Port People: Week 4 – Beverly Fowler and Jordan Cashman of SAGE Market + Design

By Lexi Fontaine, Marketing Intern

I visited Beverly Fowler and Jordan Cashman in their SAGE Market + Design, an interior design business and market bringing you the very best in quality home furnishings, decor, gifts, and outdoor living. Below is the interview for the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce’s #portpeople campaign which is a weekly profile of members of the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry!

Lexi: What are your backgrounds, and how did that help you grow SAGE?

Beverly: My background is in floral and design. I worked for Winston Flowers for 10 years, and before that I worked for Rachel Ashwell at Shabby Chic.

Jordan: I have a background in Marketing and Public Relations. I went to Suffolk University and have a Master’s Degree in Public Relations and Advertising.

Lexi: How long has SAGE been in business?

Jordan: We opened up the first retail space in 2013, and it’s grown from there.

Beverly: We have an online store that we started in 2012, and then opened up the brick and mortar.

Lexi: Where does the name SAGE come from?

Beverly: Sage is my daughter Jordan’s middle name.

Jordan: Then I named my daughter Summer Sage, so it is carrying on the tradition. That is another great thing about SAGE; it really is a family-run business.

Lexi: How would you describe your aesthetic?

Beverly: It is a lot of Californian laid-back; a casual aesthetic.

Jordan: We draw a lot of our influences from West Coast design, so it is basically New Traditional.

Lexi: Is the West Coast your primary inspiration?

Jordan: Not necessarily. We have worked in spaces that are very New England Coastal, Mid-Century Modern, or even Bohemian Eclectic. There is something for everyone. This has really expanded our audience.

Beverly: Clients and customers come into the shop and they love the feel of it. They become inspired by just the feel of the shop alone. When we step into their home it might be a completely different vibe, but they trust that we can work with them. They draw inspiration from us as well.

Jordan: I don’t walk into a space and think ‘this is farm house chic.’ You feel the space, where it is located, what year it was made, what the client wants it to look like for inspiration, and you go from there.

Beverly: You never want to limit yourself.

Jordan: We definitely draw our inspiration from the West Coast, but all sorts of other styles as well.

Lexi: What makes SAGE unique?

Beverly: We wear a lot of hats. We have an online shop with a great collection of outdoor furniture. In addition to outdoor we carry indoor furniture, do container gardening, and sell pots that are very unique. People come in here for plants and pots, although we didn’t start out to be a plant store. The plants we carry are extremely unique such as Blue Agave, Olive trees, Lemons, Limes etc. Our pots are from the Netherlands, and you will not find these anywhere else.

Jordan: What sets us apart is that our style is very broad, and we can work with anyone’s flair. We work with contractors and builders, and we have our own team of subcontractors. Because we are connected to the construction industry, we can do anything from styling a room to design building. Our work is multi-faceted.

Beverly: From A to Z we offer whatever the client needs are from spring, summer, fall, or winter plants and furniture to holiday décor. The company we work with in LA makes custom furniture for interior design, and it is unique and exclusive to us.

Jordan: All is made in the U.S. and everything is customizable.

Beverly: We’ve been featured in many magazines, also in the Boston Globe and the Best of North Shore.

Lexi: What drew SAGE to Newburyport?

Jordan: Newburyport has a very quaint downtown located on the waterfront and is very beautiful. The city was growing, and we were visiting quite often enjoying the great restaurants and walking around the parks and shopping. Once we opened, we ended up meeting some incredible people. A lot of our customers have become really close friends, and we have developed amazing relationships. The people who really support local businesses are the people who keep the community thriving.

Beverly: Many customers come to us and ask if we have an item before they go to a chain store. 99% of the time we can get it for them. The fact that they thought of us first, shows how the community is so supportive. People here are generally supportive of local shops and restaurants which is amazing.

Lexi: Where do you see SAGE going in the future?

Jordan: We are focusing on the design side. We used to focus mostly on outdoor furniture but unfortunately, we are in New England where the seasons are short. So now we focus on our custom furniture line through the manufacturer in L.A.

Beverly: I would love to see us expand in the design area. I love the shop because I am a visual person and I would love to see SAGE make a name for itself and get more clients to grow the service side.

Jordan: Possibly in the future a second location, but right now we are focusing on the design service side and expanding our website.

To learn more about SAGE Market + Design and the services they offer, visit http://www.sagemarketdesign.com/.