Back in My Hometown

Right before we left for this little summer vacation, I was just starting to come out of a decorating rut. I had been feeling stuck for a little bit, not too sure what I wanted to do or how much I wanted to do, but after two weeks away, I've been feeling much more inspired. We've seen and done so much, but one stop in particular had me feeling ready to get back to our home and decorate. While I have been here, in my hometown of Whitby, I just HAD to stop by Michael Penney's store Penney & Co.

I've actually popped in for two visits already. The first was on a Tuesday afternoon, right when he was getting all kinds of new accessories in, and the second was on Saturday, once everything was unpacked and looking really gorgeous. Michael was so friendly and I really enjoyed chatting with him about so much. Both times I left with a couple of little things (of course I could've brought home everything in the store, but I think it would've been really pricey to ship it all). 

Here's a few photos from our first visit (keep in mind he was in the midst of unpacking a ton of boxes and moving things all over the place)...

Loving: The bird and floral prints hung over the sofa, all of the gorgeous throw pillows, and the cards from Rifle Paper Co. on the wall behind the shelves. A card came home with me on each visit.

Velvet sofa, gorgeous throw pillows and those blue and white lamps - what's better than that? (At this point I'm pretty sure Halle was busy rearranging and restyling the paper napkins on the shelves. She entertained herself with those the entire time we were there). 

It was during that first visit to Michael that I told him how excited I was to see a store with some serious staying power pop up in downtown Whitby. If you've been following Michael's blog at all, you've seen some of his other posts about the beauty that exists in Whitby. Though I have moved away (far away now), it will always be home and always hold great memories for me. 

Here's the photos from our second visit when Michael had worked his magic and laid out a ton of his beautiful, new accessories...

How gorgeous are these blue glass bowls and cake plates? The prices were fantastic too, but I knew that getting them back home without breaking them, and then justifying the purchase to B, would be a difficult thing to do right now, so I let them be.

These goblets are so pretty, and they came in a lovely green as well. Let me tell you I was shocked to find out they were actually plastic, and at $7 a piece, they are a perfect addition to your next outdoor dinner party!

Do you see the price tag on that pretty white bowl Yup - only $8! 

A beautiful rainbow of candles! My favourites were those pretty dip-dyed one's. What a nice hostess gift those would make!

This chair had to be my favourite piece in the store. It's an older chair that Michael recovered in that beautiful fabric. If I could, I would bring it home and decorate a whole new room for Halle, just around this chair. 

So there you have it, a recent look at the lovely Penney & Co. If you are in the area (or even the GTA), I highly recommend you swing by. He not only sells all of the beautiful furniture and accessories, he is also taking on clients. I may have got a little peek at some very lovely fabrics he'll be using in a client's home soon. I hope we get to see some photos of that finished room!

So, are you dying to get to his store yet? Let me tell you, I'm already looking forward to going back next month, when I'm in town, to see what's new!