Bringing European flair to Phoenix only at Paris Envy. Photo by Ana Anguiano.On the curve of Seventh Avenue lies central Phoenix's hidden treasure. Between Indian School and Camelback Road, the Melrose District is lined with vintage shops full of character and endless possibilities.
Clothing, furniture, one-of-a-kind art and antiques from all over the country are conveniently located in one small city stretch. If your humble abode needs a breath of fresh air or your closet needs revamping, check out the Melrose District. You never know what you’ll find.Paris Envy
Paris Envy co-owners Laurie Lavy and Jason Moore have combined their unique talents to bring a bit of European flare to Phoenix.
“Our tagline is ‘French-inspired,’ but we’re not over-the-top Louis XV,” Lavy says. “I’d say it’s more of a European industrial style.”
Lavy studied French in college and visited France for the first time in 2001. She was inspired by the cobble-stone streets filled with boutiques. She shopped at the local markets with such vigor that the trip home was tricky with all of her new finds.
“What I loved was not so much what they were selling, [the boutiques] just had an individual and unique charm,” she says.
Moore is a full time electrical engineer who also makes remarkable art pieces in the form of furniture and housewares. He repaints, refurbishes and reuses materials to make something beautiful.
“Everything is 80 to 90 percent handmade,” he says.
As a full-time engineer, Moore says just sitting at a computer isn’t enough for him.
“I need to create,” he says. “I need to physically touch and create. I can’t be happy just on a computer, so this gives me that outlet to create. If I don’t do it, I get the itch.”
Moore’s work fills the shop everywhere you turn, but you would never guess it all came from one man.
“It fills up my weekends and nights, but it’s become more than a hobby because of the demand,” Moore says. “What I like about it is that I don’t have to do the same thing twice. I let the material I have decide what I’m going to make. There’s always something new, a certain twist, that keeps me interested.”
Whether it’s metal, wood or glass, Lavy says Moore gives it a new life. Paris Envy is filled with Moore’s handmade work and has charming gifts that come in a wide range of prices. Jewelry, handbags, lamps and perfumes are delicately arranged throughout the store.
“We’re not a thrift store,” says Lavy. “We have one-of-a-kind pieces, but our prices are reasonable.”
With neatly arranged merchandise and fresh scented candles filling up the store, it’s easy to see the charm radiate off of the soft blue walls.
“We wanted it to be a living room sort of Paris apartment feel,” Lavy says, which explains why you can picture all of their items sitting happily in your own home.
Olive in Paris
Climb the picture-riddled stairs in Paris Envy and arrive at a new destination: Olive in Paris.
Owner Lani Griffin moved her boutique above Paris Envy in May and it seems to be a perfect match.
Handbags, dresses, tops and bottoms hang from the walls as delicate jewelry is displayed in bright pink boxes. The clothes have earthy, natural tones and feel as soft as they look. Art lines the walls and inside a cabinet, pumpkin-orange boxes overflow with accessories.
“Our jewelry, some of the clothes and decorations are made by local artists,” says Kaylee Griffin, Lani’s daughter.
The clothing designers are based in California and Oregon, Griffin says. Some of the clothes are made with vintage tablecloths and T-shirts. Reusing materials is a theme Olive in Paris and Paris Envy share. They also share good taste along with good prices.
“We are very well priced for what we sell because we want people to be able to [shop] and enjoy shopping,” Griffin says.
If you go... 4624 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 602-266-0966, parisenvy.blogspot.com, oliveinparis.blogspot.com.
Retro Ranch
Indigo Nielsen has a binder on her counter full of contact information and customer requests.
“It’s helpful to know what people are looking for, so then I’m looking for it when I’m out shopping,” Nielsen says. “A lot of times it just pops up.”
She also has loyal customers and shops with them in mind.
Nielsen opened Retro Ranch last summer and it's easy to see why customers keep coming back to the colorful and eccentric shop.
“I started selling because I was buying a lot,” Nielsen says. “It got beyond what my house needed and it just grew."
She shops throughout the Valley for vintage items and buys from people who come directly into the store.
“I’m not a minimalist,” Nielsen says with a chuckle.
Walking through the store is like walking into a set designer’s dream. Office furniture that seems straight out of "Mad Men"’ is on display, as is a full bar with black leather stools.
“The neat thing about vintage is that it’s well made,” she says. “It’s here because it lasts.”
The clothes take up half of the colorful shop, with racks upon racks of treasures. Classy garments are mixed in with cowboy attire. There is a quirky sense of fun throughout the store, though there's not a single motif or style. There are glimpses of ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s fashion along with rockabilly and mod items.
“We have a lot of things that would work for costumes,” Nielsen says. “You never know what you’re going to get.”
If you go... 4303 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 602-297-1971, retroranch.net.
Qcumberz
Qcumberz is the perfect place to get lost — in a good way.
To get the full experience, you should set some time apart to really look around and find things you never thought existed and things you forgot were once part of American culture.
“Everyone has something they fall in love with,” says Meridith Lanning, whose mother, Linda Moore-Lanning, bought Qcumberz ten years ago.
Before Lanning's mother bought it, the two shopped at the store. Under new ownership, the store grew to be five times larger, including rooms dedicated solely to windows and doors.
Radios, lamps, desks, typewriters and mirrors fill the store to the brim. Old saws hang on the walls of a room with stacks of wood and metal, awaiting a chance to be used again.
“Some things are fun, some are funky and others are practical,” says Lanning. “But not everything is antique.”
Every room has something to make you smile, laugh or cock your head in curiosity. It’s hard to imagine what their inventory list looks like with so much merchandise.
Qcumberz also has their own upholsterer who can jazz up any old chair or couch.
“Our policy is to try to start with the best price,” Lanning says. “We don’t negotiate. It takes the fun out of shopping if it’s pricey.”
The entire store is delightfully cluttered and as your eye wanders, you may find yourself rescanning certain areas because you can’t possibly catch everything at first glance.
Whether you want to hunt for something you want, or browse for something adventurous, Qcumberz is a perfect place to shop.
If you go... 4429 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. Open every day, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 602-277-5133, qcumberz.com.
Sirens and Saints
Arizona State University alum Shelly Session opened Rust and Roses four years ago as a place to find home and garden items for a vintage lifestyle.
Last September, Session branched out and opened Sirens and Saints, a clothing boutique, next door.
“It’s not vintage, but an urban, chic store,” Session says. “We have great accessories that are very affordable and that you’re not going to find anywhere else.”
Rust and Roses. Photo by Ana Anguiano.The selection has a very feminine appeal, seen in the pastel color choices and bright, bouncing fabrics. The clothes all have different textures and are perfect for layering in fall. Leather boots and belts, printed T-shirts, lacy and embroidered dresses and colorful scarves are only a few of the articles that fill the attractive shop.
Session says the items come mostly from Los Angeles, though many migrate to the Melrose District from all over the country. The clothes are limited quanity and often one-of-a-kind pieces.
Session plans on opening a second location in Tempe, but for now, Rust and Roses and Sirens and Saints are ideal destinations for anyone looking to decorate their homes or do some winter shopping.
If you go... Sirens and Saints 4206 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 602-296-4349, sirensandsaints.blogspot.com. Rust and Roses 4200 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 602-264-4999, rustandroses.net.
Contact the reporter at apanguia@asu.edu.
