Olive & Slate started as a studio. The 320-square-foot space on Smith Street was never meant to be a shop — Daniel was simply looking for a place to throw pots without disturbing his neighbours at 6am. The front window was an accident: he forgot to put up blinds, and people started stopping to watch.
Now the wheel sits where the mannequin used to stand. The front half is the studio; the back half is the shop. Children press their hands against the glass. Neighbours know the firing schedule. The kiln lives in the basement behind a linen curtain.
Daniel works alone. He closes on Mondays to fire. On Sunday mornings in summer he opens the back door, and people pull chairs up to watch on the small fire escape — the closest thing to a back garden you can have in Cobble Hill.
