New Favorite Decor Book ... "a life less ordinary"

I went to my local discount book store and
found my latest and newest favorite decor book
interiors and inspirations 
by
Zoe  Ellison and Alex Legendre
Photographs by Richard Boll
On the southern coast of England in the lovely seaside town of Brighton
is a wonderful lifestyle store called i gigi general store.  
The founders of this little
decor paradise are Zoe Ellison and Alex Legendre.

Why the name Igigi?  Zoe's mother came across the word in an obscure
book .... the Igigi were the gods of the skies and the earth in
Mesopotamian mythology but mostly, the ladies liked 
it's sound and the word's simple shape.

Igigi was initially set up by Zoe but three months after she
started her shop,  Alex walked through the door looking for a
part-time job.  She brought a retail background with her knowledge of
 antiques and flea markets while Zoe had experience of 
retailing fashion and accessories from her mother.
The i gigi general store is the extension of the life that both women want
to live each day.  They both love working in their store
working with customers to find that special gift or helping
someone who is redesigning a room in their home and
looking for the special pieces or accents.  Some days,
cooking and food ideas will inspire them for their
inside store cafe.


 When I noticed the book on the shelf and picked it up to have a
quick look, out slipped a pretty envelop and card.  Little surprises
inside the book.  What I most love about this book are not
only the wonderful photographs but also a story of two
women following their dream and passions each day.
 The fonts of the book look like they have been typed by an old
Smith-Corona and the pages have wonderful details like the above
sheet of paper looking as if it has been folded ... an
old letter perhaps. 
This is one of the rooms in their store, i gigi.
The girls say that the shelves are their canvas,
and the furniture their backdrop.
The book also takes us into both Zoe
and Alex's home to see how they have 
decorated their private spaces.  What a treat
for us to see how these two ladies have
made their homes an inspirational space.

Their trademark color palette are muted,
earthy tones which allows them to display
most unlikely objects together.
This vintage over sized costume jewelry
brooch with it's beautiful patina and
glitter would look lovely on
a dress or jacket.
This is the washroom from Alex's home.
She used a Victorian pine desk as her sink surround
and used the vintage cheese boxes to store
her bathroom paraphernalia.  She combines both
fresh and dried flowers in ceramic pitchers.
 This is one of my favorite photographs ...
vintage ivory beads are draped over an Italian
mercury glass mirror.
What a beautiful patina!

I was so fortunate to find this book at such a great
price as it was published this year.   It has inspired
me to try some new ideas in my own home and
also incorporate their color palette into some
new painted pillows.

Julia Cameron was right to encourage us to
take ourselves out for what she calls Artist's Dates.
To open up our eyes outside our own environment
can be so inspirational to expanding our own outlook on life.


Priscilla Mae Pillows

This is a sold pillow of a lady I painted
based on the play and movie "The Women."
This is Crystal, one of the most
colorful characters in the group ..
she's the mistress who works behind
the perfume counter at Saks. 
Priscilla Mae Etsy Store


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