As the madness of summer fades into browning ferns and falling leaves, a familiar quietness descends here in Cornwall and I have finally found the time and mental capacity to sit down and write to you.
You may or may not already be aware that sand&palm has moved! Back in May (yes it's taken me a whole 3 months to sit down and write this, where DOES time go??), I moved from my studio and shop home of 5 years in Wesley Yard, Newquay, to the new home of the sand&palm studio in Mawgan Porth. Needless to say it was an emotional move, I'd gotten fond of my first shop and it had been my creative sanctuary and outlet through moments of joy and times of grief.
More on the moving process on Instagram..... Read the post here
I'd been looking for a new studio space and shop premises for a long time, having out grown my space in Newquay, and not feeling inspired to work there, I needed a change. After Married to the Sea moved out of their shop in Mawgan Porth, it remained empty for the whole of last winter. Every time I drove past it on the way home from Newquay, I couldn’t help but imagine myself working in there and what a perfect studio and shop space it would be.
Patience and perseverance paid off and with divine timing, I was handed the keys at the beginning of May. Overwhelm set it. It needed a lot of work. Was it too much? Was it too big, too expensive? By this point there was no going back, I couldn't envisage doing anything else anyway, my creative force was becoming frustrated at not being used, and so I cracked on.
The entire space was dark grey inside from the floor to the ceiling, covered in wood cladding and old vinyl tiles, not quite the sand&palm vibes. I started peeling off the old damp wall paper to reveal an interesting textured wall underneath that reminded me of the beach, which we left, the rest went white with a simple self levelling concrete floor. Furnished with furniture from my mine and mum’s studio (she would definitely have approved), the transformation was complete. Well, not quite, the outside wall and windows were still dark blue, but it was ready enough to open its doors to you! Gradually the outside has been painted white, the windows followed, and now all that's missing is a sign painted on the front. I haven’t even had a launch party yet, goodness knows when that will happen, but I'm sure it will in it's own good time.
It's a work in progress! The walls and windows were dark blue before so it's taken multiple coats to get them white. Next on the list is to finally get my sign painted!
The new space is split into two halves, one half is the sand&palm creative studio where I design and make all the pieces. The other half is a shop and goes by the name of 'The Flow State'. This set up suits me so much better than having to frantically run down the stairs from the back workshop whenever the bell went off as someone came into the shop. Here, I can easily keep an eye on the store from my studio desk, and you're able to see exactly where everything is made, which seems to be going down well with visitors so far!
Some people as soon as they step through the door say what a beautiful, calming space it is which is lovely to hear. It must be my nervous system needing the tranquility to restore itself and start to feel creative again. Either way it's a joy to welcome and share the space with you all.
It's amazing to be able to be able to keep an eye on the shop whilst working in the studio, and vise-versa!
The Flow State not only sells my swim and beachwear but a range of carefully selected high quality beach lifestyle products, mainly from Cornish and south-west makers and businesses, including but not limited to Free.The Brand, Kernowfornia Soul, Daisy V Jewellery, Cabinet, Fierce Nature, Ocean Boheme, Longboarder Mag and more.
The website is up and running and I'm slowly starting to upload all the products that are in store onto the website.
Head over to The Flow State website to have a browse of our beautifully curated products.
The Flow State website
It's been an intense summer, setting up a new studio and shop just before the peak season, working here everyday for 3 months, but I needed it. I needed a change, a new project, and something to focus on, to get out there again and meet some new people. I've loved every minute of it, and in reflection I'm feeling grateful for the opportunity and content in the knowing that mum, dad, Char and Gizmo would be beaming with pride.
Now that crazy season is over, I'll be closing Mondays and Tuesdays so I can get some other things done (when I say other things I mean mainly surf). I am also starting to think about how I can make the space more versatile for the winter season, so there may be workshops ahead! Keep your eye on the socials for information about those.
The new autumn shop opening hours are:
Mon-Tues CLOSED
Weds-Sat 10:30-5
Sun 11-4
I think that's all for now. If you haven't already, please do come visit us (me) at The Flow State!
The new address is: The Flow State/sand&palm, Unit 2 Surfside Stores, Mawgan Porth, Newquay, TR8 4BA. It's the white building next to Muddle and Press.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
Vicki x