While relocating her business to the busy town of Kinsale feels like a step in the right direction for Emily Connell and her popular interiors and lifestyle store, Chalk & Easel, it also marks a bittersweet chapter in this local success story writes Mary O’Brien.
For the past ten years – until this past summer – Chalk & Easel has been a landmark in the pretty little village of Ballinspittle, in a building that was not only a place of business for the shop owner, but is where she, her husband Matthew, son Elliott and shop dog Sam have called home. While the business has moved further away, with the near completion of their new build house just outside the village, the Connell family are looking forward to continuing this part of their story within the tight-knit community of Ballinspittle.
While some may believe that life does not get better by chance, but by change, this new beginning for Chalk & Easel has surely been written by both.
As so often happens in West Cork – after a year of uncertainty regarding the future of the business – fortunately the possibility of a suitable premises in Kinsale eventually arose through word of mouth. The protected heritage building at Market Place, for many years known as Patsy’s Corner, was being carefully renovated and would take some time – more time than anticipated – but in the end it was worth the more than two year wait.
The exterior has now been tastefully painted in a soft ochre yellow, chosen by Emily to complement the meticulously-preserved character of the building and the inviting storefront can’t help but encourage passersby to pause and discover the carefully curated contents within.
With Emily’s eye for beautiful yet functional items and her commitment to sustainability wherever possible – “Things that make life a bit better without making the planet worse,” she explains – this independent shop inspires beauty in the everyday.
While Chalk & Easel started out as interiors, over the years it has evolved into a lifestyle store. “Customers would ask me ‘Would you ever stock this or that?’ and so it happened,” explains Emily. Chalk & Easel now stocks reading glasses, clothing, perfumes and other lifestyle items alongside interiors. Each item is carefully researched and sourced with quality and durability prioritised over cheaper alternatives. “They’re mostly products I would buy for myself,” shares Emily.
While the shop floor is far from large, Emily has created an uncluttered and attractive display that is impactful rather than overwhelming.
From dustpan and brush sets made using natural materials to toilet roll holders that double as a basket, window bird feeders from Born in Sweden to Ocean tide clocks made in France, stylish bags from Uashmama made from washable paper in Italy to the ever-popular La Bougie candles, diffusers and perfumes created locally in Kinsale and chic tableware by Côté Table in France, each item is presented with such care that it feels effortless. Yet the precision to the presentation suggests that it has all been executed with deliberate intention, reflecting Emily’s background in interior and structural design.
For the person in your life who appears to have everything, check out the Eva Solo designer bread dustpan-and-brush or go for something more fun like the KOOKOO AnimalHouse cuckoo clock, which allows you to choose between five different brightly-coloured animal figures.
Chalk & Easel also stocks books that are a little bit different; the range of mindful titles from the London-based School of Life publishing company cover topics ranging from understanding emotions to dealing with conflict to managing stress and finding everyday pleasures.
The clothing in Chalk & Easel echoes the owner’s style – a collection of timeless pieces in natural materials (linens, cottons), to suit all shapes, sizes, and ages.
Scandinavian brand moshi moshi mind definitely deserves a mention for its non-seasonal multifunctional wardrobe, created for women with comfort, movement and softness in mind. Another beautiful ethical clothing brand stocked is Myrah Penaloza. Each piece is handmade by women in Bali who are all paid a fair wage.
The natural skincare range from Dublin Herbalists is also a personal favourite with Emily, who uses the products herself.
Some of the other Irish-made products include wooden chopping boards and jewellery, all by makers in West Cork.
Balancing a shop move with a house build has brought its fair share of challenges, but Emily’s passion for design has made both projects genuinely enjoyable. Five years on from purchasing the site, she and her family are finally close to moving in to their new home.
Like the shop, the house has been created with sustainability at its heart. It’s a Passivhaus requiring little to no active heating or cooling and, at 140 square metres, it’s modest by today’s standards, with a timber frame clad in cement board and corrugated metal. A KORE foundation system means the house weighs just a sixth of an average home, and it has been insulated using Ecocel, an eco-friendly product made from recycled newspapers by a Cork-based company. A veranda wraps around the house, designed to encourage inside-outside living.
Inside, Emily has planned the living space with minimal corners and open areas to allow ease of movement and relaxed gatherings. “I’ve positioned the dishwasher so it won’t get in the way when we’re cooking and lots of empty space, that kind of thing,” she explains. The home will, of course, be furnished using many of the beautiful pieces Emily has sourced for the shop, including unusual lighting made from baskets woven in Ghan and a timeless favourite, linen cushions from Danish brand House Doctor
Her advice to anyone considering a self build? “Just do it, and trust the process.”
If you’re looking for inspiration for your own home, then do call in to this lovely independent store in Kinsale. It’s worth travelling for.
www.chalkandeasel.ie.
