Potter & collector of beautiful things: the Shelley Panton Store

The Shelley Panton Store has been a fixture of the inner suburbs of Melbourne since 2009. Doubling as a pottery studio, the store’s focus has always been on homewares, furniture and gift items. While customers can visit the bricks and mortar store located in Prahran, the online store stocks everything from prints to unique wall hangings, Shelley’s brand of handmade ceramics, blankets, books, and beyond.

“When I source products, I go by my gut instinct. It’s something that I can’t even explain, it’s just a sense that I get,” says Shelley. This gut instinct that given her legions of loyal customers who love the creative wares available within her beautifully merchandised store.

“The customers who visit our online store are a real mix. We ship items all over the country as we have customers ordering from Northern Territory, Tasmania and Western Australia. We get lots of enquiries from New Zealand. We also get enquiries from Asia, Europe, the UK and USA,” says Shelley.

Shelley is firmly focused on continuing to curate a collection of must-have stock for her store while delivering a superior experience to customers keen on beautifying their homes and offices – a trend that has flowed on from the popularity of home renovation shows.

“I really don’t have any desire to have multi sites for my business. I’m really happy with where the business at now. I just want to maintain one retail store and one online store and do it really well. I’m not motivated to become the biggest, richest retailer in Australia. I’m a potter and I want to sell beautiful things. I really like having a personal connection with my customers and that is something I would lose if my business expanded,” explains Shelley as she opens a door for another happy customer.