Ilex Studio: balancing optimism with pragmatism

As co-founder of Ilex Studio with Amy Hall Browne, Ed Spurr is the designer-gardener cultivating trees that flourish on even King Charles's desk. With a belief in every seed, his optimism is his compass as an entrepreneur. But is that enough to make a business bloom and bear fruit? He shares a candid look into the roots of the brand.

THE BRAND

Founded in London in 2018, Ilex Studio creates minimalist, high-performance, ultra-designed vases that make watching a tree grow possible. Made from borosilicate glass and available in an array of colors, they celebrate nature’s beauty, honoring the Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” The idea’s origin? Ed Spurr was captivated by Ellsworth Kelly’s botanical sketches he encountered at an exhibition at the Matthew Marks Gallery in New York—contoured plant forms, veined in pencil or ink. Inspired, he used the leafy catalog as dinner table décor: “We placed each specimen in tiny individual vases. That’s when I realized the power of a single, isolated branch’s beauty.”

THE UNEXPECTED HICCUP

Ed Spurr: “A few months ago, we opened a shipment we’d been eagerly awaiting. Excited as we always are to receive new collections, we were in for quite a shock when we found vases in a completely different shade than ordered. We’d designed a deep yellow but were greeted instead with a vivid, bright yellow, far from our intended hue. Instead of returning the shipment, we embraced the twist of fate and named this unintended addition ‘Sunshine.’”

TURNING SETBACKS INTO OPPORTUNITIES

Ed Spurr: “In the end, that bright yellow was a hit with our customers. We noticed this especially at Maison&Objet. The fair had already been a major driver for our international growth, helping us reach a diverse clientele from Japanese concept stores to American department stores. Yet it didn’t start off so smoothly; at our first edition, we had little planned for our booth except a rug. We made a last-minute trip to Ikea and spent the entire night setting things up. By the next day, we were taking our first orders—it marked the beginning of our success.”

THE LESSON LEARNED

Ed Spurr: “Problems can arise at any moment. You have to watch, take everything around you into account, and respond as quickly and effectively as possible. The key is finding a balance between optimism and pragmatism—and, above all, never saying ‘I give up.’ Another happy adaptation to unexpected circumstances? One day, a customer decided our Clear Acorn Vase would make the perfect gift for a friend and placed an order. We soon realized that model was out of stock. Just as we were about to notify them, we saw the delivery address was Buckingham Palace and the date aligned with the King’s birthday. We scrambled to source a remaining piece from our stockists. Now, King Charles has one on his desk.”

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