Plymouth Magazine - January 2010
Consignment Made Chic
Inside Plymoths New Wabi Sabi Shop
Happening upon Kay Frandsen's Home Consignment Store in Waterford Plaza, you have to wonder "What's in a name?" Walk inside the doors of The Wabi Sabi Shop and you'll be met with 12 hanging scrolls describing not only the store's catchy nomenclature, but also the design and lifestyle concept behind it.
Wabi, we learn, speaks to simplicity, letting go of excess and surrounding oneself only with things that are meaningful; Sabi refers to the beauty acquired through the aging process. Within this Japanese philosophy, consigners can simplify their lives by ridding their homes of excess, while shoppers can score beautiful used finds: the decorator's circle of life.
With 30 years of design experience under her belt, Frandsen decided to open up shop after a post-job-loss bout of soul searching. "I knew I didn't want just another job," she says. Six months worth of business classes, one business plan and a phone call to the bank, and Wabi Sabi opened last September.
While the heart of the economic recession might seem like a questionable time to up and start a business, Frandsen was undaunted by the prospect. "Not only is it
financially responsible to buy consignment items," she says, "it´s also ecologically smart. You´re recycling and re-purposing, helping to keep items out of landfills."
Ecology and economy aside, the best part about Wabi Sabi is most certainly the diverse selection of upscale items (reader be warned: inventory and prices change frequently, so most of what we saw on our visit is already gone). Walking in, I couldn't miss the impressively beautiful, curved Marge Carson designer sectional. This custom-made, golden and pillow-laden three-piece gem retailed for a sparkling $24,000. Barely a year old, the elegant sofa sells in the shop for $8,045.
Wabi Sabi stocks several original items, among them an ornately framed oil painting by Evelyn Delight Carpenter. The serene pastoral fishing painting was once exhibited with Prince Charles's personal worksand is priced for a cool $299. I also eyed an uber-handsome 1935 Stickley Brothers wood buffet for $900. Another unique find is the pair of gothic 68-inch and 72-inch wood and leather lodge chairs that look like they were salvaged from a cathedral. You can pick up these individually numbered 1914-crafted beauties for $599 and $577, respectively.
Everywhere you turn, it seems, you'll find a different name-brand piece. In one corner, there's a traditional white damask chaise lounge by Dapha, a division of furniture stalwart Baker ($1,050), originally retailing for $6,000). Against another wall is a striking distressed wood Habersham desk ($690).
If you'd like modern mixed in with your classic, contemporary items might include a lust-worthy Hickory espresso-finish dining table with a putty wash ($504). The walls and floors of the store are covered with abstract and Persian-style patterned rugs. A set of '60s-style white pedestal plastic chairs ($27) seems like something straight out of The Jetsons. Look for pieces like the simple, chic and ridiculously practical ivory silk cushioned daybed with underneath storage ($505), and the graphic circle-patterned velvet upholstered bench ($387).
To keep inventory constantly flowing, the store marks down items once they've been on the floor for a spell. (Look for 15 percent markdowns after 30 days, 30 percent off after 60 days, and after 90 days the item goes back to its owner or is donated to a local charity of the consigner's choosing.)
As the store continues to develop, Frandsen looks to offer do-it-yourself workshops, seminars and networking events to get people together for creative purposes. "Design is more than just putting things together," she says. "There's a personal element to it. Your home is an outward reflection of who you are." Her store, it turns out, is a great place to start altering that reflection.
By Sarah Baumann
Photo By Marshall Franklin Long
