Author: afgaimari

On Location: Portland, Maine Spring Photoshoot

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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!

Simon Pearce Summer Photo Shoot

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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

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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?