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john derian: maybe my favorite store ever hidden on east 2nd street
i know it may be hard to believe, since i do try to talk about the best this or that, but the john derian company inc. is really truly one of my very very very favorite stores of all kinds. i think that i have only held off writing about it for so long because i was worried the shopkeepers wouldn’t be so willing to let an unknown blogger take photos, but happily that was not true. further reinforcing their deity-like status in my mind in that success has not gone to their head. john derian’s shop has the greatest little tidbits of everything, with much that is beautiful but other items reflect his eclectic sensibility. while many of john derian’s goodies can be found on line and at shops all over new york like autoand cog & pearl, i really recommend a visit to his wonderful shop. some day, i would love to meet john derian. i imagine that days spent designing, collecting and just coming up with ideas of what’s fun or beautiful must be one of the best jobs in the world. his house looks pretty excellent too.
the big thing, and the thing that i am guessing made him super dooper successful, is the decoupage that john derian designs. using antique prints of flora and fauna, old maps and other images, john derian uses decoupage (the cutting and gluing images to a surface) on many glass objects. there are endless john derian decoupaged plates, platters and dishes of all sizes, as well as really lovely paperweights and coasters but there are also vases, fireplace screens, and lamps and even wall hangings. i am definitely obsessed with some day having a john derian cake stand (we need more space!). these decoupage pieces are perfect gifts because it is so easy to find an image to suit whomever you’re trying to please, and the prices are not outrageous — a paperweight can be as little as $30.
what’s great about the shop is there is so much more than just decoupage. it is packed, but not crammed, with all sorts of other beautiful or quirky treasures for the home. there’s plenty that you don’t need but you just want to have like the rogues gallery anchor key chains for $75, large ceramic pigeons, frogs and mushrooms for the garden, goats milk candles by cire trudon, books that look like ancient hard cover books but are just painted wood, leather ottomans in vibrant colors, hand milled soaps by beekman 1802, lovely wooden and pearl astier de villatte spoons and forks that would be a perfect house gift. and then there are some useful things too that you just shouldn’t leave with out like letter press gift tags and gorgeous wrapping and tissue paper and some fun things for the kids. even the mops and brushes john derian has in the shop feel like luxuries.
because i just am the biggest fan every (well i am not the only one who adores john derian), i am making an exception to my one store one post rule and will have post number two on all things derian in a few weeks. i’ll share some pictures of the treats that john derian has in his dry goods store. the good thing is that if you go in person, the two shops are right next door to each other so they can both be seen in one go. john derian company inc., 6 east 2nd street between 2nd avenue and the bowery, manhattan, new york, .
2 Comments »
we need more cake!
Thanks for the shout-out!!