Diva-scovery: Online Shopping at The Inglenook Décor

Coco Chanel once said, “An interior is the natural projection of the soul” and if that’s true, then my soul is well-lit with crystal chandeliers, shabby chic slipcovers, rococo antiques, object d’art and everything Baroque and beyond! As a decorating-obsessed diva, I’m out hitting the flea markets and antique shops during the days but at night, once the markets have closed and insomnia is in full swing, I find myself surfing the design blogs, flipping endlessly through shelter publications and pursuing online décor stores. Here lately a new kid in town is capturing my attention! Enter The Inglenook Décor, an online home & garden shop specializing in 4 decorating styles: Vintage Modern, French Chateau, Rococo and Shabby Country.

The brains and beauty behind Inglenook Décor, choreographing the charmingly eclectic inventory, is the darling Maureen. A physical therapist in private practice, Maureen dreams of “traveling the world à la Samantha Brown, checking out the world of design & decor”. She confesses impishly that she “longs to be an interior designer to entertain her creative side….” And speaking of entertaining a creative side, that is exactly what she does for me with both her online shop and her blog!

Oh, did I forget to mention – not only does Maureen run an online boutique (with a store website chocked full of useful decorating nuggets of wisdom) but she also writes a blog called Ingle Talk to boot. The design blog Odi et Amo posted a sensational interview with Maureen earlier this year, where Maureen explained among other things the origin of the company name and shed some light on where she finds the treasures for her online store!

Maureen writes, “Inglenooks are built-in alcoves centered on a fireplace where friends and families gather. It’s like the center of an old-fashioned cottage. Just like what this built-in alcove represents, I believe homes should provide warmth and should be a place of refuge from the outside world and a reflection of our own personal style and taste.”

To find inventory, Maureen started subscribing to trade magazines and checking importers from her home country – the Philippines – as well as going to several markets in the US. And Maureen explains, “Of course, (I go) antique and flea market shopping. This can be tricky, you have to separate the trash from real great finds. A little self-serving but some of it, I kept for me…. As for my archetypal customer? Highly independent, confident and creative individuals that thrive on making all of their choices definitely unique and their own. I picture them as sophisticated men and women who totally agree with one of Coco Chanel’s famous quotes: ‘An interior is the natural projection of one’s soul.’ A little frivolous for these times perhaps, but they realize that a beautiful surrounding inspires.”

Thank You Maureen for being an Inspiration – You, my dear, are The Diva of the Day!