Greenport's Salt + Sea boutique pays a nod to the Mediterranean lifestyle

Elyse Merrifield spent decades in corporate retail shaping the way people shop. Now she's doing it on her own terms at Salt + Sea, her Greenport boutique inspired by coastal living, Mediterranean ease and sustainable values.

Merrifield opened the store in February 2023 after rebranding Popsicle & Finn, a shop she’d opened with her sister in the space two years earlier. She grew up visiting the North Fork after her parents bought a house there in the 1980s — and always hoped to one day put down roots.

"I always dreamed that when I retired from corporate America, I’d open a store in Greenport," Merrifield said. 

Backed up to the Peconic Bay, Salt + Sea's name comes from the coastal setting and Merrifield's vision for the store.

"Salt + Sea just made sense to me," she said. "It’s the feeling of this place and a nod to the Mediterranean lifestyle that inspires a lot of what we carry."

The boutique stocks women’s and men’s apparel from nationally known labels such as Paige, Rails, Nation LTD, Faherty and St. James. Merrifield supplements those with travel finds, like handmade espadrilles she found in Barcelona and items from local makers, including soy candles from Hamptons Handpoured and jewelry by Southold-based UnCage .

Salt + Sea avoids souvenir-style merchandise in favor of timeless pieces.

"We don’t stock anything that shouts ‘Greenport’ or ‘North Fork,’" Merrifield said. "Shoppers tell us they want clothes they’ll reach for again and again."

That mindset extends to what Merrifield stocks. Sustainability, Merrifield said, is core to her store’s mission and her personal values. She only sources from brands committed to environmental responsibility, whether that's using organic cotton, conserving water or producing made-to-order items to reduce waste.

"Fast fashion is cheap and wasteful," she said. "I wanted there to be a reason behind the price, something people could feel good about buying. ... Our shoppers are savvy. They’re checking where things are made and what they’re made of."

Prices range from $9 sailor-rope bracelets to $200 premium denim. Most shoppers are in their 30s to 60s, often weekenders who find the store after wine tasting or wandering through town.

Salt + Sea is open year-round, a rarity for Greenport boutiques. Merrifield says it’s about more than just sales, but because she wanted to create a place that felt more like a local resource than a retail stop.

"We want people to have a good experience, even if they’re just asking where to get lunch," she said. "It’s about community."

Salt + Sea, 15 Front St., Greenport, 631-477-5970, saltseagp.com