration, this striking glass grew directly out of a passion for handcrafted quality that both Simon Pearce and WhistlePig share. These two Vermont based companies were driven to perfect the whiskey and glass combination. We found the WhistlePig American-style rye, to be a quintessential pairing with our handmade glass.

The collaboration first started with an ideal bowl shape specified for optimal whiskey tasting and we evolved it with a softly rounded base that fits nicely in the hand. Simon himself said “the lines of this glass are simply beautiful”. The glass derives it’s name from the town where WhistlePig has a 500-acre farm and distillery. From the moment our glassblowers formed the glass and many hours later when it was cool to the touch, we knew that this is one of the best glasses we’ve created to enjoy whiskey.

Beyond straight whiskey drinking, the new glass is also great for chilled cocktails. As the August summer days go by this drink recipe is something we have highlighted at our mill restaurant, and is a refreshing one to try at home.

WhistlePig Old Fashioned Recipe

WhistlePig 11 oz. Piggyback Rye

3 oz. Orange Old Fashioned Mix

4 orange twists

Serve in the new Shoreham Whiskey Glass

Ideation sketches for the whiskey glass as we explored variations on marrying the unique bowl shape with a complimentary base. We considered dozens of iterations before settling on the final design.

Find this new design for the Shoreham Whiskey Glass at our stores and website.

Adding Shine with New Handcrafted Hammered Bowls

July 23, 2021August 26, 2022 jamesmurray27Leave a comment

We recently introduced two new exclusive designs for artisanal hammered stainless steel serving bowls. They are the perfect accessory for outdoor entertaining this summer. The silhouette is inspired by the metal vessels employed for scales you will find in general stores throughout New England, typically used for weighing provisions. The overall fluid form also takes its cues from the organic design direction used with a variety of our marble and wood accessories.

Stainless steel has long been an essential element to how we set the table, and it adds a bit of shine and reflection to the overall tabletop landscape. From a practical and aesthetic perspective, Simon has been a fan of the high quality handcrafted hammered metal we offer.
The stainless steel bowls have a few distinct advantages for serving due to the fact that it is easy to clean, very durable and malleable enough to create unique shapes.

bowl rendering in chalk — vintage scales

bowl as wine chiller — The Medium Bowl used as a Champagne Chiller

The medium bowl is specifically designed and scaled to double as a chiller to hold a wine or champagne bottle on its side resting in ice. The spout rim of the bowl holds the neck of the bottle. The delightful small bowl can be a nut, dip, or appetizer serving bowl to accessorize a bar or for entertaining around a table.

Adding shine with new handcrafted hammered bowls. Stainless steel bowl used as a wine chiller. — Stainless Steel Bowl as a Wine Chiller

Visit us to find these great new bowls at our retail stores and on our website.

The New Woodbury Bourbon Glass

July 14, 2021August 26, 2022 jamesmurray27Leave a comment

Take a break from the summer heat of July, with a wonderful chilled cocktail in the Woodbury Bourbon glass. We recently extended the infamous Woodbury collection with this smaller cousin of the Woodbury Double Old Fashioned. The barware design characteristics are distinctly different from most other lines with the hallmark chilled textures, round to square detail and the heavy base. This bourbon glass is the perfect size for sipping bourbon, enjoying a mixed cocktail or simply as a juice glass. It was originally drawn up while traveling in Paris where Simon and Jay Benson started brainstormed new ideas for drinking glasses.

The Blackberry Bourbon Sour; featured at our restaurant, and you can try it at home with this recipe:

In a cocktail shaker with ice:

1 ½ oz. Bullet Bourbon

1 oz. lemon simple

¼ oz blackberry puree

Shake and pour into an Woodbury Bourbon glass.

Visit the Mill

Make the Simon Pearce Mill a summer destination and see where we make many of our barware and stemware items.

The Honey Grapefruit Martini

June 18, 2021August 29, 2022 jamesmurray27Leave a comment

As summer solstice approaches we’ve made the shift to outdoor entertaining. The Honey Grapefruit Martini is a seasonal favorite at our restaurant in the Mill. This refreshing drink is ideally served in a chilled Benson Martini glass which is the perfect combination of form and function. The base of the glass fits well in the hand, while the cone shape of the bowl is the right capacity to sip this summer cocktail. As the weather warms up, and if you have the opportunity to dine at our restaurant, select this wonderful cocktail off our menu, or if you are at home try our recipe.

Honey Grapefruit Martini

2 oz. Barr Hill Gin

1 oz. Honey+Lime+Grapefruit Mix* (see below)

Fresh Herb Sprig

Combine all ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Shake well and strain into a chilled Benson or Ascutney Martini glass. Garnish with a herb sprig such as thyme.

*Honey Lime Grapefruit Juice Mix

1 part Hot Water

2 parts Honey

2 parts Lime Juice

5 parts Grapefruit Juice

Mix hot water and honey until honey is dissolved. Then add lime juice and grapefruit juice and mix well.

The Benson Martini Glass

Explore our drinkware assortment online, or visit our Mill in Quechee Vermont, to experience the many dimensions of Simon Pearce.

Every Dog has it’s Day

March 17, 2021August 29, 2022 jamesmurray271 Comment

As a tribute to dogs and the role they play in family life, we’ve introduced a new glass dog each year and for 2021 our latest creation is Derby. This new silhouette features the classic characteristics of a smaller breed dog inspired by pugs, bulldogs, and boxers.

The steps we went through to create Derby, started with renderings to explore variations and interpretations that can ultimately be made out of glass. From the hand renderings we pick a path to then sculpt in clay to establish a few three dimensional models. As the models emerge, we pick out the best features and elements to finalize into one ideal model.

Once we make a metal mold from the clay model, we can start forming Derby with some trials on the glass blowing floor. The glass blowers can make adjustments with tools while the glass is hot, and use a torch to smooth out the surfaces. We evaluate the first round of samples and make any other edits to the details, to get the final result we are after.

Derby follows the same design and development path we took with our existing line of pets including the iconic dog, the puppy, and a puppy ornament. These beloved animals are a striking reminder in glass of our essential connection to the natural world. Following our tradition of using local names from the countryside, Derby takes it’s name after a wonderful Northern Vermont town.

Please visit our Website or stores to explore these great gifts for any dog lover, to have as a keepsake, a paper weight, or a decor tribute to a favorite pet.