Saturday, July 20, 2013

Hey, we got that!


Now that we have been in the retail business for a little over a year
 I can't help but notice some things related to owning a shop.  
Prices and styles and inventory and all that good stuff.  I subscribe to a few
 shopping vendors like Joss and Main and One Kings Lane and I love looking 
at their offerings. They have pretty pics all grouped in themes, and it is pleasant to
  look around their offerings and sometimes find something you just gotta have!
 But the funny thing is that I have noticed more than a few times that the things
 we have picked out to sell at our stores are often very similar to the items
 I see online at these vendor sites~but with a huge price differential! 
After scrolling around tonight online at One Kings Lane and looking at 
their vintage things for sale I was saying to myself, 
WOW~we have THAT! 
And our prices are sooo much better....I thought this would
 make a fun blog post~so I am sharing OURS and THEIRS. 
See what you think~
OKL French folding chair $259
Maison Decor french bistro chair $89

OKL Vintage Tole Floral Chandy  $819
MD Vintage Tole Chandelier $395
OKL Vintage Iron Patio Set  $589
I just got a set of four of these identical chairs! 
No table, just the chairs so you decide if the table is worth an extra $400~
MD Vintage iron garden chairs ~set of 4 / $120 
They have the same mesh seats under the vinyl cushions.

Antique French Iron floral chairs paired with a different table 
OKL $895
Well the very first thing I ever bought for my first Maison Decor store was a set of 
4 of these old iron garden chairs with the shield back floral detail.
They were white and chippy. 
I since painted them and was selling them for either $35 or $45 a chair.
I can't believe this price of $895!
And then I saw another One Kings Lane listing for the same style.
Iron chairs, chippy white paint ~ OKL 3 for $855
The same chair but now only 3 of them without a table
for almost the same crazy price. Mine were 4 chairs for under $150.
Maison Decor iron chair in hot pink with vintage linen upholstery
Under $45 a chair, just makes me wonder....
How can their chairs be that much? 
OKL 1970s French Country Tole Tray  $119
MD Tole Tray $89
Its not painted in the French Country style, but its got a great color, 
the artist was accomplished and its older than the OKL tray.
Not a huge price difference I will admit~but I am still better in the price department!


OKL Antique Baroque mirror $2999
I just brought home a mirror a little bit smaller than this one, but not by much.
It resembles it quite a bit too~what do you think?
MD Antique gilt mirror $195
It's not quite as ornate but its pretty comparable in style, size and age.
Its got a grand style feeling about it and it is lovely.
And you get to keep about $2800 in your pocket!
You can take that cruise to Bermuda and have your baroque mirror.
OKL Old Designer Books $129
I love using old books for decorating.
MD Decorator Book Collections by Color $70
I thought it would be cool to get some antique
 and vintage books with color coordinated spines. 
At the shop we have a group in green, blue and a pinky coral group. 
They look great for styling our vignettes but they also will be nice on my customers's
table tops or their book shelves as accents with an old world look.
OKL 1950s Coffee Table with Cabriole leg $489


MD Vintage coffee table in Antibes Green $149
Our table is painted green and doesn't have  a cabriole leg, 
but a ball and claw leg instead, 
however that is about the only difference...and of course the price.
Look how fantastic this table is in our window display~and the price is right!
Antique Gothic Mirror $1349
Really? These prices are sometimes insane!
I love old mirrors and cannot resist nice ones at good prices for our stores.
MD Gilt Arch Mirror $140
Its not gothic but its an arch top and has a similar feel and size....
and over $1000 less!

We don't have the best photos representing our unique finds,
 but we do have a good eye for finding the things
that make a house a home.  Home decor accents speak volumes about your own 
personal style as well as make you feel at home in your own dwelling.
Creating a beautiful comfortable home takes time finding the right accent pieces.
We have some special one of a kind accessories. 
We also carry reproductions in addition to our vintage offerings
 that you have seen here in this comparison blog post.
I only buy things I would feel comfortable using in my home~
and those are the things you will find at Maison Decor!

