OUR STORY
Saffron + Poe is an artisan home goods shop and boutique design studio in Mill Valley, CA with a mission to uplift maker communities around the world.
Founded by two wanderlust-stricken interior designers, Saffron + Poe curates and designs ethical handcrafted homewares — including furniture, rugs, and textiles — from artisans in every corner of the globe.
Everything in our collection is ethically and sustainably made by hand using traditional techniques, which means every item is uniquely its own. From how it’s crafted to the people whose hands made it and the soul of the culture it was born to, each piece has a story and directly supports the people and communities behind it.
NAME STORY
The name “Saffron + Poe” is inspired by the origins of international trade, a time people sailed around the world in pursuit of exotic spices and fine fabrics. It reflects two of the most coveted luxuries that civilizations have traveled to acquire over the ages: Saffron is widely cherished for its culinary offerings but its rich golden hue is also prized as a dye for textiles. Poe is Burmese for silk, and a nod to one of the most memorable stops on our maiden sourcing journey — Myanmar (Burma), where the creative energy was palpable and we saw our business coming to fruition.
Team
Fiona Bronte Burr
Principal & Co-Founder
Fiona Bronte Burr
Principal & Co-Founder
Fiona was raised in the creative, tight-knit community of La Honda, nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with nature as the first source of her creative inspiration. Throughout her design studies in San Francisco and abroad, and her work in high-end interior design, Fiona was drawn to ethical, sustainable, and socially-conscious practices. She’d discovered the beauty and soul of handmade crafts and traditional techniques in her travels across Asia and saw an opportunity to support the arts — and the people and communities behind them — around the world. Fiona co-founded Saffron + Poe to uplift artisan communities abroad and spread the joy of thoughtful design.
Johanna Vente Anderson
Principal & Co-Founder
Johanna Vente Anderson
Principal & Co-Founder
Johanna always knew she’d end up in an artistic career like her photographer father, and after seven years in high-end interior design in San Francisco, her inspiration struck. Saffron + Poe was born out of her desire to support artists around the world, combining her two first loves: art and travel. Some of the most important moments of her life — from her first steps to her wedding ceremony — happened abroad in her Dutch aunts’ homes across Holland and France, homes filled with worldly treasures each had collected from all corners of the globe. And thus her relaxed-California-meets-collected-European style was born — the style she brings to life every day in her work at Saffron + Poe.
Autumn Frazier
Shop Manager
Autumn Frazier
Shop Manager
Born in San Diego, Autumn grew up in Santa Barbara County and now calls Marin home. Passionate about elevating lives ethically, she spent over a decade in the corporate world before ultimately saying ‘Yes’ to her passion. A former Director of Human Resources, Autumn halted her corporate journey for good in August 2022 to follow her heart, a road that led her to Saffron + Poe. As our Shop Manager, Autumn helps us do what we love to do - serve you. Driven by creativity and the desire to impact lives, she helps us to go the extra mile. A socially-conscious partner who likes all things green living, you will find Autumn lost in nature or vacationing with family in her free time.
Nina Jackson
Director of Operations & Logistics
Nina Jackson
Director of Operations & Logistics
Nina’s world revolves around the ocean, the focus of her fascination since she was a kid. By day at Saffron + Poe she coordinates moving artisan furniture from various states across the nation without a scratch, a feat that requires incredible detail planning and dynamism — the same skills Nina has honed for years in her work as a marine science educator and sailor. Outside of work, she returns to the ocean, her lifelong source of inspiration — surfing, sailing, sea watching, and visiting various coastlines throughout the world.
Evin Wallus
Design Associate
Evin Wallus
Design Associate
Born and raised in Kalamazoo, MI and educated as an Occupational Therapist, Evin joins the team at Saffron & Poe as an outlet for her creative mind. Drawing on her experience living abroad and influenced by her travels, she believes that every piece and room has a story, and connects deeply with collected spaces. Mixing contemporary lines with vintage pieces is her go-to, and you'll find her working in the shop creating vignettes with our handcrafted pieces. An aesthete through and through, her down time is spent browsing flea markets, checking out the latest open houses and chasing inspiration wherever she goes.
Tutik Suryawati
Bali Business Operations Partner
Tutik Suryawati
Bali Business Operations Partner
Tutik is a self-made entrepreneur that connects all the makers and business owners in Bali that comprise Saffron + Poe’s network of artisans there. From her home in Denpasar, Tutik manages business operations, including buying and shipping. With a background in shipping logistics and customer service at large cargo companies, Tutik was happy to start her own business, so she can do what she loves on a flexible schedule that allows her to spend more time with her kids and participate in the Balinese ceremonies she holds so dear.
Paige Block
Director of Marketing
Paige Block
Director of Marketing
At the helm of all things content over at Saffron + Poe, Paige’s mutual interest in nature, travel, and interior design ultimately led to her stumbling upon our shop in Mill Valley. She brings her creative eye to the table via Here + West, her own small marketing agency, aligning beautifully with our small-business, female-founded mindset and approach. You can catch her at one of our photoshoots, IRL events, or behind a laptop overseeing all of our social platforms — keeping our incredible digital community up to date and in the know.