Our store spotlight this week takes us to Toronto, Canada’s very own Drake General Store. Even though it serves as the hotel gift shop for the Drake Hotel, this isn’t your everyday gift shop. The co-directors of the General Store, Carlo Colacci and Joyce Lo, have been filling the General Store to the brim with an array of goodies since 2008. Find out more in the Q&A!

Q: How would you describe your store’s aesthetic?
A: Each of our stores are filled with a sense of whimsy and nostalgia; capturing inspiration from the classic general store, the museum shop and the flea market stand.

Q: Tell us about your neighborhood and why you love it.
A: We’re lucky enough to be in three very distinct and alive Toronto neighborhoods: West Queen West, Rosedale and Niagara. Each neighborhood has its own personality and we’re lucky to be member of each of them!

Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?
A: The St. Lawrence Antiques Market

Q:Favorite restaurant in the neighborhood?
A: The Drake Hotel + The Harbord Room

Q: If there’s one thing someone “must do” when they visit your area, what would you recommend?:
A: Other than stopping by The Drake General Store, we would recommend: in West Queen West having a drink at The Drake Beer Garden, in Rosedale having a mouthwatering sandwich from Black Camel, and in Niagara visiting the hidden Ireland Park at the foot of Bathurst Street.

Q: Whats next for you/your store…. any upcoming sales/events?:
A: We have an in store and online sale going on through today, so hurry and stop by!

Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: The Drake General Store Blog, Apartment Therapy, Design*Sponge, Reference Library, Purple Diary and Opening Ceremony

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: We search high and low for our treasures! Secret can be found on our shelves.

Be sure to visit the Queen, Rosedale, and Bathurst locations and their online shop. Also, follow them on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and read their blog and vintage blog.

In 2006, Daniel Power and Susanne Konig opened powerHouse Arena in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. PowerHouse Arena’s beautiful “warehouse chic” space boasts over 5,000 square feet of space and is so much more than just a store. The Arena is home to powerHouse Books, various exhibitions, and The New York Photo Festival. Click here to find out what all powerHouse Arena has to offer. Needless to say, we were definitely excited to have the PowerHouse crew on board for our store spotlight! We’re huge fans!

Q: Any fun or interesting store facts you’d like to share about the Arena?
A: Our bathroom stalls feature some amazing murals hand painted by 907 Crew, Abe Lincoln Jr., Robots Will Kill, 2easae, and Ski. In the grand tradition of bathroom stall walls, their work has been modified by some Arena customers as well.

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: Our eclectic selection of greeting cards and gifts are handpicked from local vendors and trade shows.

Q: Tell us about DUMBO.  Why do you love it?
A: DUMBO is one of Brooklyn’s most picturesque neighborhoods – whether it’s the dazzling Manhattan skyline just across the East River or the cavernous warehouses lining cobblestoned streets, you can always take in a great view on your lunch break.

Q: When not at the Arena, where is the next most likely place you’d be?
A: Curled up in bed with a good book, naturally.

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in the area?
A: RICE is always nice for a sit-down meal, and Brooklyn Roasting Company makes a fine cup of coffee.

Q: What’s the one thing someone must do when in DUMBO?
A: Aside from visiting the store, I would recommend wandering around and checking out the numerous galleries and shops DUMBO has to offer, then hopping on the East River Ferry.

Q: Any upcoming sales or events at the Arena?
A: You can check out www.powerhousearena.com/events for more info. (Fire sale from Dec. 9th-Jan 9th)

Q: What blogs or magazines do you follow?
A: Too many! The L Magazine and Gothamist (both of whom happen to be our neighbors), Brokelyn, The Awl, Vice, The Hairpin, BOMB Magazine, and we love Vol. 1 Brooklyn for our music/culture fix.

So there you have it, y’all, powerHouse Arena! Be sure to follow them on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and check out their website. Oh, and of course you should venture to their store [located at 37 Main Street in Brooklyn to experience just how awesome this place is.

Pack up your suitcases, ’cause this week we’re going abroad for our store spotlight! Across the Atlantic and nestled outside of London in Guildford, England is Amy Hawkshaw’s Inkwell & Ivy. Since 2007, I&I has provided the area with the best collegiate goods one can find. It’s such a cute idea for a store and definitely takes me back to my days at Sewanee!

