When Anita from Trickster Inc, came to Mignonne to inquire about the possibility of collaborating
on her new retail space for Trickster, we were ecstatic! Not only do we love what the company does- they specialize in creator-owned art, limited edition books, and wares amongst much more..., but we also loved Anita's make up story that kept her new retail space much in mind. She created a fake 'history' of her store front, rifting off the real phases the last decades have had- prohibition, berkeley in the sixties...and shared it with me. Let me tell you, Anita is one of the best story tellers there is! Throughout the phase of our project she shared many, that always kept me on the tip of my toes. Her story on the shop really captured a mood, and vibe that I wanted to deliver in the buildout. I left that meeting, and collaborated with my other half / lead carpenter Brian Hill so we could manifest her dream space! Next step...see the shop!
I'll be honest, I walked in and thought...wow, this is really a blank canvas! And had to just push my confidence that we could def make it happen...
And so the transformation began! Anita is amazing in that she knows exactly what she likes and doesn't. From a designers point of view, I think this cuts out a lot of wasted going back and forth, and choices get made quicker. We shoed her our sketches/designs/visuals etc..yes we have a very Bohemian approach to design, which works for us :)!
Walls went up, and our favorite color! I really wanted to go dark to make the space more dramatic in a modern way, and this gray is so sharp.
Mignonne's design consisted of large bookcases to really bring your eye up to bring out the grandeur of the space, while playing with that old library vibe. We were set to build custom ones, when Anita spotted these at Omega Salvage- could we revamp them? You better believe it, so we snagged them cutting cost here and they turned out amazing...thanks to Brian's carpentry and skills!
before pic:
As the space continued to progress with Brian focusing on building custom display pieces, I continued to work on decor- like these custom velvet curtains I designed and our upholsterer sewed to make such a crazy cool entrance!
Here are some of the custom pieces Brian built:
custom french inspired moulding
which we then modified to allow for better art hanging for Anita!
custom island display pieces:
and the decorating continued...
I found the perfect rug, reupholstered chairs, scored on an antique National cash reg, refinished a desk for Anita's office, and designed top hat light fixtures...
My dear friend Hannah Stouffer was hired to do an amazing installation of the Trickster logo:
With lots of handwork, the space has grown into something beautiful and inviting...
So go check them out in Elmwood, Berkeley!
trickstertrickster.com
Mignonne is available for hire for interior & commercial projects.
email us to start a dialogue :)
quotes@mignonnedecor.com
xxx
johnelle
