FIELD TRIP-September 2011

By Veronique McAree | Photography Amanda Kowalski

You know the old expression: Good things come in small packages. The adage certainly applies to Sugar Tools, the newest addition to Camden’s retail scene.

A slight detour off Camden’s main drag leads you to another shopping haven, Bayview Street, that is frequented by visitors trolling for interesting finds. It’s there, wedged between Camden Cone and Goose River Exchange (an ephemera enthusiast’s dream), that shoppers will find the unassuming little storefront that is home to Sugar Tools. Amy O’Donnell, the shop’s owner, curates a unique collection of home, garden, and clothing products, along with an eclectic collection of “smalls”—a term she prefers to “accessories.”

Whether it’s Japanese gardening shears, colorful dresses, a Wave Hill outdoor chair, or a Maine-made bat house (seriously), O’Donnell’s only requirement when selecting her products is that they embody the relaxed, easygoing Maine lifestyle. 

When Sugar Tools opened a year ago, O’Donnell, a former New Yorker and self-proclaimed “shopaholic,” brought in designs and clothing from exciting destinations such as Sweden, France, and Los Angeles.  

While O’Donnell carries some well-known brands such as Calypso St. Barth, she really embraces smaller, independent designers. Some favorites include a line of Saipua soaps from Brooklyn, New York, and flower presses from Strong Arm Bindery in Portland that would not seem out of place in a general store.

The Sugar Tools aesthetic, and O’Donnell’s personal style, is laid-back, organic, slightly mod elegance that is simple, ageless, and effortlessly sophisticated. Much of her design sense was culled from her years working for home-and-fabric company Hable Construction in New York City, whose products she now sells at Sugar Tools.

“Many of my customers are easygoing vacationers who wander in with no particular goal in mind,” says O’Donnell. “I try to capitalize on this by offering a bit of everything—from products for their summer cottages to things that complete an outfit, as well as unexpected finds that might strike their fancy, like stone garden orbs or wooden slingshots.”

If a Camden field trip is not on your itinerary, you don’t have to miss out: O’Donnell plans to launch a Sugar Tools website soon, so you can taste her sweet slice of shopping heaven no matter where you happen to be.

Field Notes

Favorite Hot Spots (in Maine)
There is so much inspiration in Maine, but my current favorites are as follows: For all things green: Snug Harbor Farm in Kennebunkport and North Creek Farm in Phippsburg, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Seal Harbor, and the Shelter Institute in Woolwich. Foodwise, I love Camden’s Long Grain for unbelievable Thai. And for antiques, I always score at Pillars in Yarmouth and Stonefish in Port Clyde.

You collect?  
Eggcups, mostly doubles.

On weekends you…  
Work

Favorite City…
New York, London…oh, and gai Paris (sigh).