Q: Please describe your store aesthetic.
A: The concept was to make customers feel like they weren’t in a store but in an old school college dormitory or common room. An antique pool table takes centre stage and is surrounded by school trunks, vintage sports pieces, globes and books.

Q: What are some fun or interesting store facts about I&I?
A: Our changing room is designed to look like a secret library with books covering the walls from floor to ceiling.

Q: Tell us about your city/neighborhood. Why do you love it?
A: Guildford is only 40 minutes from London but is a world away from the hectic pace of the city. Its a historic town with cobbled streets, an ancient castle, and is the home of Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll wrote his most famous book here after being inspired by his surroundings. More recently it has become popular as a movie location when a really “English” look is needed, for example a lot of the scenes for “The Holiday” with Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Winslet were shot around here and also many of the woodland scenes for Harry Potter.

Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?
A: Hunting for pieces for my new house – there is a great Antique store called the Packhouse that does some fantastic architectural pieces. My house is really an extension of the store!

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in your city?
A: Wagamama is a fantastic Asian fusion restaurant that is always heaving, its so popular there’s always a queue down the street. For a more traditional evening, I like The Seahorse which is a modern take on an Old English pub.

Q: If there is one thing someone “must do” when they visit Guildford, what would you recommend?
A: Climb up to the top of the Castle Keep and you can see over the whole of the town. We also have amazing countryside that surrounds the town – the Olympic cycling course is set to travel through our landscape, so thats a must watch.

Q: What was your inspiration/motivation to open your store?
A: I was really inspired to do an authentic collegiate look. So many stores do their take on preppy, that I thought it would be really great to do the real thing particularly as my Dad went to Harvard. It’s a given in the US but in the UK it’s still a novelty! Alongside the college gear I wanted to design my own pieces based on US High School fashion and also showcase some smaller brands that you won’t find anywhere else.

Q: How did you come up with your store name?
A: I wanted something that sounded old-fashioned and quirky. Inkwell ties in with study and writing and obviously ivy is for Ivy League. It can also be shortened to I&I which is quite handy!

Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: I love selectism.com and refinery29, they’re fantastic for all the latest fashion news. I’m also a big fan of Oprah’s new web series and I am addicted to Pottery Barn – I wish we had it in the UK!

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: Most of our products are sourced from the US from small companies. I design the rest which is great fun deciding what themes and colour stories to do every season. Inspiration is everywhere from Gossip Girl and Glee to vintage pieces and sporting styles.

Q: Whats next for you/your store…. any upcoming sales/events?
A: We are looking forward to Christmas which is always really hectic! We’ve recently just branched into doing bespoke wear for Schools and universities which is great, they can get custom team wear that has a fashion look rather than a promotional look, and hopefully in the new year some of our pieces will be showcased on a couple of other web stores.

At the moment, I&I is online only, so shop wherever you have internet access!! The online store is HERE!

Here are photos of I&I’s showroom for your viewing pleasure:

In February of 2010, Molly Cygan Rossetie opened The Little Apple in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia. I’m a huge fan of Philly – I try to make as many weekend trips as possible – so a Philly Store Spotlight is exciting times for me! I now have so many new places I’ll have to check out! Thanks for all the recommendations, Molly!

Q: How would you describe your store’s aesthetic?:
A: The Little Apple carries new, vintage, and re-purposed gifts, cards, jewelry, home goods, and baby items. It’s very eclectic and I try to carry gifts for everyone…your sister, your funny aunt, your friend who has everything, etc.

Q: Any fun or interesting store facts you’d like to share?:
A: The building the store is in is from around the Civil War, and the floors, tin ceilings, and stained glass doors are all original. I also like to tell people that I bought Retail for Dummies and read it cover to cover before I opened the shop.

Q: Tell us about your city/neighborhood.  Why do you love it?:
A: Philadelphia is a great city. I have been here for two years now and have loved the opportunities it has afforded me. The food culture here is amazing. Manayunk, a little outside Center City, where the shop is located, is a quaint historic main street with roots in the textile industry. Many of the buildings maintain their original facades which adds to the charm of the district. It’s the perfect place to come for weekend brunch and then walk along Main Street visiting the shops, taking in all the newly installed public art, thanks to Mural Arts in Philadelphia.

Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?:
A: You can usually find me and my French Bull dog, Penn, in Rittenhouse Square walking in the park, running errands. Or I’m with my husband, John, eating at some of our favorite Philly restaurants. John is at Drexel Med in his 3rd year. And when I’m not in Philly, I’m usually in Southern California visiting my family!

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in your city/neighborhood?:
A: There are so many good ones in Philly it’s hard to choose! Right in Manayunk, there is a newer restaurant called Agiato that is delicious – rustic Italian paninis, wine & cheese. At home, in the city, I love Zama Sushi Bar in Rittenhouse Square and El Vez, a fun Mexican restaurant that brings me right back to Southern California.

Q: If there is 1 thing someone “must do” when they visit your area, what would you recommend?:
A: The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a must do…the building itself is beautiful. If it is a nice day, walking along Kelly Drive and seeing the Boathouse Row is a treat. If you are a food lover, there are so many great spots. Setting up your own food, wine, or craft beer tour would be an awesome day.

Q: Whats next for you/your store…. any upcoming sales/events?:
A: Holidays are almost upon us and I’m re-launching my online store. I’m updating the site and adding all new items. I had a fun and successful “Last Minute Shopping Party” on December 17th last year, so I’ll be doing the same thing this year.

Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: Design Sponge, GOOP, The Novogratz. I follow a lot of local artist, shop & restaurant blogs: Something’s Hiding In Here, Three Potato Four, Clover Market, Fleurishing, and CityPaper

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: I source my products from the annual gift shows, Etsy, Big Cartel,  local artist fairs and events, vintage, consignment shops. And my secret (not-so-secret-now) weapons are my mom, Kitty, and sister, Annie, in California. They always keep a watch on local auctions, events, and sales. They have impeccable taste and love the thrill of the find!

Q: How did you come up with your store name?
A: New York, as everyone knows, is the Big Apple. So the Little Apple is an homage to New York City. My mom grew up and lived there into her 30s. As a family we’ve always spent weeks in the summer there and it was always a fun and exciting trip…food, exploring, museums, shopping in cool boutiques, and visiting my parents’ old stomping grounds. After college I lived there for 5 years and the idea of opening the store came to me while sitting in my NYC apartment. I draw inspiration for my items and displays from some of my favorite NYC shops -  John Derian, ABC Carpet, and Roberta Freymann.

Q: What was your inspiration/motivation to open your store?
A: The Little Apple was definitely a labor of love. I moved to Philadelphia with the intention of continuing my work in arts education and museum programming. With the economy on its way down, many arts and cultural institutions were implementing a hiring freeze, so I had little luck finding a job. A close friend’s sister had started a successful online invitation and stationary business, so I began my journey the night he described her business. I thought, “I could do something like that!” I bought Retail for Dummies, wrote a business plan, found some kind investors, traveled to the gift shows, and the rest is history. It’s a day-to-day learning experience and I’ve made countless mistakes, but being your own boss is a wonderful experience. I love that owning the store puts to use both my creative side and my crazy person organizational skills. I tell people with a lot of time and a little money, you can do anything!

Visit The Little Apple at 4353 Main Street in Philly or online!

This week’s store spotlight takes us to Portland, Oregon! Canoe opened in downtown Portland in 2005 by Craig Olson and Sean Igo. While I’ve never had the chance to grace the brick and mortar store, I can say that I’m obsessed with all the items that Canoe’s online store has to offer! It’s right up my aesthetic alley. How awesome is this Tivoli Model One radio!??

Q: Please describe your store aesthetic:
A: Simple, everyday modernism with an emphasis on natural materials and functionality.

Q: Fun or interesting store fact:
A: The building we’re in is about 100 years old.  The store space itself is bright and modern and was profiled in Remodelista (design blog), but the basement looks like the set of the “Saw” films.  It is quite a contrast.

Q: Tell us about your neighborhood. Why do you love it?:
A: We are in the West End district of downtown Portland.  It was definitely off the beaten path when we first opened, but the neighborhood has filled in around us and now has a lot of great local stores and restaurants.

Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?:
A: The Oregon Coast.

Q: Favorite restaurant in your city/neighborhood:
A: Grüner restaurant right across the street—they serve Alpine cuisine in a modern setting.

Q: If there is 1 thing someone “must do” when they visit your area, what would you recommend?:
A: Walk up to the Portland Japanese Garden high in the hills above Portland–it’s considered one of the most authentic outside of Japan. On clear days you get a view of the Cascades (with Mount Hood filling in as Fujiyama), but the mood is deeper on cloudy, misty days.

