(Back in the sunny Bay Area, Leslie takes us into uncharted waters in her final post. Comment away.)
Its the huge pink brain hanging in the window that first catches your eye.
The owner of Ivan Home, Amornrit Pukdeedamrongrit, says that his store is like his hobby. Although he always wanted to open a shop, he had a comfortable 9-5 job until the dot-com bubble burst. When he lost his job, it seemed like the perfect time to make a store a reality.
There is fun and inspiration everywhere you look in the small space. Numbers and letters, flash cards, classroom charts, anatomical models, glove molds, posters, bus destination blinds, laboratory beakers. Danish modern/50s/60s lamps, tables, chairs, vases, dishes. Amornrit sells what he loves.
He first bought gas price numbers, and when people told him how cool they were, he sold them at flea markets and to shops, and then he kept buying what he liked. Although he says he buys where everyone else does -- Craigslist, eBay, flea markets, garage sales -- he has an eye for the quirky and cool, and a talent for display.
I really enjoy shops that are "curated" by the owner. This collection is so individual and clearly comes from a specific aesthetic. I like the name, too!
This posting deserves some kind of award for "best first sentence."
A friend of mine used to have a medical chart of the digestive system in his kitchen. It was really kind of fun. What a cool-looking store!
great find, leslie! those glove molds are a little freaky, but i love them all the same. and the idea of an architectural firm/store all in one is a pretty intriguing idea (and HUGE undertaking)!
Oh darn! I thought this store was my little secret. I've picked up quite a few little treasures here.
Ah...the memories. I used to live 3 blocks away and remember when this store first opened. It's the perfect place to find that accent art piece to complete the room.
I miss Berkeley terribly.
Such a refreshing change from the mass production items - or those purchased in bulk at gift shows -I'm used to seeing in almost every storefront on whatever street I seem to walk down...even though those things can be really good sometimes, it's just great to know of where to find such unique, cool objects, and those that have a little history behind them as well. Thank you!