My Space

Between our vacation, visiting my daughter and then my recent bout with Whooping Cough, I was away from my space at Aubergine Emporium for approximately five weeks.  Wow, that is a very long time for me!  I try to bring in new things every week to keep things fresh and clean, but sometimes life happens.  So I spent Sunday and Monday at the shop cleaning and rearranging.  I tried to take in a lot of new items, but it still needs some more smalls and a little more tweaking.

 Nonetheless, I thought I would show you what my space looks like going into fall and gearing up for winter.

I brought in some black, a lot of wood and my space wouldn't be complete without some red accents.  I'm pretty much a color person, but I did a couple of neutral spots for our color phobe customers.   Do you like color like I do or do you play it neutral? 

Thanks for visiting.  I hope your day is cheery and bright.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants
                                     Faded Charm Cottage       Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity   Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

Spring at Aubergine Emporium

It's been a long time since I posted any photos of the shop that I am a dealer in in Simi Valley, California.  It's a fabulous shop by the name of Aubergine Emporium, and, as you can see, the proprietor is incredibly talented.  I am very proud to be a dealer in this beautiful shop. 

This is what you see when you enter the store.  Lots of eye candy.

 I call this next photo the French Quarter.

Here we are looking back at the entrance to the shop.

 This is Pat's space in the front of the store.  Pat, of course, is the owner and resident decorator extraordinaire.

Right now we have a lot of white in the store to reflect spring and summer.

Here is another view of our central room.  The shop has four large rooms and some small little rooms that dealers can share.

 This next photo is the left side of my space.  It's very hard to photograph because of the light coming in from my windows, but I do love having the windows.  Nice and bright!

 This is the opposite end of my space.  A little different color scheme.

There's that pesky window.  Sorry about the glare.  This is looking into my space.  The long view.

I wanted to share this adorable little piece that one of our customers made out of found objects.  Isn't this adorable?  We are encouraging him to make more so he can sell them through our shop.   This little guy looks so happy.

Thanks for taking the tour.  Please stop by and visit us if you are in the area.  You will not be disappointed!

I'm partying at...


Mondays          The House in the Roses       Debbie Doos         The Graphics Fairy
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage   
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style           Primp         Faded Charm Cottage            
                                     Fine Craft Guild     It's So Very Cheri Bloghop     Ivy and Elephants
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Tablescape Thursday
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Black and White

I went out to the shop, Aubergine Emporium, on Sunday which is my usual custom and practice.  Pat put together this great vignette of black and white and cream.  I think it looks great.  I love the color combo.  It reminds me of vintage aged paper with faded black print.  Everything here has French flavoring in it, but the textures and the paint finishes are all different, yet it all works perfectly together.  The delicate French chair is covered with leather.

 The frame below is aged to perfection.  It's just chippy enough to give it character.  I can just imagine the old photos it used to contain.

These bird prints are wonderful.  I just might have to try my hand at something like this with an image from the Graphics Fairy.

 Isn't this sign great?  I didn't paint it, but I wish I had.  The words say it all.

 Below is another example of black and creams and neutral.  This is brown mailing paper on the walls just tacked up with the riding hats and a wood mirror with beveled glass.  The riding hats are surrounded by a large gold frame.  This is a great look without being too feminine but still it is soft enough that it's not too masculine.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Reveal

Well, finally my space at Aubergine Emporium is finished.  It's newly painted, totally rearranged and restocked after the holiday season.  Unfortunately the before pictures are on my other computer and after a long day, I do not feel like transferring files.  As you can see, I have brought in many of my recent projects that I have showcased on my blog.  I try to carry fancy to funky and try to keep variety for all types of shoppers.  Check out the rooster shutters.  My husband made those for me.  I absolutely love them.

 I try to utilize every area of my space as it is prime real estate in our shop.  Sometimes I call it the three story booth as there is something at every level you can see and you must look up high to see whatever may be resting on a porch swing or window ledge or shelf.  Not only did my husband repaint the space, he came back on Friday and helped me hang things up high so I could get done quicker.  What a trooper.

Here is the French Quarter of my space.  I do love everything French and always have a lot on hand.  Thanks for visiting my new look and I hope you see something that inspires you.