Q: What was your inspiration/motivation to open your store?
A: Small shops in Northern Europe and Japan that take an everyday–rather than rarified–approach to design.

Q: How did you come up with your store name?
A: A canoe is an object with a form that looks beautiful and is perfectly suited for its function.  It is essentially unchanged for hundreds of years because it can’t really be improved upon.  It reflects our approach as we put a high value on function and don’t really follow fast trends.

Q: What’s next for you/your store…. any upcoming sales/events?:
A: We will celebrate our sixth anniversary with a party in October.

Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: Monocle, Inventory, Remodelista, From the Desk Of, The Brick House

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: We go to a couple of trade shows in the US and Europe but most of products are found while traveling around.  It’s a pretty organic process which is fun but no small amount of work.

Check out Canoe at 1136 SW Adler in Portland, OR or at their online site.

We’ve been showing lots of West Coast love in the past few installments of Store Spotlight, so this week we journey back to our neck of the woods on the East Coast. Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store was opened in 2007 by Ann Cantrell and is located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Boerum Hill. Today marks four years to the day that Annie’s Blue Ribbon opened its doors and we can’t be anymore excited for them!

Q: Please describe your store aesthetic:
A: A fun & functional modern general store with a whimsical touch.

Q: Any fun or interesting store fact(s):
A: Usher just was in and bought some funny mustaches (he’s also ordered online from us).

Q: Tell us about your ‘hood.  Why do you love it?:
A: Brooklyn rocks. Our neighborhood, Boerum Hill, is a wonderful community – lots of creative, cool and caring customers/friends.

Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?:
A: All over the place! At home with my new babe and wonderful husband…

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in your ‘hood:
A: Oh, that is tough. There are soo many good ones! Fisherman’s Dawta for jerk chicken for lunch (or Bedouin Tent’s chicken platter). And for dinner – Bacchus for French-y food or Building on Bond for macaroni & cheese.

Q: If there is 1 thing someone “must do” when they visit your area, what would you recommend?:
A: Besides visiting the shop? Check out Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Q: What was your inspiration/motivation to open your store?:
A: I dreamed about opening an urban general store for years. I used to love visiting old timey general stores in Vermont/New England, and wanted to bring that same idea to modern city living.

Q: How did you come up with your store name?
A: Blue ribbons symbolize “best in show;” our shop’s vision is to provide the best that life has to offer, all under one roof

Q: Whats next for you/your store…. any upcoming sales/events?:
A: We are very excited for the amazing holiday items we have coming in! Join our mailing list to learn more.

Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: I wish I could say I read tons of blogs, but I rarely have time to read them in depth (love checking out all the cool photos though!) I love writing my own – Annie’s Treasure Trove. As far as mags, I love New York Magazine, Real Simple, House Beautiful, etc. and MANY MORE!!!

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: We look everywhere for cool new products. Friends, customers, travels – you name it – we find inspiration everywhere.

Visit Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store in person at 365 State St. in Brooklyn, NY or at their online store.

The summer trade shows have been keeping us busy, but Store Spotlight is back! We left off last time in San Diego, so now we’re heading up the west coast to Picnic in San Francisco! For the last seven years, owners Jasmine Tan and Pei Sze Ng have been providing the bay area with their favorite items ranging from clothing to home decor (more on this below!) Here’s the Q&A session we had with Pei:

Q: How would you describe your store aesthetic?
A: An eclectic mix of vintage and modern.

Q: Any fun or interesting store facts?
A: We are an urban, neighborhood department store! We stock everything from clothes, gifts, candles, soaps and small furniture.

Q: Why do you love your city/neighborhood?
A: The weather!

Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?
A: Home

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in your city/neighborhood?
A: Cordon Bleu Vietnamese Restaurant

Q: If there is 1 thing someone “must do” when they visit your area, what would you recommend?
A: Check out the local neighborhoods; each have their own vibe.

Q: Any recent news about the store we should know about?
A: Last November, we opened a next-door store, Picnic Home

Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: Living, Lucky, San Francisco

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: Everywhere and anywhere !

Picnic can be found at 1808 Polk St [map] or on their website…and even on Facebook!

