Rock & Saltwater are a family run business based in beautiful West Cornwall.
All of our designs start life in a studio space looking out through trees towards the sea in West Cornwall.
The process often ends up being collaborative, with two little ones with artistic streaks, full of ideas and opinions... "Why haven't you done a paint splats mug yet?", "Can we change the shop name to 'Open Wave?". We can never get away from the ever changing inspiration outside our window, or the rich artistic heritage of the place where we live.
Why we love what we do
We hand make the majority of our products and when we need specific print or technical expertise (for example laser etching for our mugs), we work with carefully selected makers and companies in Cornwall, the South West and other parts of the UK. Our fabrics are printed using eco-friendly reactive dyes and we use non-toxic, water-based inks when screen and lino-printing. Our packaging is made from natural, recycled and recyclable materials.
We hope that our products bring you a little bit of the coast – whether it’s memories of drinking from enamel mugs around a campfire, or lying on the beach watching clouds pass overhead.
Who we are
So this is me, Lara, the main face behind Rock & Saltwater. Mama, sea swimmer, kniter, stitcher, designer and creative business owner, alongside other voluntary and charitable roles which I’ve managed to accumulate along the way!
I studied textile design at Falmouth College of Arts and illustration at Herefordshire College of Art & Design. During my degree I started freelancing and then went on to establish a graphic design and advertising agency with my husband and we’ve spent many years working with a fabulous range of clients, ranging from charities and small businesses to large car brands in both the UK and Ireland.
Rock & Saltwater grew out of a desire to find a creative, hands-on outlet for my art and craft work, which also fitted around a busy family life.