If you have been following my blog you might know that I have used accents
from Home Goods to finish up clients homes.  So I was thrilled to be asked
by Home Goods to be one of ten national designers to be part 
of their Pinterest campaign called Happy By Design! 
Starting in August I will be pinning to the 
Home Goods board, Happy by Design,
showing off some home accessories that I have found at Home Goods 
and how I use them in my designs in the home and in my shop!
  I will be blogging more about this program next month, 
so look for that. I love Pinterest for all the inspiration I find there~
and if you haven't been to Pinterest, you might start at my 
Pinterest page and look through my boards by clicking here.
 Home Goods loved them!

I am teaching Chalk Paint Introductory classes in our new store, 
as well as other workshops  so I am super excited about
how nice the space is for our workshops.
If you would like to read more about the class or register you
 can do so online by clicking below
Come learn how to use the paint with the wax and create lots of finishes!
Its fun and easy and you will leave with enough confidence 
 to paint your kitchen cabinets!
Come see us at our new location
150 Main Street Reading Mass
Mon- Fri 10-5
Saturday 11-4
781-942-7400
Located next to Harrow Chicken Pies~
(cuz everybody knows Harrows!)
We have many new pieces of furniture coming in all the time
and  although I try to get these loaded onto our online shop so you can 
look at the latest while wearing your jammies....I will admit a lot
of things never make it online~but if you want to check it out 
visit us at www.shopmaisondecor.com and click on furniture.
 making Life more Beautiful is our motto!
We can customize your furniture with Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan
or show you how to do it yourself if you stop by the shop.
There is a popular post I wrote about decorating a house 
on a tight budget in 30 days.
I almost exclusively shopped at Home Goods for this client!
Click on the photo below to read the post.
Wherever you choose to shop to decorate your home, I hope you 
choose the things that make you happy and speak your decorating language!
Are you a traditionalist with a twist? 
Do you favor a bit of French Cottage in your decor?
A splash of bohemian color and texture with a dash of rustic style?
Thats the great thing about decorating~picking a style that feels like you!
At Maison Decor we are all about 
Making Life More Beautiful


Photobucket

12 comments:

  1. What a great post! This reminds me of the which one is more expensive game they used to play on Nate's show. I pick yours everything--even not knowing the price is cheaper!

    ReplyDelete
  2. great post.. fun to "look" at the differences!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your new shop looks fabulous! I agree about the cost of decorating in shops with repurposed items -vs- retail - repurposed rocks! Mostly one of a kinds. It's great that people are catching on. Plus an appreciation for small, local business. What's not to love!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great post, I can't believe the price difference! The shop looks beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post! I've always thought OKL was WAY overpriced and a marketing gimmick. I think they have a distorted perspective on price because they are based in L.A. I'm a big fan of home goods. I can look around my house and point out numerous things from there. Kinda bummed that when we move to Florida the closest one is a bit of a hike. Best, Beth C.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love this post Amy! I am also a member at many online shopping sites and I am always shocked at the prices. You offer top quality products at REAL LIFE prices. Plus, I truly like yours better!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow! Seeing the pricing comparisons makes me wish I lived closer to your shop! Loved this post.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great post, Amy! Look how far you've come in just a year!! Amazing!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've been amazed at their high prices at OKL. Why would anyone over pay. Thanks for setting the record straight.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I liked seeing the comparisons

    and liked seeing that North Side LOL Liquors sign again, be sure to sit it out front For Sale when it comes down , I bet you will get a good price for it

    ReplyDelete
  11. That was such a fun post. I have often thought about comparing some of the stuff in my friends shop to OKL - Your prices are amazing, and so are your finds! Loved seeing the side by side comparisons. Cool that you're going to be pinning for Home Goods!
    The new shop looks so pretty. Love that pink rug sitting on the cobblestones... it's gorgeous! Love the table too! in fact, love it all, i wish i could come in and shop today!

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  12. happy hour all day.........you might be onto something! too funny. great stuff Amy

    ReplyDelete

 
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...