Shop Talk

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SHOP TALK – C.C. HOME GIFT & GARDEN

By Gabriele Campbell, A.S.P., C.I.D.                             www.campbellinteriordecorating.ca

Finding unusual and beautiful décor items can be a fun. Finding them at an affordable price can be a challenge. Enter Edmonton’s own C.C. Home Gift and Garden located at 5040 – 104 A Street (780) 432-1785, right next to the Italian Market. The price tag on the gorgeous items in this store will take your breath away!

C.C. started out as the Cranberry Cottage in 1986 on Jasper Avenue specializing in Victorian style dried flower arrangements. It moved to Whyte Avenue in 1990 where it became C.C. on Whyte and gradually evolved into what it is today – a centre for Parisian inspired interiors and chic accessories. The store was ruined when a fire broke out in a neighbouring restaurant in 2003 and re-opened in its current location.

“On Whyte we were a real destination shop, but here, we’ve experienced a lot of walk-in traffic,” says Judy Stout, an interior decorator during the 1980’s Dynasty Period, as she likes to call it, and now the owner of the posh little store.

“I have a personal love of France and all things French,” she says. “The French have a way of appreciating beauty and good food and lovely things. They live in the moment and treasure the past.  I wanted to bring that beauty and elegance to Edmonton.”

Judy found that it was a challenge to buy directly from France as most lines of merchandise already have representation in North America, an arrangement that ups to retail cost.

“People are motivated by price so I am very conscious of finding home décor items that are not only beautiful but affordable, and that’s not always an easy thing to do.”

She tries to keep the ideals of her clients in mind when she ventures out on shopping trips. The focus of these trips is about bringing in unusual items that are non-denominational, broadly appealing and of course, very French.

So what’s flying off the shelves? “Sid Dickens tiles,” she says, “they’re our best seller.” The small gift area tends to be very popular as well with lovely decorative bottles, sleek little cases and purses, and bling-bling key chains and paper weights. “There’s something for every taste and every pocket book.”

When she decided to take the store into a very specific decorating style, she had one idea in mind. “With this store I wanted to create an experience. I wanted my customers to enjoy the experience of being surrounded by a little Paris apartment.”

Browsing through C.C. Home Gift & Garden is truly an event in itself. My personal walk through takes me eight times around the store as my eye lands on the white porcelain birds then the white vases, then to the seashell covered balls and the silk pillows, which I simply must touch. The décor leads me from a Louis XV inspired chair to a table decked with fine linens and crystal to the black shaded glass lamps to the wrought iron garden ornaments. And with every trip I find something new, and now I cannot wait until Christmas when Judy brings in specialty food products from Maxim’s in Paris so I can bring the experience of C.C. home with me to share.

Check out my website for tips on Parisian style decorating.

All contents of this article are copyright by By Gabriele Campbell, A.S.P., C.I.D.      Producing any part of this article without written consent is prohibited.             Copyright 2005

Comments, concerns or feedback can be directed to www.campbellinteriordecorating.ca.