10 Years of Pure Salt
For 10 years, Pure Salt founders Leigh Lincoln and Aly Morford have been intentionally building a lifestyle brand devoted to effortless California-style indoor/outdoor living. The Pure Salt world is casually elegant, a place where layered natural materials, subtle earthy palettes and timeworn textures invite people in.
Lincoln and Morford started with an interior design firm in 2016 and expanded into an online store, Pure Salt Shoppe, in 2019. They also began partnering with brands on product collections with companies such as Leftbank Art, Modern Matter, Momeni, Pottery Barn, Tempaper & Co., Häti Home and Looms. Along the way, they built a growing team to manage all aspects of the growing business.
This year, as they celebrate a decade in business, they’ve taken more big steps, opening a flagship retail storefront and design studio, launching an anniversary product line and issuing their first brand catalog.
“We have always viewed Pure Salt as more than an interior design firm. From the very beginning, our goal was to create a brand that inspires people to live beautifully in every aspect of their lives. Design was simply the foundation,” says Lincoln, principal designer and co-founder of the Newport Beach, California-based company. “As we’ve grown, every part of the business has been built to support that same vision. Whether it’s our full-service design projects, our retail store, our product collections or our brand partnerships, they all stem from the same philosophy and aesthetic.”
The new 4,500-square-foot store and design studio is located at 314 Old Newport Boulevard, a walkable stretch near the beach that’s in keeping with the brand’s relaxed vibe. The retail space grew from the company’s online Pure Salt Shoppe and showcases a mix of curated and proprietary products.
“This space has really been years in the making,” Lincoln says. “As our design business and retail presence continued to grow, we recognized the need for a space that could better support both sides of the business while also creating a more immersive experience for our clients and customers. The new studio allows our design team to collaborate more effectively while giving visitors an opportunity to experience the Pure Salt aesthetic in person.”
On the retail front, Pure Salt wants to create stores that “are less like traditional retail and more like spaces that inspire people — places where they can discover beautiful pieces, gather ideas and experience our brand in a more personal way,” Lincoln adds.
The new Pure Salt 10th Anniversary collection features furniture, lighting, and accessories for dining, lounging, and entertaining.
“Reaching 10 years felt like a meaningful milestone, and we wanted to celebrate it by creating a collection that reflects where we’ve been and where we’re headed,” says Morford, principal designer and co-founder. “… Rather than creating something trendy, we wanted to design products that feel collected, enduring and representative of the homes we’ve been creating for years.”
The company’s first 44-page supports the debut of the anniversary collection. The shoppable digital version, integrated with the company’s online store, is intended for Pure Salt’s “broader community,” Lincoln says. A print version is available in the store and was mailed to select customers and partners.
But, Morford says “the catalog isn’t just about selling products — it’s about storytelling.”
“In a world where so much content is consumed digitally and disappears quickly, we wanted to create something more intentional — something people could slow down with, leave on their coffee table and revisit throughout the season,” she says. “… Of course, we hope it introduces new people to the brand and drives interest in our products, but it’s equally about inspiring people and giving them a tangible experience that reflects who we are.”
While this 10th anniversary year has been one of saying “yes” to big projects, Morford says that one of the biggest lessons she and Lincoln have learned over the past decade has been “that growth isn’t about saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity.”
“It’s about knowing which opportunities align with your vision and having the confidence to say ‘no’ to the ones that don’t,” Morford continues. “Learning this and curating our approach has been an ever-evolving process that has led us to incredible partners, opened doors to unbelievable experiences, and allowed us to create better products and services for our clients.”
Another key to success (and one that can sometimes be hard for founders to accomplish as a business grows): building systems and investing in people, Morford says.
“In the early years, we wore every hat imaginable. As the business has grown, we’ve realized that empowering our team, creating strong processes and allowing people to thrive in their strengths ultimately creates a much better experience for both our clients and our employees,” she says. “It’s a true asset to our business to not only recognize that we — and everyone on our team — have specialized talents, but to invest in them.”
Lincoln and Morford say they see this anniversary year not as a pinnacle but as a milestone on the way to even bigger and better things, including expanding Pure Salt’s retail arm.
As Lincoln says, “We feel like we’re just getting started.”
Note: Lead shot by Vanessa Lentine
