winter comforts ...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009


As the seasons begin to change and temperatures cool ... we think of cozy nights at home, relaxing in front of a fire ...

We just finished off this fun, old-fashioned rocker which would be a perfect by-the-fire addition. Just imagine a cup of cocoa and a toasty fire as you slowly rock in front of the warmth!

Mignonne has loads of cool furniture accents at affordable prices to help you feather your nest for the fall and winter season.

Welcome Rebekah Carey McNall, our newest Mignonne Intern!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Mignonne continues to extend our commitment to the East Bay Area by creating opportunities for young aspiring artists to demonstrate their creativity and gain experience in décor merchandising. We have a rotating internship program for design and art students in our local community.

We are delighted to introduce our newest intern for our fourth rotation of the program, Rebekah Carey McNall.

Rebekah is an Oregon native with Berkeley roots. She graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in theater.

Rebekah is already a familiar face at Mignonne, where she was a terrific part of our working team while Johnelle was in France. With Rebekah's new role as intern at Mignonne Décor, she will be designing the window displays and interior merchandising, as well as learning furniture restoration. She also enjoys creating hand-crafted greeting cards, repurposing furniture and general crafting.

Stay tuned to see photos of Rebekah's inspired window creations and store vignettes ... coming soon!

If you know of a local artist or student in the area that would be interestested in our program, have them contact us at Mignonne (contact details in our blog header). We'd love to have candidates in mind when we begin interviewing for our 2010 season (wow ... 2010!!!!)

we can help you shed some new light ...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009



We've been telling you about our great furniture services and how we can help restore an old piece into something new and beautiful.

Well, that service includes lighting!

We recently worked with a client who brought in an old, beat-up light fixture found at a flea market. It was grungy, cobwebby iron and the wiring was shot.

We collaborated with the client to understand the look they desired. Clean, rustic, simple ...

Here's the after-product ... after a good, restorative cleaning of the iron ... we painted it a matte black. Then, new wiring was installed by our electrician partner.

Voila! a one-of-a-kind, functional fixture, saved from the landfill and returned to practical beauty.

Also at Mignonne, you will begin to see a selection of custom designed light fixtures in a variety of themes.

Johnelle is creating unique chandeliers and lamps, using found items and industrial materials. She can also collaborate with you to bring a special collection of materials to new life.

Stay tuned here for more examples of this fun new offering at Mignonne.


a brocant'ing we did go!

Friday, October 16, 2009




Cool vintage decanter and digestifs just in time for holiday crowds ...







We KNOW how you love your pastis bottles!







"Nous Deux" ... "Us Two" ... sweet little pitcher for cream or a bouquet of forget-me-nots ... what a cute Christmas surprise, pair it with a packet of seeds for a charming little hostess gift!


Stay Tuned, More On The Way!

Available Now - Three Amazing Pieces!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Here are just 3 examples of unique furniture you can purchase in the store today ... Mignonne's furniture is signed and dated, one-of-a-kind. ...all beautifully refurbished and ready to become a special décor item in your home:




#1 - Petite Napoleon Salon Table

This little baby has been hand refinished in a golden ochre tone with blue and cream accents. It is solid wood and would be perfect in your living room or family area. It has a bottom display shelf. It would also work nicely as a bedside table.

The curvy legs and carving detail make it even more special. Available now for $195.




#2 - Crowd Pleaser - Antique Church Pew

Wow, what a conversation piece! Eight feet, eight inches long, repurposed in blue with light distressing. Seat a crowd in your open kitchen or dining area ... imagine it on the terrace or in your garden! If you are a restaurateur ... wouldn't this make an amazing entry bench or community table seating piece? Saved from a local bay area church, this is truly something special. Yours for $695.


#3 - The Hide-a-way! - Antique Redwood Hutch

Gorgeous revamped hutch, roomy and divine. It is solid redwood, and is an original built in from a Bay area home. Open the front door to reveal built-in, removable shelves, it retains the original paint, which is a minty/sage green. It has been sealed with a top coat, making it an easy piece to clean and wipe down. This piece would be darling in a kitchen as an additional pantry, hall/living room to hide away papers etc, or style up your home office. Could also work well in a bedroom to store additional clothing etc. Snag this treasure for $550.



As you know, Mignonne specializes in furniture revamping. You can always bring in a piece of your own and we can charge just for the custom repurposing service!

Don't forget, now you can find us at the Alameda Antique Fair as well, on the first Sunday of every month at booth V22. We will be sharing a selection of our furniture and other finds at affordable prices.

fabulous and affordable - Mignonne's Furniture

Tuesday, October 6, 2009


Here is another before and after project that represents Mignonne's custom furniture repurposing services ... we offer beginning to end support for creating a one-of-a-kind, amazing piece of furniture for your home.

Whether you already have a favorite that you want to breathe new life into ... or would like our help in finding the perfect starter piece to revamp, we can help.

This customer had an old sofa with great bones that she wanted assistance with. We met with her, helped choose style and color scheme ... sought out the perfect fabric, stripped and painted the sofa frame, consulted with our upholstering guru to have the sofa redone and then delivered her gorgeous new sofa to her home.

We think you'd agree it is a fantastic signature piece.



We can help you create yours ... give us a call!

french treasures ...

Thursday, October 1, 2009




Johnelle and I spent a wonderful few weeks together. She was able to get some much-needed rest, she inspired me in many ways in regards to our new sister boutique, The Bohemians.

We spent several days out treasure hunting and she is on her way back with bags full! Hopefully, it wasn't TOO awful lugging it all home... Soon you'll be seeing some sweet new additions at Mignonne...some pretty French barware, glasses, and serving pieces. don't want to let the cat ALL the way out of the bag, but here's a little peek to whet your appetite!


 

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