Meet Amanda Pehrson: Small Business Owner and Metalsmith

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Pehrson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Like many handmade businesses, I began Fancy Boheme in 2016 as sort of a fledgling hobby. I was newly hooked on metalsmithing (the process of soldering metal into finished work). Wearable art and clothing had always been a form of self-expression for me and at that time, I spent a lot of time questing for new pieces, looking for deals and amassing a lot of things purchased on impulse that didn’t feel quite right. I was going for an elevated, bohemian sensibility, a sequined dream that never seemed to align practically with my real life. At the same time, minimalism was also becoming a popular concept, and a co-worker inspired me to try a capsule wardobe challenge — using a handful of foundational pieces to create a variety of different outfits. After challenging myself not to shop for one year, one of my first “capsule” purchases was a beautiful camel coat. I saved up for something that draped just the right way and was warm, but breathable for our transitional Colorado days. Years later, I still wear it every single day from October to May. Buying that camel coat was a rite of passage in a way – dipping my toes into a world of quality and beauty that once felt unattainable before I discovered the secret of buying fewer, better things. This passion informed not only the way that I dress, but how I approached my business: creating highly wearable pieces to last the years. Curiosity, mindfulness and moderation are all principles that go into each and every one of my jewelry designs. Whether its choosing metals and gemstones or soldering metals together, I still approach my process with same wild-eyed excitement I once had for questing after that sequined dream. A simple stacking ring might get an unexpected diamond inside the band or an everyday layering necklace punctuated with a flash of vivid opal. It’s the foundational simplicity that helps it all make sense, and I hope for my customers, that my jewelry becomes a tiny, lasting memento of a larger commitment to building quality and beauty into their own lives, too.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have this mantra in my life about buying fewer, better things — it’s an ethos that’s infused into both the design process and the end-result of each piece of jewelry I create. When I first started out, I used a lot of beads and plastic components or plated metals — it was fun to learn how to construct jewelry by putting a lot of disparate objects together. Even though I was just one person, I started to become aware of my environmental impact — it didn’t make sense for me to just put more material things into the world that would eventually make their way into a landfill when a trend had passed. I want to create things of value that will last a lifetime with proper care, which means primarily using metal — I love using sterling silver and solid gold because much of what’s available on the metal market has been recycled, then melted down and formed into sheets, which I buy to turn into something new. For me, there was never a resounding moment that I knew metalsmithing had to be my career, or a profound confidence that I was talented enough to make it my calling. I keep learning, and trying and making mistakes, and each year my skillset, confidence and client list grows just enough to inspire me not to give up. There are many (many!) days where the imposter syndrome feels almost unbearable, but I’ve learned to develop a healthier relationship with self-doubt. Fear is always along for the ride whenever I’m doing something new, or otherwise pushing myself, so whenever fear is there —it must mean I’m making something worthwhile. I also want my customers to feel like what they are buying is an investment that is worthwhile. Rather than just put more things into the world for my customers to amass, my aim is to design thoughtful, beautiful and quality pieces. They might save up for a few months for a single solid gold necklace, but ultimately it’s something they that they can wear everyday, care for with some gentle polishing and pass down to their daughters and granddaughters one day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am lucky enough to live in one of the most vibrant, energetic neighborhoods here in downtown Denver, so we’d spend lots of time here in Five Points. We’d start the morning with a little morning jog through City Park or yoga on my rooftop just to get some fresh air, mountain views and an appetite for the ultimate food tour of Denver. For breakfast we’d go for an Egg Everything Bagel with dill cream cheese at Rosenburg’s Bagels here in Five Points, or we’d duck into one of the cute little booths for brunch at Beast + Bottle in Uptown for some watermelon and cucumber salad. We’d get a non-toxic manicure at Basecoat Nail Salon here in Five Points (Western Daughters is the perfect deep-red color and named after the best butcher shop here in Denver) and walk around the RiNo Art District to look at all of the street art and old Victorian houses. We’d shop for bread, wine and coffee at The Source in RiNo and some fun gifts from Denver makers at Eyes Open Project inside the Source Hotel. For happy hour, we’d ride our bikes up to Coperta in Uptown for their aperol whisky sour or go dress up to get a fancy cocktail at Death and Co. inside the Ramble Hotel. For dinner, a pizza at Cart-Driver or a whole roast chicken and chickpea croquettes at Work + Class, or Meadowlark Kitchen for a burger and some evening jazz. Dessert is always Salted Oreo ice cream at Little Man and popping into Metalmark Fine Jewelry to try on some absolutely stunning pieces (just because you make your own jewelry doesn’t mean your love of other beautiful jewelry ever wanes!) A short jaunt through Uptown to Colfax at the Ogden Theater to see my favorite Denver band, Tennis or a late-night cocktails at The Green Russell.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would never have had the courage to start metalsmithing without Kelly Conner at MeritMade, based in Kansas City. I attended her “Make a Ring” workshop years ago on a whim out of curiosity for how to fabricate metal jewelry from scratch. She broke down an otherwise complex process of making a ring into simple steps and helped me feel at ease with the more intimidating aspects of smithing (torches fueled with combustable gas, sawing+ firing precious metals). As I grew this love of metalsmithing into a business and into a full-time pursuit, it became increasingly clear that I was outgrowing the tiny corner I set up in my one-bedroom apartment to make jewelry. Leasing a full-fledged studio space on my own didn’t make financial sense for me, but after searching around a bit, I found the Art Gym, which is a shared studio space based on an affordable monthly membership. It’s become a second home for me since I joined two years ago — it’s such a luxury to have a separate space to work outside of where I live. The precautions they’ve taken to making the workspace safe and and support that they’ve extended to their members during the pandemic has been above and beyond.

Website: https://www.fancyboheme.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancyboheme/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-pehrson-83a96211
Twitter: n/a
Facebook: n/a
Yelp: n/a
Youtube: n/a

Image Credits
Stacey Poterson, Amanda Pehrson