opposite: A teak table from Tirto Furniture forms a characterful backdrop for a curated spread that spotlights local artisans. this page: The tabletop features graygreen tumblers from De Cicio Artisan Glass; ceramic-ware and vases from Vit Ceramics; wool throws by Faribault Woolen Mill Co.; and wooden chargers by Laura Yeats.
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fter 18 years running Fleurish, a Seattle floral studio with a loyal following, Nisha Klein is expanding her business to include a retail store. Niche Outside, a tiny garden-inspired boutique, will open this winter at the new Chophouse Row on Capitol Hill. Designed by Seattle’s Tyler Engle Architects PS, and opened in partnership with Klein’s husband, Amir, Niche Outside will contain organic, earthy products by local makers and crafters, as well as select goods from producers outside the region. It won’t be a flower shop per se, but Klein promises exquisitely planted containers and one daily fleur du jour option. To celebrate her new venture, GRAY asked Klein to create a tablescape that reflects the changing season and puts the spotlight on some of her favorite local artisans, many of whom will be featured in her shop. Klein set the scene on her own deck and adorned a reclaimed teak table and benches from Tirto Furniture. She stacked light-gray porcelain dinner and salad plates made by Vit Ceramics on top of ruffled chargers sliced from Madrona trees by woodworker Laura Yeats, and peppered
the table with elegant hand-blown wine and water glasses from Greg Clark of De Cicio Artisan Glass. She also sourced a vintage runner and new European linens, bone-style flatware, and blown-glass votives from her friend Pamela Robinson, owner of Seattle’s Red Ticking. Commanding center stage is a Fleurish bouquet of fall cuttings, foliage, berries, and herbs, arranged in a rectangular resin vessel designed by Vancouver-based artist Martha Sturdy. As the sun set, Klein pulled out a hand-woven throw from Minnesota-based Faribault Woolen Mill Co.—just the thing to warm chilly shoulders—and lined the benches with sheepskins. Overhead, a string of shaded lights by Portland’s Pigeon Toe Ceramics cast a glow as dusk fell. “A niche is a little carved-out place for us to be outdoors,” Klein says. Since childhood, friends and family have shortened her first name to “Nish,” pronounced “niche,” making her pint-sized shop’s name doubly meaningful—and quite apropos for this intimate moment in the garden. h GRAY ISSUE No. EIGHTEEN
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