Winter at Aubergine Emporium Part II

This is part two of a post about the wonderful shop that I am a dealer in.  It's called Aubergine Emporium.  We are located in Simi Valley, California.  It's a wonderful store full of new and old, re-invented and re-purposed.  This little buffet below was one of those inlaid wooden pieces with the heavy gold gilt on it.  It was painted and glazed and now has a totally different look.  I think this would be fabulous in a powder room with a raised sink.  It's the perfect size.

I love this French sofa/setee.  I love anything French and this certainly fills the bill.

These dining room chairs are so unique.  They are litterally hanging at the top of the wall.  No one can say we don't use our real estate. 

All of these are adorable vintage children's clothing.  Laura did a great job displaying them.  They are out of the way and protected from too much handling, unless, of course, someone would like to purchase one and then we are more than happy to get them down.  I have never seen such a large collection in such excellent condition.

Here is another little corner nook.  I think this corner has a pub feel.  You can see in the photographs in the foreground that we support a local animal rescue society.  We are always willing to help our little four-legged friends especially when they are in need.

Winter at Aubergine Emporium Part I

I spent the afternoon at the shop today.  All the Christmas decorations have been put away and Pat is ready for the winter look to reappear.  I love these mirrors she found.  There were five identical mirrors that were full length mirrors and they would not fit on the wall if they were placed vertically so she hung them sideways.  Don't they look great? They are wonderful above the antique buffet and add a contemporary feel to the whole look while at the same time staying warm and welcoming.  The old ladder adds a whole different design element as well.

The following photo is of a little hallway we have in the back of the store.  To add a sepia tone flavor Pat used old pattern pieces and glued them on the wall.  Surprisingly enough, if she doesn't want them up anymore, they just pull right off.  She decorated with wood furniture and white accessories.  It really is quite interesting and makes an otherwise boring space quite inviting.

I love this bench.  It's covered in a creamy silk fabric with a raised waffle pattern.

Everywhere you look at the shop there is layers and layers to see.  We always tell the customers to be sure to look up.  You never know what you're going to find.  If you are in the Simi Valley area of Southern California, please stop by Aubergine Emporium.  The shop is always changing and new items arrive daily.

Christmas at Aubergine Emporium

The elves have been busy at the shop decorating for Christmas.  Here is Pat's Christmas tree this year.  Her theme was old books.  This is the first thing you see when you enter the store.  The customers are loving her original design idea.  To make the tree taller she set it on a round coffee table with little nooks and made it a literal book nook.  Great idea!

 I love this cute little dinette set with the red seats on the chairs and the mini Christmas tree in the pot.  The whole store is filled with merriment.

 This is the smallest space in the store and it is chock full of goodies.

 I love what one of our dealers did with this large wooden caddy.  When I first looked at it, I thought it was a mantle.  The height is perfect.  Great vignette.

 Continuing with the book theme, here are some book pages stuffed in the wreath which is hung on shutters.

Our holiday open house is this Friday, December 9.  If you are anywhere in the area, please stop by.  The festivities will continue into the weekend.

Christmas Window at Aubergine Emporium

I just thought I would try to get everyone in the spirit by showing off the fabulous windows Pat did at our shop, Aubergine Emporium.  She always does such a great job with one traditional window and one that is a little off the wall.  Now before you get upset about painting the instruments white, these were basically unusable instruments.  They were dented and dinged and some were missing parts.  Pat painted them white and now she can use them for displays all year round.  I love the dog listening to the music.  So creative!

 The next window is a little more traditional with its winter scene.  At times these windows have been known to literally stop traffic.  I can't wait till the whole store is decorated with more wonderful ideas.  I will be sharing these with you very soon.

Annual Halloween Event at Aubergine Emporium

Come join the fun on Sunday, October 30, 2011 at Aubergine Emporium in Simi Valley.  We are having our annual Bobbing for Discounts.  Cookies and refreshments will be served.

Our store is a wonderful mix of vintage and antique furnishings.  We offer an eclectic mix of home decor to suit just about everyone's taste.


Fall at Aubergine

We look forward to seeing you.