About A CULTIVATED LIVING
We help people cultivate beautiful gatherings—from the garden to the table.
Welcome. I’m Joanna, and I’m so glad you’re here.
For most of my life, I thought I had many passions. I was drawn to gardens, food, flowers, writing, design, beautiful textiles, and making things by hand. Over the years, each became an important part of my life and career, but they always felt like separate chapters.
When I created A Cultivated Living, I thought I was beginning another one.
Instead, it became the place where everything finally came together.
Looking back now, I realize they were never separate at all. They were simply different expressions of the same way of seeing the world—
a belief that beauty is meant to be shared.
That belief continues to guide everything I create.
We help people cultivate beautiful gatherings—from the garden to the table.
Welcome. l’m Joanna, and I’m so glad you’re here.
For most of my life, I thought I had many passions. I was drawn to gardens, food, flowers, writing, design, beautiful textiles, and making things by hand. Over the years, each became an important part of my life and career, but they always felt like separate chapters.
When I created A Cultivated Living, I thought I was beginning another one.
Instead, it became the place where everything finally came together.
Looking back now, I realize they were never separate at all. They were simply different expressions of the same way of seeing the world—a belief that beauty is meant to be shared.
That belief continues to guide everything I create.
Where It Began
I was born in Wales to British parents before our family moved to California when I was still an infant. My father had brought Laura Ashley to America, opening the company’s first store in San Francisco before going on to grow the brand to more than 200 stores across the country. Although we lived in America, our home was unmistakably British. The traditions we kept, the gardens my mother tended, the meals we shared, and the guests who gathered around our table all reflected the life my parents had brought with them across the Atlantic.
While my father was building a remarkable business, my mother was quietly creating something equally meaningful at home. She taught me to garden beside her, arrange flowers, sew, cook, and make things by hand. Our home was filled with beautiful textiles, gardens that changed with the seasons, handmade decorations, and dinner parties that welcomed friends and colleagues from around the world.
The gardens were as much a part of our home as any room inside it.
Looking back, I realize my mother wasn’t simply teaching me practical skills. She was passing down a way of living. She taught me that beauty is found in everyday rituals, that making something by hand gives it meaning, and that setting the table, arranging flowers, or baking a pie was never really about perfection. It was about caring for others and creating a home where people felt welcomed, celebrated, and loved.
At the same time, our family dinner table became an unexpected classroom. I grew up listening to conversations about stores, branding, merchandising, textiles, and building a business that people loved. Without realizing it, I was learning two very different lessons: one about creating a home, and the other about creating a brand.
Collecting the Pieces
One of my first jobs was at the garden center at Smith & Hawken in Mill Valley, California. More than a job, it became an education and an inspiration. The nursery, beautifully designed gardens, and curated product collections were magical. It is there that I purchased my first cookbook—The Greens Cookbook—which opened up an entirely new way of thinking about food. This time introduced me to a world of fresh, seasonal, garden-to-table living and sparked a philosophy that continues to shape the way I cook, gather, and live today.
A few years later, my family moved to Vermont to purchase a flower farm. Alongside the farm, we opened a flower shop and floral design business, where I spent my days designing arrangements, caring for flowers, and learning the artistry and discipline of floristry. Living and working so closely with the seasons deepened my appreciation for the beauty and abundance found in the natural world.
Not long after, I joined ANICHINI, where what began as a role leading visual merchandising evolved into a career spanning more than two decades. As the company grew, so did my role. I became deeply involved in every aspect of building the brand—from marketing and visuals, to ecommerce and digital strategy, and textile design. My years there deepened my appreciation for textile heritage, exceptional craftsmanship, and the enduring value of beautifully made objects. Working closely with artisans, mills, and makers from around the world reinforced my belief in quality, authenticity, and thoughtful design.
Throughout those years, I was fortunate to collaborate with brands and places that shared many of the same values. From styling and creative work with Williams-Sonoma to projects for Twin Farms and other exceptional hospitality and lifestyle brands, I found myself continually drawn to organizations that celebrated craftsmanship, beautiful homes, remarkable food, and thoughtful hospitality. Each experience broadened my understanding of how beauty, generosity, and design come together to create meaningful experiences.
Through every chapter, food remained at the center of my life. I cooked for family, hosted friends, tended gardens, arranged flowers, and found joy in bringing people together around a table. Little by little, I realized these weren’t separate interests—they were all part of the same story.
Looking back, I realize I wasn’t changing careers. I was collecting the pieces that would eventually become A Cultivated Living.
