Pimlico Place

We all have that one impossible-to-shop-for person on our holiday list: the persnickety gourmand, the design snob, the fashion junkie with two overstuffed closets, the nostalgic dreamer who snubs anything mass-produced. A visit to Pimlico Place on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland will make shopping for these hard to please friends a complete joy.

There are two locations just a few steps from each other - one Pimlico shop puts focus on fashion and accessories, the other features more home furnishings, kitchenware and decor, but there is some overlap, so be sure to visit both. You'll find unique, sophisticated gifts both vintage and new, ranging from the Victorian era through art deco, mid-century and beyond.

The owner, Annette, has incomparable taste and a sharp eye for style. She travels to Europe often to go treasure-hunting for her stores. She has a strong sense for color and lighting, as both stores have a seductive ambience created by sumptuous, eye-dazzling displays, enhanced by the flattering light from the many chandeliers and lamps on offer. One chandelier in particular stopped me in my tracks, a stunning vintage piece composed of concentric rings, simple and elegant. Annette told me she hand-carried this chandelier back from Vienna. Alas, the price tag was a little high for me, but apparently they do let customers take chandeliers home and try them out for a few days before making a final decision.

Each time I go to Pimlico I see countless things that I want. Annette and her staff are welcoming, gracious and knowledgeable, so browsing is not only a pleasure and inspiration, but I often learn something new. You'll probably end up spending more than you planned because there are so many lovely and unusual things to entice you, but it's worth it. A couple of my own prized possessions were purchased at Pimlico: a small vibrant-print leather-trimmed silk purse from Brontibay Paris, and a set of silver Victorian fruit forks with knives, which we use constantly at home for appetizers, dessert or cheese.

As for those picky people on your list who seem to have it all, how about some quirky dishware adorned with fish for your foodie friends, or a set of antique knife rests made of horn. The fashionista on your gift list could definitely use some dainty gloves or shiny bangles for the season. And the vintage barware is giftable for anybody - maybe even yourself.

Piedmont Lane Antiques

One shop on Piedmont Ave. that I've passed by for years is Piedmont Lane Antiques. Whenever I was in the neighborhood this store was always closed, or I was in too much of a rush to explore it. Last Friday we were finally in sync, the shop was open and I had some time.

From what I can gather, this actually seems to be two stores conjoined and operated by two different guys (one store is a consignment shop), but the boundaries of the actual stores seem blurred. Between the two, there is a wide variety of treasures to choose from including art, furniture, vintage clothing and kitchenware. The upstairs is a sort of studio with mostly paintings for sale.

Some things that caught my eye: an old cabinet filled with antique printer's type setting blocks, colorful Bakelite jewelry, a faux crocodile handbag, a set of little ersatz wood cocktail trays with individual mini-ashtrays (something straight from Mad Men), a big pile of magazines from the 50's. At first the croc bag was calling to me, but it needed a bit too much repair. Instead I took home a large apple-shaped cookie jar, I think made of aluminum and painted a happy shade of yellow that I love. Not sure what to put in it - maybe it could hold ice.

Piedmont Fabric

Piedmont Avenue in Oakland is a wonderful little district for strolling, and offers almost everything you might need on a shopping day during the holiday season: upscale groceries for your festivities, wine, flowers, stationery, and unusual gifts. The other day as I browsed and wandered from shop to shop, I stepped in to a couple of old favorites such as Pimlico Place and Piedmont Stationers, and discovered a couple of new ones, like Piedmont Fabric.

Piedmont Fabric first attracted me with its storefront - there was a cute tote bag made from colorful fabric in the display. I stepped in and discovered unexpectedly fresh fabric designs, ribbon and other sewing supplies in every nook of this small store. I don't sew (I pretty much gave up after a frustrating childhood of making really hideous clothes for my dolls), but this store makes me want to learn how. The buyers at this boutique-y little shop really have a great eye, and I was dazzled by the array of trendy color and designs. I noticed many prints with a vintage feel, and a very nice selection of Japanese fabrics - designs that felt authentic, not your annoyingly cliche geisha girls or dragons.

