If you love romantic French interiors, you will adore Calgary’s Mélange for the Home. Mélange is located slightly off the beaten path, on 2nd Ave NW, in Calgary’s trendy Kensington neighborhood. The shop, which occupies two floors of a historic brick building, is a Europhile’s dream! And it’s right next door to a great new café (Vendome), making this block a perfect destination for an afternoon stroll.
Mélange sells reproductions of traditional European furniture, elegant chandeliers and decorative accessories. If you’re searching for a stunning trumeau mirror for your mantle, a pair of Italian sconces, a Louis XV reproduction chair, or a giant ceramic rooster, this is your store! Owner Shelly Stewart creates captivating vignettes all around the store, mixing upscale traditional elements, like tall silver candlesticks, with more quiet, rustic elements like natural linen and stoneware.
The shop carries fine European bath linens, including delicately embroidered linen hand and finger towels. Tableware is also available and the shop carries a large collection of hand-painted ceramic pieces crafted in Europe for Casafina. Mélange has all the charm of an upscale Parisian flea market, but features high-quality new items with an old world look. The stock is elegant and meticulously chosen. Most items come from sellers who do not mass-produce their wares, so you’re sure to find something special here.
When I visited, the shop was being decorated for Christmas.What a treat! Most stores in Calgary are simply not this pretty, and I was instantly transported to Paris for the holidays! To add to the bliss, Ms. Stewart hosts an annual Christmas wine and cheese party at her shop, to celebrate the season and thank her devoted customers for their patronage. A swing band is already scheduled for this year’s fête!
In addition to the shop, Ms. Stewart runs an interior design business from her studio above the store. Here she designs interiors as well as custom upholstered furniture for her clients. She has an array of traditional reproduction chairs on hand from her Italian supplier, so styles can be selected and modified to suit a client’s every need. Imagine a custom-designed armchair for your living room! Ms. Stewart also works with a cabinetmaker who builds her custom-designed case pieces. Soon, she will open her design studio and showroom to the public, allowing clients to come choose their own fabrics, trims and bed linens from her collection. Now, if we could just borrow some of her exquisite taste…
By Terri Price, blogger, Windlost
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