MAKING A SPLASH

Sally Splash, a new dinnerware company, brings functional style and beauty to the family table.

Just before Christmas 2024, Emmy Colton was busily decorating her holiday table. The silver shone, the crystal sparkled, and heirloom linens passed down for generations took pride of place. When completed, the display felt so special that Colton took a snapshot to remember it.

But immediately afterward, she began pulling pieces away.

“I removed half of the linens before my kids sat down because I knew they would spill or stain them,” she says. “I remember thinking, why can’t tables during this phase of my life look beautiful, too? Like those my grandmother Sally ‘Splash’ put together, but with more practical, stylish elements that work for today?”

Why, indeed?

Less than a year later, Colton filled that gap in the market with Sally Splash Elegant Dinnerware, a company named for the grandmother who inspired her.

“My grandmother Sally’s spirit of warmth and celebration is very much the heart of the concept,” says Colton. “She made it a point to include kids at the grownups’ table, giving children’s settings as much attention and decorative flair as she did the adults—and always with placemats smoothed beneath. Her inclusiveness made us feel so valued.”

With a practice in health coaching and infant nutrition, Colton knew that beyond boosting kids’ morale, family meals offer important developmental benefits.

“Families that sit down to enjoy meals together tend to have better nutritional habits,” she explains. “Children in these families are more likely to try new foods and benefit developmentally in other ways. Meals are where conversations happen, where traditions begin, and where children learn how to gather with others.”

Designed to enhance and encourage more time at the table, Colton’s founding collection of Sally Splash placemats launched in August 2025. The mats come in a variety of soft, classic colors and in two shapes—the daisy-like Sally Floral and rectangular James Stripe. Both styles stand alone, can be layered, or mixed and matched.

“I started the Sally Splash brand with placemats because they are a simple way to elevate a table,” Colton notes.

Made from silicone leather—a new hybrid material—the mats are durable and easy to clean, yet also soft and pliable.

Named for Colton’s son, the James Stripe mats currently come in four color families—French Sage, Celeste Blue, Blush, and Brownstone, with stripes on one side and solids on the other.

Named for Colton’s daughter, the Sally Floral mats come in the same colors, plus Buttercream, and are edged in crisp white piping.

Colton launched the limited-edition Buttercream and Brownstone colorways last fall and plans to debut a new summer collection in June featuring a more intricate James Stripe design.

“Keeping things fresh and design-forward is important to me, so limited and seasonal collections will always be part of the rhythm of the brand,” Colton says.

Currently, most Sally Splash sales come through the company’s website, although Colton continues to expand wholesale partnerships with boutiques such as the California-based Poppy Stores and Winnetka’s Little Elm.

Looking ahead, Colton hopes to build Sally Splash into a full tableware line.

“But for now,” she says, “there’s still plenty to explore as we expand our collections.”

To build connections with her customers, Colton also created a “Gathering Place” on the website where she shares helpful entertaining tips and personal stories.

“These are stories of special generational moments that shaped me,” says Colton. “Including them on the website underscores how personal the brand is to me. I am fully self-funded and put a lot of care into creating beautiful and functional items that take the stress out of setting an inviting family table.”

For more information, visit sallysplash.com.