On beautiful things, unfinished things, the discomfort of trying and everything in between.
I’ve woken up more nights than I’d care to admit, wondering… What am I doing? Between three children, an ever-evolving garden, and a studio with more ideas than hours in the day, this is hardly the most sensible moment to take on something new.
There is a lot of discomfort in trying something new like this…
Especially when it involves opening your home, your gardens, and a little piece of yourself to the world.
And yet…
I’ve always believed in the magic of experiences. The kind that pull us, if only briefly, out of our everyday routines. That invite us to wander, drift into something unexpected, a moment of awe, the chance to meet someone new and have time pause while you speak, and leave feeling a little more inspired than when we arrived.
I’ve been longing to create a little of that feeling here.
Welcome to The Cottage Market.
During my years at CHANEL, one of the things I loved most was being part of creating a universe and experiences unlike any other—bringing together fascinating people, beautiful objects, and unexpected details to create a world for others to fall into.
I’ve found myself returning to that part of my creative life, but with a different perspective. There are so many artists, makers, and small business owners whose work, style, and ethics I genuinely admire and want to bring into my orbit and others. People whose imagination, talent, and curiosity add such richness to our world.
But I didn’t want to create another opportunity to simply buy things.
My desire was to create something worth experiencing.
An afternoon to wander, discover, listen, and enjoy. To appreciate the beautiful things people dream up and spend time in nature.
I think some of this comes from my grandparents. They spent much of their lives growing things, sharing what they had, and finding ways to contribute to their community.
My grandmother’s maiden name is where The Gardiner Studio gets its name. There’s much more to their story, which I’ll save for another letter. For now, I suppose the instinct to grow something and share it comes from them, too.
What we’ve created here is imperfect and unfinished. Some of it we’ve grown, some we’ve inherited, and much of it we’re still figuring out. But there’s so much beauty here already. And I don’t want to wait until everything is perfect to share it.
Perhaps waiting until we’re certain of ourselves means missing some of the best parts of being alive.
So we’ve invited artists, designers, curators, a photographer, people with blossoming businesses and wonderfully interesting people whose work we admire. There will be flowers, plants, gorgeous pots and vessels, art, music, children’s activities (plenty of childcare and activities related to the garden), beautiful little discoveries, and room for everyone to simply enjoy an afternoon together.
Come to discover something lovely. Come to meet someone interesting. Come to support an artist or small business you may never have encountered otherwise. Or come simply to spend an afternoon somewhere that feels a little different from everywhere else.
You don’t have to buy a thing.
We’d just love for you to be here.
Teresa & Your Friends at The Gardiner Studio