The friendly staff were happy to let me take photos for my blog, so I went crazy. I love the adorable little owl quilt that hung on their wall (unfortunately my photo came out blurry). Go check out the store for yourself, you're bound to find something to inspire you. Then, go for a bite of pizza at Dopo or try tapas and a cocktail at Cesar.

Salviati Glassware

Megan gave me this stunning set of Salviati glasses a couple of years ago, and this Thanksgiving I finally decided to stop hoarding them and brought them out for use. The box itself is so beautiful, encasing a set of six shot glasses, each with a different pattern etched into it, tiny works of art. Obviously perfect for an icy vodka.

YUBZ Retro Handset for Cell Phones

Does wanting this device for my cell phone prove I’m a geek? Maybe this Yubz retro handset has been around all this time and I’m just oblivious, but I just saw it the other day at a shop in Rockridge. I suppose it’s not terribly compact, but it still works for me because I use the phone so little. Great colors, too. I love the idea of walking down the street talking on one of these.

Klean Kanteen

Finally, I’ve solved my unhealthy plastic bottled water problem – I found this awesome stainless steel bottle on sale at Cowgirl Creamery the other day. They had other brands of reusable, eco-friendly containers, but I was instantly drawn to this particular one from Klean Kanteen. So many things I like about it: the design, the color, the lightweight 27 oz. size, the cap, and the width of the mouth, which is wide enough to accommodate ice cubes. Do you know what that means? That’s right, portable cocktails.

Klean Kanteens are available in six colors, several different caps and accessories to choose from, and four sizes, the smallest in a cute little 12 oz. for baby.

Steampunk Laptop

This magnificent gadget is on my list of things to buy if I won the lottery. Jules Verne would have used such a laptop, if computers existed in his time. I love the details on this particular machine, such as the speakers disguised as F-holes, or how you need to turn the antique clock-winding key to turn it on (a video shows this mechanism in action).

I asked Richard Nagy, the creator of this wonderful laptop, how long it took to make and he said about two months. He’s not sure how much he’d charge, but he’s planning on creating a small batch of laptops at an even more refined level soon. Check out his other cool creations on his site, Datamancer.

Lost Art Salon

I’m doing a lot of fantasy shopping lately, since I’m broke and can’t actually buy anything. I’ve been wanting to personally visit the Lost Art Salon in SF, but vowed not to go until I can afford a purchase. I just love how their studio is set up. But if I were to go today, I’d choose this lovely turquoise glass pitcher, and this watercolor by artist M.J. Wong. There are many things to like about this painting: the vibrant color, the unusual composition, that somewhat ominous strand of firecrackers in the upper corner, the chic retro hairdo, but most of all, the woman’s gigantic hand in the foreground. Intrigued, I inquired with Rob and Gaetan, owners of the Salon, and they told me that M.J. Wong was a San Francisco artist in the 50's and 60's.

Lost Art Salon has a collection of over 3,000 original works from the Modern Era, many of them affordable. Only a portion of their collection is featured on their site. I think part of the charm of these works of art from the early to mid 20th century is that they give you the feeling of coming upon lost treasures tucked away in somebody’s attic – some of which may turn out to actually be rare finds that are worth some bucks. Some are mysterious pieces of someone’s personal history of not-too-long-ago. And ultimately, art is about what speaks to you personally, not how other people value it.

Imaginary Foundation T-Shirts

On a current Boing Boing post I came across a reference to something called the Imaginary Foundation, so of course I couldn’t resist looking up something with a name like that. After some time perusing this foundation’s site, I have yet to figure out what it is that they do, other than some sort of unexplained “experimental research on new ways of thinking and the power of the imagination,” as well as create some very cool T-shirts. Here are a couple on my wish list. You can also sign up to receive imaginary transmissions.