Walking into Stella Bleu, you can’t help but stop and sigh. Everywhere you look crystal chandeliers sparkle like raindrops, antique toile settees are piled high with pastel cushions, a hint of lavender from scented soap floats gently on the air… there’s no doubt this is a woman’s domain.
“It’s definitely a very feminine, pretty store!” laughs Jeannine Foley, who co-owns this South Surrey, British Columbia, home decor shop with best friend Kelley McNamara. “We don’t necessarily specialize in girly… we just love beautiful things!”
Featuring a glamorous mix of carved antiques lovingly restored by Kelley and Jeannine, crystals on everything from lighting to pillows and Deco-inspired pieces in nickel and mirrored glass, the shop is “flirty and pretty, but modern and elegant at the same time.”
In fact, mixing and matching is as much a mandate at Stella Bleu as beauty. “We love the look of ornate antiques mixed with clean lines,” says Jeannine. “Ornate can look over the top, but bring in a lacquered piece or a textured fabric and you’ve got a modern twist.”
Hearing them chat about the store, you’d think the two women were childhood playmates, but the truth is they met just four years ago. In February 2004, a pregnant Kelley walked into her favourite decor shop, Rue Stella, where Jeannine worked, to find everything on sale—including the shop! “I knew right away I wanted to buy it, but here I was, nine months pregnant, with no retail experience,” she laughs. “I was in way over my head.”
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