Last day in Oakland!

Today is our last day at our store at 1000 Jefferson Street in Old Oakland!

It is a bittersweet farewell, we have loved and worked hard for the Oakland community we were a part of ... and created a setting we loved in our shop.

But it is time for us to move on and grow, and the new Berkeley address (2447 San Pablo Avenue) will help us be adjacent to other artisans focused on design and furniture ... and open the door to potential new partnerships and community opportunities.

Thank you to all of our Oakland friends and we hope we can continue to serve you from our new location ... another cool destination to while away an afternoon with a little shopping, a nice lunch or dinner  ... and time in a great neighborhood community in southwest Berkeley. We anticipate opening our doors on our new location in mid-June.  We'll keep you posted here!

If you have a chance to stop by our Oakland store today, please do!

Stop by our Farewell Oakland reception today from 12 noon to 7:00 p.m.

Enjoy a glass of wine and 30% off of many featured items!  Help us bid Oakland a fond farewell and get ready for our big move to 2447 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley ... visit with Johnelle and hear about all of our plans for the new location.

treasure hunting!

I've been on the road week-ends (this was a vide-grenier in Le Bugue, a pretty village next to the Vezere river in the Dordogne), scouting out finds for Mignonne!  We'll have them in store at our coming new location ... 

that's right, we're moving to 2447 San Pablo Avenue in southwest Berkeley.  We'll be next door to Twister's, and across the street from Caffé Trieste, Sea Salt and other cool businesses.

we're also very excited to be near Ohmega Salvage and other furniture vendors.  With our focus on repurposed furniture and custom projects for your home, we think our customers will enjoy our new location and all it has to offer.

We'll be there in June, watch for more details!

Mignonne is Moving!

And we are having a HUGE Moving Sale May 12 - May 30!

We're celebrating our new location in South Berkeley's Furniture District beginning in June.

Stop by our Oakland store and enjoy 30% off all merchandise (excluding artwork)! We'd like to Thank You for making Mignonne's first 3 years SO incredible!

We hope you will join us to celebrate Mignonne's new home at 2447 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley this June! Keep watching for details about our Grand Opening in our new spot.

this is what we do!

We're sharing another example of repurposed fabulousness, courtesy of Mignonne!

We had this piece in our store for awhile, we found it during one of our treasure hunts. Originally, it was a flat cream color. We think it was originally for a laundry room. We used it as a display item for linens and cleaning products.

One of our customers was looking for a unique bar. We consulted on color and transformed this cabinet into a one-of-a-kind bar and conversation piece.

In addition to sanding, painting and waxing, we refurbished the metal interior. That great vintage glassware on display in the bar is also courtesy of Mignonne! Some vintage, some French ... all lovely!

Stop by to check out our latest finds or bring a picture of a project piece we can help you with!

Fête des Mères

Since Mother's Day is just around the corner (Sunday, May 10th) ... I thought it would be fun to share a little bit about France's holiday.

Fête des Mères is held on May 31st. The holiday in France dates back through the ages. Napoleon started the festivities and the holiday was made official by the government in 1950.

The holiday is celebrated much the same as in the states. It is a day to honor mothers and it is typically "her" day. Cards and flowers abound, and children write poems for mom in school. ( ah, sigh ... I remember those sweet little handmade cards my two carried home to me from Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley ... decorated to the hilt and carefully printed French ... I still have some in storage, I wish I could photograph one and share!)

Of course, the usual highlight of the day is a big family dinner (hopefully NOT prepared by mom!) They are a big deal and all the family attends, with all of the various mamans, grandmères, etc.

This is a day to cater to mom and the French do it well! Family is a mainstay here ... and this is a day that families recognize moms as their source and inspiration.

For me, this Mother's Day is also significant because the year and Sunday in May that Johnelle was born was also Mother's Day! what a great Mother's Day gift that was for me!

mid-century moderne

let's talk 50s style ... at Mignonne we feature an eclectic assortment of furniture from all epochs ... and we love discovering 50s treasures to transform. It won't surprise you we like our moderne with a French flair ... which means maybe just a smidge of decoration here and there is tolerated!

In judging Mid-Century Modern pieces, remember that form follows function. You'll be watching for rectilinear lines .. long and low. Use of organic materials and shapes with little or no ornamentation. Remember ... this design period followed WWII and some of the resulting challenges included limited access to materials and required frugality. It was now important for pieces to be useful as well as decorative. Decadence wasn't always an option.




We're sharing some photos of French 50s modern credenzas, some gilded dining chairs with a bamboo motif, an example of French (gold paint, satiny fabric) meets 50s modern (use of organic theme and metal fabrication) ...





how about an over the top lighted French wall piece...how's THIS for a French starburst?!








Oh! and a fun, 50s modern chair you'll find on sale at Mignonne (now dubbed our 'skipper' chair for its coastal color and practicality). The aqua blue and white naugahyde accent the modern wood lines. This chair can go beach nautical or 50s modern ... your choice! Click our shop now icon in the sidebar to check it out!

Start Shopping Online with Mignonne!

Mignonne is offering selected pieces of furniture, art and gifts via our eBay Store mignonne.vintage.décor. You can easily access our shop by clicking on the photo in our sidebar section called "Shop Mignonne Now!".

We will be adding other features soon, but for now we are excited to connect you with some of our favorite items.

Because Mignonne specializes in repurposing vintage furniture, we can offer you an affordable, eco-friendly option to those big box looks! We select our pieces with care...giving attention to form, function and interesting lines. We then refurbish each piece by hand, selecting eco-friendly products whenever possible. We also consult on your project pieces, so feel free to contact us!

Let us know if there are specific items or trends you'd like us to be on the look-out for!