Meet Mary and Allie Ancel | Co-Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary and Allie Ancel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary and Allie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
As sisters, starting our own business was something that we have wanted to do since we were kids. We have always created art and designs for our own apartments – we sew pillows for our sofas, screen print colorful posters for the walls, and Mary makes amazing ceramic pots for all of our plants. Over the years, our friends and family have encouraged us to start our own brand, so we founded Pink Door Store as a way to share our creativity with the rest of the world. It takes a lot to put yourself out there, but it’s a lot easier doing it as a team!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
All of our art and designs are made by hand in the USA. We take a lot of pride in this because we are 100% involved in the entire production process, from the first sketch to the final product. We love the satisfaction of handcrafting our designs, and it’s important to us not to sacrifice that aspect of our business. Whether it’s experimenting with new shapes in the ceramics studio or testing out new tie-dye colors, we always want to keep getting our hands dirty. Our mom is also part of the team and contributes her creativity and craft by weaving all our beautiful dishtowels and scarves by hand.
We are super excited about how our products stand out on the shelves and speak for themselves. We love making statement pieces that are both high-quality and unique. We’re really into animal print and rainbow patterns and we like to challenge the traditional neutral palettes which are dominating the interior design market right now. Our customer is definitely not afraid to express themselves!

It wasn’t easy starting a business during the pandemic. It created a lot of barriers, especially with the breakdown of supply chains and the economic recession, but on the upside we finally had the time we needed to collaborate and actually make it happen. Now that things are opening back up, we are really looking forward to selling at craft fairs and markets in LA and NYC. It will be so nice to feel a sense of community and connect with other small businesses and artists!

The biggest thing we’ve learned so far is to not be afraid to put our work out there and to celebrate small wins. If our aesthetic isn’t for everyone, then that’s ok. It’s all about finding your market and your people. Being business owners comes with a lot of learning curves, but as long as we are creating things we really love, we will be happy.

Pink Door Store represents fearless creative expression in hopes to bring joy to others. We’re super excited about our upcoming releases, including tie-dyed duffle bags, scarves, new eye pillows, and some even jewelry in the works!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This one is easy because Mary will be coming to LA soon and we’re already planning out the trip! As sisters, best friends and business partners it’s easy to have fun while we’re working. For inspo shopping we will check out stores along Sunset Boulevard in Silverlake to see what’s trending and to support other local makers. One of our favorite boutiques is Candid Home, which is beautifully curated and has an eclectic mix of vintage and modern furniture, home goods and artwork.

Since we both LOVE the beach, we will spend the day at Zuma beach in Malibu, after hiking in the Pacific Palisades to check out the view of the west coast. We will definitely stop by the strawberry truck on the PCH and get some fresh fruit for the day. When we’re back in the city, we can relax at Echo Park Lake and enjoy street tacos from the local vendors. While in Echo Park, we’ll grab an iced oat milk latte from my fav coffee shop, Eightfold Coffee (their oatmeal date cookies are amazing too!) Also, we will make sure to hit up the LACMA or The Broad depending on what show is going on!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our parents have both been super supportive throughout this entire process and definitely deserve a loud shout out. They have always encouraged us to follow our dreams of being artists and they have inspired our love for photography, architecture, and textiles. Our mom and dad both owned their own businesses, so growing up we saw how their hard work, dedication and relentless drive led to their respective successes. We are so grateful to have learned so much from them – and are still learning!

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Website: www.pinkdoorstore.com

Instagram: @openpinkdoor

Facebook: /pinkdoorstore