News ·
Getting to Know Our Team
Francesca joined us back in December 2017 as packer for our online orders and shop assistant in our store based here in Falmouth. She quickly became a loyal asset to the team and we moved her onto processing orders amongst other office based tasks. She is now head of Customer Service while Catherine is on maternity leave awaiting the arrival of her baby boy.
If you ever find yourself calling us up with an order query or general question about a product, it is likely that it will be Fran you speak to!
Q&A WITH FRANCESCA
Hi Fran! You seem to enjoy (and do a great job!) of creating beautiful displays of products within the store. What is your creative process when implementing one and can you provide any tips?
One of my favourite things to do when working in the shop is creating displays. Whether it be creating a stylish display of homewares on the kitchen table or covering one of the plan chests in gorgeous stationery and gifts.
I usually start by choosing an item that I love, it is normally a book with a beautiful cover or a pretty range of ceramics. I then like to pick out certain colours or themes and find other items around the shop that compliment it. I make sure to add height to my display, either with candlesticks, vases of dried flowers or simply by propping a book up on a stand. I tend to keep my displays fairly simple and clean – I like to use folded blankets or pattered textiles as a base layer for the display so there aren’t too many empty gaps.
We understand that you are passionate about the RAF and were a cadet as a child and now teach the cadets yourself. What do you like the most about this vocation?
I joined the Air Cadet Organisation when I was about 14 years old to give myself something else to do on the weekends. 7 years later I am still heavily involved with my Squadron in Helston as an Adult Volunteer and currently applying to become a Logistics Officer in the RAF. My favourite part is looking back and seeing how much the cadets have developed and grown in confidence over the years. From teaching them lessons about the RAF and aircraft to taking them walking across Dartmoor. Everything we do with them gives them such valuable life skills and helps them become confident young people – it’s just so lovely too see how far they have come and to know that I have had a hand in that!
Finally, what would you say is your favourite in-store product?
I love the new pieces we have in from Botanique Workshop. As soon as the range arrived in the store I knew that it would become a favourite of mine. I am a sucker for a scented candle and these smell amazing – the scents are beautiful; smelling almost like the real thing. The Eucalyptus is my favourite, it smells so fresh and herbaceous. The bath salts are also lovely, I keep the pot of Himalayan Salts and dried flowers open in my bathroom and they fill the room with the smell of Wild Flowers. The branding is gorgeous too, the hand drawn Botanical illustrations on the labels make the products perfect to display.
…and a favourite from our online selection?
I love our Jute Hanging Planters! I have an ever growing collection of houseplants so I am always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to display them. I think the woven look of the planters looks gorgeous with lovely green leafy plant and the natural sea-grass colour means they would look great in most spaces!
