During the winter months last year, long before I ever had the impulsive moment to open a shop I had struck up a friendship with Steve of An Urban Cottage blog. Steve is from Massachusetts too, and he lives in an antique Greek Revival that he has been rehabbing one room at a time. Steve's home/blog has captured the eye of Better Homes and Gardens~and his stylish rehabbed home can be found in the latest issue of Cottage Style!
Anyway, back when we were both just blogging about our houses, we got to chatting about the idea of sharing a shop where he would sell his manly industrial stuff and I would have my shabby chic french stuff.
Steve's living room~
You can see how different our personal styles are!
So while Steve and I imagined a collaborative effort
we knew that combining these two decorative points of view
just might capture a broad array of shoppers.
Of course it was kind of pie in the sky kind of fun talk
but I could imagine it in my mind's eye.
And maybe because of those brief discussions that
is how Maison Decor came to be~a set of split personality stores!
One is loaded with the rustic industrial antiques that are
more masculine in nature, while the other favors pastels,
and pale grey painted furniture with
a big pink french provincial couch for ambience!
Anyway, I opened the first store with the shabby cottage style
and then came the second store that embodied
hipster vintage urban decor.
As I got busier with the store openings and daily running
of the new venture we kind of lost touch~until recently
when he reached out to me offering me a very nice old chest of drawers.
Did I want it for my stores?
Heck yeah! So while I have yet to arrange for pickup,
Steve popped in the Boston shop this past weekend
and wrote a review.
It was great reading his take on the Maison Decor experience,
and see what "mantique" he purchased to take
home to his now famous Cambridge home.
Read about Steve's trip to my store here.
Then check out Steves rehab post on his home here.
Love how cute his home is! I think that was a great idea to open two stores with different styles. Those styles really compliment each other too. I know I've mixed feminine with masculine. I like the mix. I'm off to go check out those posts now!
ReplyDeleteIt is very smart to diversify, because if women are shopping with their husbands, the guys need something to look at too. They won't get so bored and start yawning like my husband. (We had a fight over our wedding invitations, because he just sat there yawning the entire time and I got mad that he didn't take this really seriously. I've since learned, after 25 years of marriage, that men are just not wired to like that stuff, lol!)
ReplyDeletesounds like an awesome collaboration, amy! it's the mix that makes it so much more interesting.
ReplyDeletesmiles to you.
michele
Love his house and love both your styles x
ReplyDeleteHe did a really nice write up, I love his home!!!
ReplyDeleteOff to read about Steve. What a great connection- xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI was with Steve at the Boston store the other day -- it looks SO GREAT! I was thrilled to finally see Annie Sloan paint in person, too. You must be one high energy girl to do both those stores, do the furniture, and keep up with the blog! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been reading Steve's blog for awhile now. Yup! Great idea to have some things with a bit more rusticity to them. You guys both have great style!
ReplyDeleteSteve's "An Urban Cottage" is the very first blog I started reading and I love when I see his latest post in my email!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to visiting your shop when I'm in your area. I started reading Steve's blog while still living in Southern California and it always made me miss the northeast...we are back (in CT). I love by both your styles...and kind of meet somewhere in the middle.
ReplyDeleteAmy! I am back..woo hoo. Sooooo happy. Thanks for your well wishes, hope you are well. Its been a crazy 10 days. Now why don't my friends offer me furniture:) I will have to read more about him...sounds interesting and what a charming home! Hope you are well......
ReplyDelete