Portland artisans, plants arrive in Cannon Beach | Coastal Life
Staghorn Mercantile owners Andrea and Daniel Nichols with their dog.
“This was something we had to have,” Andrea Nichols said, holding up two pottery pieces, a planter and a mug, each with a glazed charcoal surface and hand carved etching of Haystack Rock underneath a crescent moon. “They’re slip casted, so it’s kind of fun because all of them are just a little wonky, they’re not always perfectly round,” she added, carefully placing the pieces, made at Vancouver, Washington, based pottery studio Ruby Farms , underneath a set of cascading leaves.
Andrea and husband Daniel Nichols, who together own Staghorn Mercantile in Cannon Beach, have followed their love for local, handmade goods to the coast. First opening a shop in Beaverton nearly four years ago, the couple sought Northwest artisans to supply their shelves. It’s a practice they hope to continue at their second location, which opened in February.
One of the new shop’s most popular items is a handmade mug featuring Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.
As she wandered through the shop, Andrea recounted the regional items decorating every corner. “Apolis tea, they’re out of Washington, Wingstitutions, out of Washington, they do the butterfly earrings,” Andrea said, standing next to a glass case filled with earrings made from resin secured wings. “Ethically sourced butterflies,” Daniel added. With lifespans of just three weeks, the butterflies are repurposed from farms primarily focused on repopulation.
In addition to vendors from the Portland area, the shop stocks candles from Prineville, toffee from Bend and even handmade baskets from South Africa, Rwanda and Uganda. The couple has also begun to add coast locals to its collection, including wooden plant stands made by Sam Block of Block Furniture, located in Cannon Beach.
Staghorn Mercantile sells local goods and gifts, including toffee bars and plant holders.
“We have Portland as a home base,” Andrea said, “but Cannon Beach has always been very special to us.” The spot marked the couple’s first trip together, where Andrea remembers finding a sand dollar for the first time. For Daniel, memories of the coast stretch back to childhood. “My parents used to come here in the ’70s. Back then, my dad always tells me it was like this playground out on the beach. You would go from one bonfire to the next,” Daniel said.
The couple now split their time between Portland and Cannon Beach, bringing along their excitable pup, “Adelaide.” “She’s very mellow when she’s at the shop,” Andrea said. “But as soon as she changes into her beach vest, she knows that she gets to go on the beach… you let her off the leash and she just goes into the water.”
An artisan shop selling handmade goods, plants and cards recently opened a second location in Cannon Beach.
Cannon Beach is a favorite of Daniel’s 13-year-old daughter, too, who’s become acquainted with local shop owners. “It’s nice that she kind of feels a part of the community too when she’s here,” Andrea said. When the new location first opened, the couple also packed along a few large cacti, a centerpiece of the shop’s plant collection. Daniel was reluctant at first, but the first desert plant sold within weeks.
Now, the shop hopes to get back to its roots. Andrea, who makes macrame plant holders and does hand lettering, first imagined the space as a creative outlet, offering classes and selecting tropical plants. Now, both plan to expand their Beaverton offerings on the coast, with class subjects ranging from macrame with mimosas to Kokedama, a technique with origins in Japan. “You take a plant and wrap it into moss, so it’s like a living pot,” Daniel said.
A plant holder sits above a sign that reads ‘Someone in Oregon loves you.’
The pair is grateful for community support, which has allowed them to quickly establish a sense of place in Cannon Beach, and plans to uplift more local makers by offering summer pop-up sessions. “We love promoting local people as much as we can,” Daniel said. “It’s exciting to be able to make those connections.”