As we approach the grand opening of our new Mill Valley shop location, we’ve been reflecting a lot on everything that has brought us to where we are today. We, Fiona and Johanna, met at a top interior design firm in San Francisco and we loved what we did there. But we were looking for something more, and, as we got to know each other better, we realized we were after the same journey. With a lot of dedication, hard work and brainstorming, our vision began to take form. Saffron + Poe comes to you with a mission of supporting and uplifting artisan communities worldwide and giving back in every way we can. For us, that means making sure our pieces are ethically sourced and that our global partners earn a fair profit from their work. So far we’ve been proud to offer our collection of hand-crafted home goods from our online marketplace, but we can’t wait to (safely) open our doors to share our gallery space, showroom and studio setup. It’s been so exciting to put together our dream shop, to create an environment that can inspire our design work and our customers as they style their homes (see their features in the press).
Our favorite part of opening our shop is being able to display our goods in person, which means that customers are able to sit-test pieces like the leather strap woven chair, a gorgeous piece handmade in Bali by our leather furniture workshop partners, whose team uses traditional techniques to yield this sleek store favorite.
We welcome our customers to explore the intricacies of each unique Moroccan rug, handwoven by the Zayan tribe cooperative established by our partner, Hamid. Now’s the chance to take a closer look at the complex geometric patterns on our Ilala palm wall baskets made by a collective of women from Hwange, Zimbabwe. And don’t stop there, because we have lots of select furniture items, accents and accessory pieces, featuring textiles from India, China and Thailand in our new pillow line, plus some of our very own designs and even work by local artists.
We are thrilled to announce that our partnership with local artists includes woodworker Aleksandra Zee, painter Kaleen Cameron, and wood sculptor Katie Gong. 
Aleksandra Zee's woodwork on our counter.
Kaleen Cameron's 18inx18in art pieces made for our shop.
Katie Gong's woodwork art above our woven leather strap headboard.
We’ve long admired the work by these women, who are exceptional and unique talents, yet who share a common inclination toward modern artistic reproduction of the wonders of the natural world. In addition, we also have Jacob May's beautiful cutting boards, brass mobiles by Electric Sun Creatives and pieces from Grain and Knot coming soon!
We hope to serve the community of Mill Valley and the greater Bay Area by continuing to shine light on emerging and renowned makers. And thanks to our community, our new shop is also a work of art featuring built-in shelving and cabinetry units built by the Brehm Brothers woodworkers using White European Oak and painted tongue & groove paneling to create a soft, natural look. We also designed a custom 9 x 6 oak ladder in collaboration with the Brehm Brothers to display our new rug line, and Aleksandra Zee transformed our retail counter into an art installation, inlaying it with her signature wood symmetry. It’s been a joy to hang the light fixtures and install an onyx sink we hand selected on our last trip to Bali.
So come pay us a visit when we open our doors! Bring a mask and a spirit of discovery to search through the treasures we’ve collected. And if you ever need a hand styling your home or establishment, Saffron + Poe offers full-service design, from construction and remodeling to custom furnishings and finishes. Kick back on a leather lounge chair and let’s have a chat from a safe distance about your needs and vision to tend to the heart of your space. We just can’t wait to see you!
