Living free and easy on the Dolphin Coast

Floating around the shop wearing long vibrant skirts and jingling bangles is the owner, Sam Trusler who runs the store with her husband, Arthur and two daughters, Paige and Amber.

“I am actually a Bolandse meisie believe it or not,” said Sam, sitting outside her Bohemian shop, wind chimes playing softly in the background.

When her dreams of becoming a textile designer were crushed by her dad’s staunch idea of her doing a secretarial course, Sam followed her dad’s wishes and went to Stellenbosch to study.

“After my secretarial course, I worked in a bank for three years. I met Arthur while he was doing his masters and I fell madly in love with him. I decided he was going to be the man of my dreams, unknown to him,” said Sam who lives in Darnall with her family, a fluffy tailed cat called Karma and three dogs, Lulu, Duke and Anna.

She got a street vendor licence in 1992 and started doing markets in Stellenbosch, selling bohemian items.

“I have always been arty and have never been a ‘colour of the season’ girl. I buy the colours I like, that make me happy and suit me. My customers buy items that are timeless and unique. These items have not been brainwashed into you through adverts, you simply like them or don’t.”

When Arthur moved to Pietermaritzburg, Sam joined him.

“I worked in a beautiful rug shop and continued doing markets over weekends. We got married and had Paige and thought we had to be all grown up and start doing serious, responsible stuff.”

Arthur got a big job in the corporate world, running the Illovo distillation plant on the North Coast in 1995. Sam ran a swimming school and worked in a home for the disabled. She also had her mini bohemian shop set up at the regular Litchi Orchard Market.

“One day, Arthur came home after a stressful day and I looked at him and said this is not worth it. A big pay check is not going to keep me warm and sit on the veranda and talk nonsense with me. I want to grow old with him.”

They decided to take the plunge and make their dream of owning a hippie shop a reality in 2011. It started off in Umhlali and two years later they moved down to the beach.

“Now the shop was not just fun on the side, it went to the next level. People thought we were crazy to give up our “real” jobs, but it worked and now both of our daughters work full time in the shop with us.

“As you get older, you realise the importance of being yourself and enjoying what you do. We live a simple life, growing our own veggies, recycling and staying down to earth.”

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