Ready For Our Closeup!

Yes, it's been a longer-than-anticipated break!  But in past months we have been hard at work designing and building new lighting and creating some amazing new spaces in which to showcase those incredible pieces. 

steampunk pine stump lamp in our mid-century living room

close up of this striking piece!

ready to entertain in this spare and elegant space featuring our multi-tiered steel fixture

 stunning one of a kind piece finished in a black steel patina

Just a peek at what we've been up to, and lots more to come!  Visit our Etsy.com shop and search parisenvy to view all lighting and order your own custom creation.

Creative Lighting

 

 Shown above; mercury glass vases converted into pendants in a guest bathroom.  Pretty on or off!   

To change up the traditional bedside lighting, my mom used a vintage chandelier and crystal pendants over the nightstands.  A switch on the cord makes them every bit as convenient as a lamp.

View our handcrafted and custom lighting

at Etsy.com

(search parisenvy)

Design File: Black and Grey Beauty

My parents recently moved into their new home in Colorado, and I was thrilled to spend a week with them.  They have created a beautiful and amazing space with such attention to detail! Here's a peek:
(Above;  A "hall of  mirrors" against a backdrop of deep charcoal in the entryway.)

An antique dresser provides the perfect display space for a few favorite pieces. 
Drawers hold gloves and other cold weather necessities.

The taupe/grey tufted bench and clever collection of art and mirrors on the wall make for an inviting entryway.

I love the bold choices my mom made in mixing patterns and textures.  She has passed on a good bit of courage to me in my decorating projects.

Another bold and unexpected design decision:  Finding a place of honor for this beloved old stone lion who was once relegated to the front stoop of an apartment building.  (Getting him atop the buffet was no small feat!)

I hope the photos spark inspiration in even a small way!  Next time I'd love to share a few more design details that can totally transform a space.

Just a note...

Dear friends,

I wanted to send out a few thoughts as we close our storefront and transition to an online presence.
As many of our longtime shoppers know, we started out in an old building on 7th Avenue in February of 2007 (yes, right before the big economical crash!)

My vision was to create a place that embodied the things I loved about visiting Paris:  the quaint and quirky shops in the Marais, the mingling of different styles -- vintage and new, and just the magical FEEL of the whole city.  Some of the best compliments I ever received were from people who said, "I feel like I just stepped into a shop on the Left Bank!"

We were in our 7th Avenue home for six years, and in that time we tried different things -- offering clothing, adding handcrafted lighting and furnishings alongside our vintage finds -- and truly it was all fun, and all successful in the ways that mattered most to me; namely that our customers enjoyed spending time with us, were excited to see what we would do next, and kept coming back!

Retail, as many of you know, is a tricky thing.  Often you find that you do well enough to keep the lights on and the shelves full but maybe not much else. As time passed we realized we needed to re-evaluate our focus.  Filling 2000 square feet was a tall order, and my co-owner Jason had his hands pretty full working his "day job" as an engineer.  We decided to make the move to Union at Biltmore Fashion Park -- a new concept with a group of small local businesses under one roof -- last November.

As our one year lease comes to an end, we are again making a change.  I will miss having a "brick and mortar" shop.  And I may miss it so much that we resurrect it at some point!  But for now our lighting is our main attraction, and as such it deserves our full attention.  I hope you all will continue to follow us on our Etsy.com store (search parisenvy)  as well as here on our blog, which I promise to update on a much more regular basis!  I will be styling rooms featuring our lighting as well as new design ideas for the home.  I may even do occasional travel-related posts.

Thank you all so very much for your support and patronage over these past seven years.  Happy New Year and here's to creating our dreams, whatever shape they may take!

Laurie

Paris Envy hand crafted and custom lighting now on ETSY!

Come see all our latest lighting on ETSY here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ParisEnvy?ref=search_shop_redirect

Don't You Want To

Bake up a storm with these great pieces?  Crafted from cream porcelain with just enough whimsy to add to the fun;  pear shaped measuring cups, patterned measuring spoons, mini colanders perfect for holding freshly washed summer cherries, and more!
 

Ladies Night At Union!

Join us for our ever-popular Ladies Night event at Union this Thursday, August 8th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and enjoy specials, giveaways and prizes with all our Union neighbors!
Paris Envy will be offering 15% off any non-sale item, as well as giving away a fab prize...

We also have lots of great new merchandise to tempt you!  See you soon!!