Texas-bred Cary Ray has a beautiful Instagram account. The wife of local photographer Ryan Ray displays her own eye for style by filling our social feeds with simple and stunning home interior shots. So when we saw that Mrs. Ray and her equally creative mother, Sally Eaves, were launching a website for their handmade goods, we took note, and waited patiently. Now that Salt Shop Handmades is officially live, we caught up with the mother/daughter duo to learn more about their venture, the benefits of keeping it simple, and what they love most about doing business together.
How did you land on the name for your shop?
Cary: We wanted to choose a name that represented our brand’s aesthetic, which is simplicity. Our handmade goods are made from simple, but beautiful materials. Much like salt in its simplest form: A little goes a long way, it never goes out of style, and it makes all the difference.
What inspired you to launch your own company?
C: The decision to start Salt Shop happened pretty organically. I have a deep love for everything home and table, and she wanted to merge her own talents and creativity with my own to produce something special together that we were both proud of.
What do you love most about working as a mother/daughter team?
Sally: What I love most is the satisfaction I have as a mom observing my daughter create and style, and the joy she expresses in her work. It’s exciting for me to sew her ideas and dreams into a reality. We are two peas in a pod. We work so well together because we can bring our best together into a successful union, and thus, a successful business.
C: I love that we get to celebrate each other’s gifts and talents. We depend on each other each step of the way, exercising our trust, patience, and appreciation for one another. I also love witnessing her joy in the work she creates and seeing her finish something and it being so perfectly perfect. We both have high expectations for ourselves, each other, and Salt Shop. We really do adore one another and this has been such a fun journey to take together.
Salt Shop’s aesthetic is so bright and beautifully edited. What would you say the benefits are of keeping it simple?
C: Our goods are kind of like a great pair of shoes. They can be dressed up or down; they can be fancy, or casual; but they’re always special. Keeping it simple allows for a breath of fresh air, for the moments to shine instead of the stuff, and can be used year after year.
Any plans for a physical shop or pop-ups around town?
C: Right now we are focusing on our online sales and making plans for our new spring arrivals. We are definitely interested in new opportunities for our shop though.
