Thursday, November 13, 2008

Ladybird

Photos: Bryn Sanders
I'm always fascinated by people who are effortlessly chic, whose style is timeless and laid back yet perfectly appropriate for any occasion. Women such as Ali McGraw, Jackie Kennedy and (dare I say it!) Amelia Earhart epitomize the look. Their effortless style transcends time and their influence is still seen on runways today.

In my own life, that person is my high school friend Allison Jayjack, who recently pursued her dream and opened a boutique in Columbus, Ohio called Ladybird. Offering a mix of indie labels and carefully selected vintage finds, Allison's store is like stepping into my dream closet. (Ahem, just look at the three ensembles above! Spot on.) The good news? Everything in Ladybird is affordable, and will easily compliment any existing wardrobe.

A few weeks prior to opening, Allison flew me to Columbus to decorate the space! We spent four days painting and digging our way through some hysterical antique malls, flea markets, and of course Ikea! The resulting look is both vintage and modern, relaxed and sophisticated. Enjoy :)

With a fashionable keep-all grandmother, Allison was often caught hunting around her attic and basement discovering family treasures. From '40s overcoats and fancy frocks to jeweled clutches and vintage scarves, she has now carefully hand selected every item in her store. (And hello! I want both of those bags!)




A cozy resting spot for boyfriends and sleepy shoppers, Allison offers up vintage issues of Life, Vogue and quirky design books.

We decided to purchase two oversized vintage wardrobes and remove the doors so that customers would feel as if they were peeking into a stylish friends closet.

Notice the red birdcage! We found this beauty at an antique mall for $35, and gave it a fresh coat of paint to make it sparkle against the navy walls. We also selected orange velvet Ikea curtains for the fitting rooms, a la Tory Burch ;)

This gallery wall was so much fun to create! The wallpaper was actually original to the store, so we decided to keep this section to highlight the cash wrap. The artwork is a mixture of flea market finds and framed images from books such as Painting People. I have a major obsession with the floral painting in the upper left hand corner! It's an original oil painting that we found at an antique mall for a mere $30, and I've already instructed Allison to leave it for me in her will ;)

How great are these suitcases?! Again, $30 at a goofy antique mall.
Our $5 Ikea lamp illuminates a vintage horse and beaded necklace combo. And finally a couple of ladybirds! Allison is on the far left, then there's me, Kim and Bryn who served as the inspiration for one of my newest Rubie Green prints! We're all friends from high school and we can't get enough of Ladybird.

Ladybird is located at 716 N. High St. in Columbus, Ohio between Jeni's Ice Creams and Rowe. It's open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. And yes, Allison is always available to offer her customers personal style advice ;)

21 comments:

Brown Button Trading said...

Oh Michelle - I love it all! What a fabulous store and the styling is stunning. I know that intimate and small is chic, but surely maybe possibly she could create an online store so us little Aussies could buy her finds as well? Thanks for sharing - I am so inspired! x

Ivy Lane said...

Yeah for Allison! What an inspiration to all of us! And you are a dear to help her get it all together. Ummmm..I WANT that fur piece in the window! Next time I am in Columbus, I am going to make a point to stop in..(Cleveland is a short jaunt! ) Good luck to you Allison!

High-Heeled Foot in the door said...

Beautiful. I love all of it. The displays, the clothes, the friendships. What a beautiful mix. I want you all to be my new BFF's!

Congrats to Allison on her store. I've always wanted a shop of my own. I'm insanely jealous, but completely happy for her that her dream has come true!

Tina { Luphia Loves... } said...

wow, the store looks fab! i love the clothes, the display & those white suitcases on window display!

Holly @ Maison James said...

Looks like you did great work on the cheap and had a lot of fun in the process. I am sure the shoppers love it.

darcy said...

Allison,
What a great experience I had in your new store! It was so much fun to be to shop for Sarah and find such wonderful clothing treats! I have worn the scarf twice and feel very chic! Thank you! I will be back everytime I am in Columbus!
Darcy

bryn said...

love the post! yay for ladybird!! you guys did awesome with the design

Anonymous said...

Wow, it looks wonderful. I understand about feeling envious of those people who are so put together. No matter how hard I try, something is always off.

elly e said...

o busy little bee... love it and i think it might be good i am a few states away from this shop. Congrats to you and ms. ladybird herself. How fab, can allison be on our party list? one day one day my dear!

Caitlin McGauley said...

Your fall line looks great- as does this shop!

Brilliant Asylum said...

I love the mix you have going on in here. If I ever make it to Ohio, I will stop by!

Robin said...

I love shops like this! I wish I lived in Columbus.... hmmm. how can I get my company to send me there on biz....

No.35style said...

LOVE, love the looks of this shop! So wished I could pop in. You did a wonderful job and what a fun thing for your friend. I would love a shop like this!

Sir Fopling Flutter said...

Fantastic - and the seating for bored boyfriends is a clever touch. Make sure you have some reading matter for them too. At the very least, add a copy of GQ or similar to the magazine selection.

Jac. said...

Just discovered your blog and absolutely love it! Adding it to my blogroll. Thanks! Jac.

pve design said...

Love it, looks like a great mix of fun and fabulous finds! Wishing I could just pop in every week to shop
and shoot the breeze!

AshleyL. said...

I love the wall with the framed art on it! Fun post! :)

Paul Pincus said...

i love it! is that a paint-by-numbers horse?! the boutique looks terrific. i hope ladybird plans an online shop!

ps ali macgraw. serious style icon!

Crave said...

The shop looks amazing!! Now if only there was one here in NYC??

Style Court said...

Michelle -- I'm in a rush here but I had to quickly say well done! I love the gallery wall and all the horses!

Unknown said...

Congrats to Allison for her store and your decorating is superb!

I would wear every outfit in that store especially the outfit on the far right in the first photo and complete the look with my gorgeous diamond necklace my hubby bought me from www.idonowidont.com for our 10th anniversary.

It looks like a dream vintage clothing store that I would go to every day even to look!