A new painted pottery shop is opening in Royal Wootton Bassett next month.
Gemma and Lauren Sandercock have spent months getting their new business ready.
The idea for The Little Pottery Painting Co came about when Gemma, her partner, her parents, Lauren, and Lauren’s partner went on a family holiday in September.
They took part in a pottery painting workshop and, despite some initial reluctance from the men, everyone enjoyed it and Gemma decided to bring something similar to Bassett.
She said: “Every single one of us got so into it. We were just sat there, barely talking, getting lost in painting. Mid-way through, the light bulb just switched on in my brain.
“By that evening, I had researched kilns, I’d set up wholesale pottery accounts and booked to see a premise.
“When I feel that inspired about an idea, I just roll with it and get stuff done!"
Setting up shop has been a team effort involving the whole family. Gemma and Laura visited the unit in the Arcade off the High Street with their parents and received the keys to the place a few weeks later.
Their father then completed a month-long renovation to turn the building into an art studio, while Laura helped invest in the business and is co-managing it with Gemma while their parents join the team as staff.
Gemma added: “All the family are so into it and passionate about it, which has been really lovely and helpful.
“Everyone’s been so supportive and the reaction we’ve had from the people of Bassett has just been so wonderful and so encouraging. We just can’t wait to officially open.
“A lot of pottery painting places are lovely but, in our experience, feel as if they’re are aimed at kids and tend to feel like an old school art classroom.
“We wanted to create a place that anyone from Bassett and around would love visiting and that would inspire creativity, to show people that creativity can be for everyone, even if you don’t think of yourself as a creative person.
“Pottery painting is really just a medium of creativity to us. It’s what we’ve built the studio around but really, it’s just a tool to show people how fun it is to make something yourself and then to be able to use it.”
Ahead of the official opening on December 1, the Sandercocks held a well-received soft launch earlier this week for friends and family.
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