When Bev Fowler and Jordan Cashman, owners of Sage—a full-service interior design studio in downtown Portsmouth—tell their origin story, they weave their words together like two people who’ve known each other all of their lives. It’s no surprise, then, to learn that they are not only business partners, but also mother and daughter, whose expertise has brought them together in art, design, and construction.
Step into the studio on Deer Street, and you are surrounded by nature’s warmth. It is an ethos that Jordan and Bev call “Endless Summer,” with a palette, materials, and scents that bring to mind the serenity of sandy beaches, the calm of the West Coast, and the pristine Mediterranean. “It started out as a nautical-coastal vision that has moved more toward modern coastal and indoor-outdoor living,” explains Jordan. Together, Jordan, Bev, and designer Emily Chreiman, whom they consider to be one of the family, work to source unique elements that bring that vision to life, reaching as far as Amsterdam and Australia for their design materials.
The retail endeavor began in 2012 in Newburyport as the brainchild of Bev, Jordan’s mother, who is also a trained florist with an eye for design. Jordan meant simply to lend her expertise in public relations and advertising to support Bev’s plans, but eventually found herself sharing her mother’s dream. Amidst the charming downtown crowds of Newburyport, they specialized in custom-made furniture and home décor, as well as container gardening consultation and wedding flowers. “I couldn’t have done it without her,” says Bev, of her daughter. She adds with pride, “Sage is actually Jordan’s middle name.”
As their vision unfolded, their business flourished, and they outgrew shop after shop. The pandemic was a turbulent time, as it was for many retailers, but it also offered Sage an opportunity to fulfill a dream. “We had been searching for a retail space in Portsmouth for years,” explains Jordan. When a space on Deer Street opened up, the timing was perfect. It was smaller than their Newburyport space, but just right for their evolving inspiration toward “design and build.”
That “build” component belongs to Cashman Development, started by Jordan’s husband Chris Cashman in 2018. With the birth of their first child that year, Jordan’s attention was drawn toward her new role as a parent. In 2020, however, she and Chris felt a renewed energy to expand their contractor business, and as they received more referrals, their clientele grew significantly. Jordan sings the praises of Chris’s work: “He knows construction in and out. Every code. And his brain capacity blows my mind.” Rob Fowler, father to Jordan and husband to Bev, serves as Site Superintendent for Cashman Development and can be found on-site daily, lending his own contracting expertise to every job.
The showroom on Deer Street offers an opportunity to stimulate customers’ senses with textiles, furniture, housewares and art, but it is merely a portal into what is possible. While customers might have a mental sketch of what they are looking for, the collective imaginations of Jordan, Bev, and Emily can lift that sketch right off of the page and turn it into an enchanting design concept that the customer never imagined. “We get the most excited when we get a job that is right up our alley,” Jordan explains brightly. “Tilt-and-turn windows, thinking outside the box, using materials no one else is using. We love to have clients who are open to a wide range of aesthetics.”
If a customer wants to remodel a room, that’s well within the wheelhouse of Sage, but they also delight in larger projects, both residential and commercial, that call on them to collaborate with Cashman Development, which specializes in renovations and additions. “I think our clients feel comfortable knowing that every important person on the project is connected by family,” Jordan muses. She and Bev explain that their family connection helps them to streamline their work and challenge one another as they bring their individual skills together in unique ways.
That connection also fuels their shared passion for the unique work they offer. “We want to open up the world for our clients,” Jordan says. “You see so much of the same thing, and we’re trying to put out something you’re not used to seeing.” As they set their sights on growth toward ground-up builds and commercial spaces, they find themselves well-anchored here on the Seacoast. Says Jordan, “We don’t see ourselves leaving Portsmouth any time soon.”
Visit Sage’s showroom in downtown Portsmouth at 33 Deer Street, Suite 3A, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also find them online at SummerAtSage.com.