Shop Scout: Lotus Bleu

By Emily Hsieh
May 24, 2010

Packed with an alluring mix of vintage finds, Asian imports, environmentally conscious accessories, and bright, bohemian accents, Jeannie Fraise’s San Francisco-based housewares emporium, Lotus Bleu, is the real-deal, something-for-everyone design destination. The shop just moved to a substantially bigger location this spring, offering even more of Fraise’s carefully curated finds, and allowing her to transplant her interior design studio into the store’s former jewel-box size space next door.

“I’d been in a much smaller, 350 square foot space for four years, and was looking to expand,” Fraise explains. “There was always so much more furniture and rugs I wanted to showcase but didn’t have room for, so when the spot next to us opened up, adding more than 1000 square feet, I was thrilled.”

The new, light-filled space is brimming with statement-making pieces she culls from all over the world, like the lacquer lamps and vases Fraise has custom made in Vietnam (“I love the mix of French and Southeast Asian pieces, and modern with antique” she says), eco-friendly table linens by South African label Skinny La Minx, and wool felt cushions made in Kathmandu.

Recently, we caught up with Fraise to hear more about the new Lotus Bleu, her design philosophy, and her favorite finds, both new and old.

The Inside Source: I know you stock a lot of vintage in the store. Are you a big eBay shopper?

Jeannie Fraise: I am! I’m always looking for furniture to use for makeover projects and am constantly sourcing pieces for my residential clients. eBay is also great for tracking down fun, on-of-a-kind accessories like lamps or sculptures. The little things make such a big difference in a home.

TIS: What are some of the things you search for over and over?

JF: I’m big on Lucite. I use a lot of bold color and pattern when decorating, and Lucite has a cool modern look but doesn’t compete with other objects. It’s also perfect for small spaces, since it sort of disappears. I also love to look for painted faux bamboo accents with a Hollywood vibe. I import a lot of pieces from Southeast Asia for my store, and the bamboo feels similarly exotic, but is so fresh in a bright color. I also love Murano glass and use it in a ton of my work. The glass is reflective, yet has some depth to it, and the range of colors is amazing.

TIS: What are some of the keywords you’ve found most useful?

JF: Hollywood Regency, Danish, and midcentury are always good ones. To narrow it down, I plug in specific colors depending on the palette I’m going for.

TIS: Best eBay score ever?

JF: I just got some really beautiful Milo Baughman dining chairs. They’re such a gorgeous shape and the set of eight was only $300!

TIS: What’s your criteria when looking for a piece of furniture to re-fab?

JF: I look for something with really nice, interesting lines that’s made out of good wood. A lot of the midcentury pieces are done in solid teak or walnut. Often times you just need a little wax to touch up any scratches, but in cases where the wood is in bad condition or if it isn’t worth preserving, it can always be painted in a fun color. It’s really easy to do with high-gloss spray paint. There are so many beautiful shades to choose from these days, and the shiny finish makes it look like lacquer.

TIS: What are some of your favorite color combinations for spring?

JF: I love orange. I always use one or two bright colors in any space, though it has to be balanced out by a neutral like white or steel grey. Grey in particular is a great way to ground a bright. I like hot pink mixed in with chocolate brown or grey, so it doesn’t look overly girly. And we’re about to bring in a bunch of yellow and grey pieces into the store.

TIS: Favorite items in the shop right now?

JF: We stock a ton of Madeleine Weinrib’s gorgeous textiles, and I’m really into her ikat prints in particular. We also have some great wool felt accessories like placemats and fun little baskets, and they’re all eco-friendly and very contemporary. I adore wallpaper. It totally transforms a room, even if you only do it on one wall. I use it everywhere, from my own home to my office to my design projects. We have the most amazing light blue faux bois wallpaper in the store at the moment that people have been going nuts for.

Here, a taste of what caught Jeannie’s eye most recently on eBay:

1. C Jere Brass Metal Sculpture (final bid, $207.50) "In my new design studio/office adjacent to my store, I mixed vintage mid-century furniture and accessories with modern pieces. It gives a lot more character to the space. I bought a C. Jere wall sculpture and put it above my desk like the one shown here."

2. Orange Murano Glass Lamp With Gold Flecks (buy it now price, $2,250) "I have a cool vintage lamp that I spray painted orange for the top of my desk. I often use vintage Murano glass ones like the following from eBay in my projects."

3. Dorothy Draper Chest (starting bid, $229) "I created an entry area with a vintage secretary. A dresser like this Dorothy Draper Hollywood Regency one would also be cool."

4. Eqyptian White Leather Pouf (buy it now price, $74.99) "I have a great Moroccan pouf like this for extra seating to view the rugs at my store. I chose a white one so it wouldn't compete with all the bold vibrant colors of my products."

5. Eames Era Chrome Shelf Unit (buy it now price, $325) "Most of the displayware at my shop is glossy white lacquer or vintage chrome and glass."

6. Set of Six Midcentury Modern Dining Chairs (starting bid, $250) "One of the focal points of our boutique is the great collection of vintage furniture pieces we have fully refurbished with some of my favorite graphic modern prints. We refinish the pieces and rebuild them. We have several sets of fabulous dining chairs. I would take a set like the following and redo it to look like the chairs in my shop [image above]."

7. Alf Svensson Danish Modern Lounge Chair (buy it now price, $599) "We also do lots of cool lounge chairs that create a great focal point in any room. So we'd start with something like this and transform it into something like the pair of similar chairs I have in my shop [image above]."

** Images provided by Jeannie Fraise. **

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