Pottery, Whimsy, and Heart: Meet the Maker Behind Luni Pottery.

Hello and welcome to the BoutiqueBiz Chronicles. My name is Ruth, a local business guru and aspiring journalist. Our story today celebrates a potter, living in Auckland who uses her love of all things whimsical to sprinkle joy and a touch of whimsy to the world. Sipping from my yellow daisy mug — a classic by Luni Pottery — the phone rang, and on the other end was Sam, the boutique business owner behind the brand. We jumped straight into chatting about her growing business.

It was such a joy hearing about Sam’s journey into the world of boutique business. The care and process she’s poured into creating a brand that sprinkles a little whimsical magic into the lives of those who follow her — and especially those who purchase her pieces — is beautiful. Every mug, dish, and trinket she makes carries with it the love and attention moulded into each piece.

As a kid, Sam dreamed of being an artist, but it always felt a little out of reach. In her mind, art was something flat — paintings and drawings. “I’m a tactile person. I love sculpture and 3D modelling. It took quite a while to call myself an artist. Somebody a few months after I started doing pottery said, ‘Wow, you’re an artist,’ and I was like, no,” she laughed, recalling the conversation. “I hadn’t really thought about it until they said that. It took months and months for me to feel comfortable with the idea of being an artist for some reason.”

Sam at the wheel, shaping each mug with care - ready for their next stage of colour, glaze, and a little Luni magic.

I find it incredible how many people I talk to created space during the pandemic to finally chase those ideas and personal goals they’d mulled over for years. Sam’s no exception. She graduated in 2019 with a degree and a passion for hospitality. After landing a job in 2020, COVID quickly took it away. She ended up in her first office job on a six-month HR contract. “I hated it,” she admitted. “Mum suggested I take a break, but I didn’t like the idea of doing nothing. So, I came up with Luni & Sprig [the original name for her business] in a day. I created the business side, ordered business cards, and brainstormed what I could sell — pottery, embroidery, wax seals, and crochet.”

At the time, Sam already owned a pottery wheel, though she’d only used it once or twice. “I thought I could sell my pottery, but it didn’t work because we were in and out of lockdowns, and I had nowhere to fire my work.” So, she launched Luni & Sprig without pottery in the mix. For about a year and a half, she did well — but the ever-changing Instagram algorithm made it harder to reach the people she needed to grow her boutique business. She had too many things on one account: embroidery, crochet, music boxes, earrings, and more.

That was the push she needed to narrow down her niche — and she chose pottery.

Her plan was to run a pottery-dedicated page while keeping the original Luni & Sprig account going, but she soon found maintaining both a chore. What she wanted was joy, not another to-do list. So, she closed Luni & Sprig and poured her focus into growing Luni Pottery.

I love asking boutique business owners the tough, heart-level questions — like what success looks like to them both as a business owner and as a human. Sam’s answer was beautiful: “It’s an individual thing. For me, success is being able to do what I love and feel grateful for it — not feeling like it’s a burden. The success part with pottery isn’t necessarily the money; it’s still loving it.”

And as you’ve probably gathered by now, Sam is wonderfully humble. While her dream is to keep creating pottery, when she lets herself dream a little bigger, she pictures her own studio space — somewhere she can hold pottery classes and invite others into the world she loves.

It made me wonder what her current favourite creations are — the pieces that spark the most joy for her.

“If I had to narrow it down to three… I have a house mug where tiny little houses sit on the rim of the cup. It’s just purely whimsical.”

Her second? “Froggy trinket dishes. I love them because, at sixteen, I would’ve absolutely loved one of those.”

And third — “My Be Still mugs. Most of the time they come out just… meh. But when the glaze hits just right, it’s so delectable.”

Freshly painted pieces tucked in the kiln, reading for their transformation - alongside shelves of finished and still being processed mugs and trinkets.

I asked Sam what keeps her in this space and motivated to continue. After some thought, she said, “Markets, I think. It depends on whether I feel prepared or not, but when I know I have everything under control, selling in person is something I really love.”

Sam admitted some people question the price of handmade work — but when you break down the cost of clay, the hours of labour, and the skill involved, it’s more than fair. As a returning customer of Luni Pottery (and plenty of other small businesses), I know handmade items often cost more than chain store pieces. But when you think about the time, love, and care poured into each item, it’s absolutely worth it.

Of course, running a boutique business isn’t just about beautiful glazes and markets.

Sam and I talked about the many hats a small business owner wears: creator, designer, payroll, accountant, buyer, seller, content creator, and more. I asked her what parts of the job she dislikes most. “Taxes,” she said immediately, before laughing. “And from the creative side? I hate putting handles on mugs — it’s so tedious. And replying to messages… Some days I’m good, but other days I just can’t.”

As a young adult myself, I get it. Some days social media feels like a chore even when it doesn’t involve working.

From hand-crafted mugs full of charm, to market day smiles and whimsical treasures ready for new homes - Luni Pottery is joy, creativity, and heart in every piece.

For Sam, the moments that make her feel most alive happen away from the pottery wheel — running, hiking through the bush. Sam finds joy in creating with her cat Poe sitting on her lap or laying in the sunshine while Sam creates and of course, the unbeatable moment of unloading the kiln after the second firing. “You get to see so many weeks of work all done and complete. It’s so satisfying.”

As we rounded off our conversation I asked Sam if she had any favourite boutique businesses that she would like to have promoted as well. “I do! Joy’s handmade boutique. She and I actually started our business at the same time! And Aery trinkets create beaded jewellery. They create the cutest rings and necklaces.”

If you are a person who loves whimsical; anime, lord of the rings; or subtle praise, I highly recommend heading over to @lunipottery on instagram where you can find her pottery. If you would like to see her at a market she can be found at The Smales Farm Market in Auckland once a month and often attends The General Collective. She is part of Auckland Armageddon twice a year. I always love going and seeing Sam and her sister in action. They are so lovely to chat with and always happily stop to chat and catch up.