Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Boleslawiec (more commonly known as Polish Ceramics)


Selection of Boleslawiec displayed outside our store in Shelter Island


In September of 2013, we took a trip to Poland to meet with some of our current vendors and also to scope out some new ones.  We were getting a great response about our selection of Polish ceramics known as Boleslawiec so we decided to take the four hour drive to the town where these beautiful ceramics are made.

This pottery is not only stunningly beautiful but also has a rich history behind it.  The region where Boleslawiec is made is located on the Polish/German Border and was not under Polish control until after World War II.  Before the war, the factories were run by Germans in a region named Brunslau.  After the war, the factories changed their managements and continued to manufacture the ceramics in the same styles as the Germans.  The region was renamed Boleslawiec. 

Example of a pattern of German origin

What makes the pottery so unique is that it is made from a certain type of clay that is only found in the Boleslawiec region.  This clay gives the pottery the unique characteristics that make it both durable, to withstand baking, and useful for serving.  The popularity of the pottery has greatly increased in recent years leading to an increase in the number of factories making pottery using the clay found in Boleslawiec.  

While we were visiting Boleslawiec, we got to go and see two of the beautiful factories in the town.  They were busy producing very beautiful patterns as well as the traditional and signature ones.  As we went looking through the factory stores, we noticed that these factories had included more unique lines of floral patterns.  These patterns are called UNIKAT patterns and generally belong to a certain artist.  These patterns also tend to be a bit more on the expensive side.  

The great thing about Boleslawiec is that it is oven safe, freezer safe, microwave safe, and dishwasher safe. This makes them easy to use and easy to clean.  We swear by them, our kitchen is full of them, and we have been collecting the Boleslawiec pottery for the last thirty years.   

We continue to have a great response to our Boleslawiec collection at all three of our stores!  Come by and chat with us about the ceramics and get excited as we are about to place another large order! 

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Welcome to our blog!


Welcome to our first blog post!  We figured that since this is our first blog post, we would take this time to tell you a little bit more about how we started PasParTou.  

Our first store started in the spring of 2010 under the name ShelterEgo.  It was a joint venture between three partners who were looking to put their experiences and knowledge together to curate a collection to be included in a new seasonal store on Shelter Island.  The store was a hit from the get-go and soon became a known store on the island.  It included a wonderful mix of nautically themed items, designed and made by us, as well as some vintage accent pieces, unique one-of-a-kind pieces, jewlery, and accessories.  


Throughout our two very successful summer seasons on Shelter Island we were featured in numerous publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times "How to Spend It", Le Figaro, Shelter Island Reporter, Hamptons Cottages and Gardens, Northfrkd blog, and Dan's Paper.  During the winter of 2012 we decided to say good-bye to ShelterEgo and the partnership and continue on a different journey.  

By the end of the summer of 2012, my mom and I decided to start looking for spaces near our home in Brooklyn Heights in the hopes of starting a pop-up store for the fall/winter season.  We found a place and started a full-time store.  We spent sometime brainstorming names and decided on PasParTou that opened in April of 2013.  With a collection of home decor itmes as well as accessories, books, jewlery, and some vintage items - we are a continuation of ideas started by ShelterEgo.



A few months after we found out about an opporunity to return to Shelter Island for the summer and naturally we didn't think twice.  We would now be located by the Chequit Inn in their Cedar House under our new name PasParTou.  The summer turned out great and we were able to not only welcome back familiar faces from ShelterEgo but also meet many new customers.  We also hosted a fundraiser for the Island Gift of Life Foundation.  As the summer drew to a close, we closed up the store but knew that we would find a way to keep coming back.

This summer we are located two doors down from our old ShelterEgo location at 183 North Ferry Road (more commonly known as Bridge street).  We have brought back our eclectic mix of nautical items, hostess gifts, accessories, jewelry, furniture pieces, and some vintage accent items.


We are open seven days a week from approximatley 10am to 6pm. 

Please stop by and say hello whether you are new to the island (& our store) or have shopped with us before (either on Shelter Island or in Brooklyn).  We are looking forward to showing you what we have in stock for the summer season!