For our next Store Spotlight, we head to Noon Designs in San Diego, California! Since opening in 2009, Noon Designs has been crafting its own beautiful array of hand-made jewelry and paper goods while also carrying other amazing products. Owners Nora Alexander and Maie Webb serve as Noon’s jewelry designer and graphic designer, respectively. We first met Nora and Maie at a big trade show in Las Vegas.  Their booth was across from ours and we quickly became friends. To our delight, they even purchased our items for their store.

A big thanks to Jessica Madore for taking the time to answer our questionnaire!

Q: How would you describe your store’s aesthetic?
A: Whimsical, hand-made, DIY, nature inspired with an east coast vibe.

Q: Any fun or interesting facts?
A: A lot of our in-store customers don’t realize that we wholesale our jewels to over 75 shops across the country!

Q: What’s your neighborhood like? Why do you love it?
A: Being east coast natives, we just love the weather here in Southern California. San Diego’s laid back Ocean Beach neighborhood is unlike any other place in the states, plus working hard isn’t so bad when you live in such a beautiful place!

Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?
A: Beach, Bar, or Bed.

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in the area?
A: Sessions Public, Point Loma/Ocean Beach.

Q: What’s the one thing someone “must do” when they visit your area?
A: Watch the sunset at Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach.

Q: Whats next for you/your store…. any upcoming sales/events?
A: We try to have a party every other month or so – catered, cocktails, discounts…the whole deal. We just had a soiree at both our Ocean Beach and Solana Beach locations so nothing is planned at this time, but you can join our email list to learn about any in store or online promotions.

Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: Design*Sponge, Real Simple, Green Wedding Shoes, San Diego Magazine.

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: We make a lot of our products (jewelry, paper goods, glassware, perfumes, pillows) and try to carry mostly local artist, friends, friends-of-friends. We stick to all hand-made goods. We also use Etsy to find help find new products we love.

You can visit one of Noon Designs’ retail stores in San Diego or SoLa. Also, find them online at their website, Facebook, and Twitter!

Photos courtesy of John McCauley

Our next Store Spotlight takes us to the sunny West Coast in Venice, CA! Owned by couple Audrey and Joshua Woollen, Urbanic Paper Boutique specializes in all things stationary and then some. If you’re in need of some gorgeous and unique invitations, this is definitely where you need to go. Also, their story is quite possibly the cutest I’ve ever heard…

Q: When did Urbanic open?
A: August 2006.

Q: What’s your store’s aesthetic?
A: Curated, charming and modern with a classic vintage twist.

Q: Any fun or interesting store facts we should know about?
A: Before we got married we had a long distance letter writing relationship for quite a while. We loved crafting artistic notes to each other and the surprise it brought us to receive them in our mailbox. We’re total believers in fun mail and this was a huge part of the inspiration that led us to open Urbanic. [Read more about their story here]

Q:Tell us about your neighborhood.  Why do you love it?
A: The architecture is amazing, and although it’s by the beach it still has a city vibe. Venice is pretty consolidated and within it is a ridiculously creative and eclectic community. We have the best customers.  They are seriously some of the most interesting people in existence so there are very few dull moments.

Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?
A: Immersed in some kind of adventure with our 2 little ones.

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in your hood?
A: Gjelina…without a doubt.

Q: If there is 1 thing someone “must do” when they visit your area, what would you recommend?
A: We would recommend exploring the Venice canals. Our town is called Venice because it was built on the water canals to resemble Venice, Italy in the early 1900′s. It was a resort town and termed “The Coney Island of the Pacific.” Today the canals are full of beautiful homes and modern garden landscaping. There are little boats everywhere, it is charming and a mini-escape from the city.

Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: Lots of blogs, lots of mags, but not a whole lot of time to really delve into all of that honestly. Our radar is always on though, so if we see a good find for the shop we nab it.

Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: We search high and low to find the most unique things for our shop, so it’s a combination of many places. A few to name would  be the NY trade shows, Etsy, blog scouring, and seeking out local indie designers.

Q: Whats next for you/your store…. any upcoming sales/events?
A: We love hosting store events. Definitely one of our favorite parts of the job. You can see a few of them here. We recently just finished our summer social and a pinterest event, and will be gearing up to host some exciting workshops this fall.

You can find Urbanic at 1644 Abbott Kinney Blvd or online at their website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Photos courtesy of  Brandon Kidd, Stephanie Williams, Paul Esposito.