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Marin native opens pop-up shop in Bon Air shopping center

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Marin native opens pop-up shop in Bon Air shopping center

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Marin native Nicole Whalen McConnell, atop an antique French wicker trunk, sits near a wall of vintage and antique silver in her new shop. (Photo by Evangeline Lieu)

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Move over, minimalism! New traditional is on trend.

You’ll find it on full display every month at McConnell Design (booth No. 66) at the French Market Marin’s outdoor market in San Rafael, and now at the beautifully curated pop-up store that recently opened at Bon Air Center in Greenbrae. It will stay open through at least the end of the year.

It’s where hand-selected, high-quality antique and vintage items — defined by classic, clean lines — and silver-plated flatware, silver trays, candlesticks, napkin rings and water pitchers make their way to the homes of enthusiastic customers.

There are also European dishes, some glassware, vintage Tunisian vessels and bowls and charcuterie boards made of ancient olive wood.

“We source our products primarily from the United States and Europe,” says Nicole Whalen McConnell, the owner and creative lead of McConnell Design. “I try to remember to look for items I would want in my own home.”

And, while these pieces appeal to a wide cross-section of generations and budgets, the profile of McConnell Design’s typical customer might be a surprise.

“Our core customer is young and, frankly, trendy,” says the third-generation Marin native. “They are learning to value quality over quantity and looking to older pieces to reclaim some of what we have lost in our modern-day lives.”

McConnell sees a large movement back to valuing quality items, like the ones she offers.

“Antiques are an art form, made with care, creativity and attention to detail that’s rarely found today,” she says. “They are also pieces that can be passed down through generations and generally retain their value over time better than new items.”

McConnell, an economics student in college, found herself immersed in a beauty niche on social media as a career until she burned out.

“I was tired of the glorification of mass consumption, low-quality products and what felt like a lack of authenticity,” she says. “Although I always loved antique and vintage items, my personal style took a turn to a more classic, traditional style with an emphasis on quality.”

She enjoyed designing spaces and, as she redecorated her home during the pandemic, she sold the pieces she no longer needed on her Instagram account, @mcconnelldesign.

“Not only were the items I sold extremely popular, but I would get constant questions about everything in the room, who my designer was, who installed my wallpaper and so on,” she says.

People responded to her design aesthetic of combining timeless, refined pieces with newer ones, and her focus on softness, that felt approachable and comfortable for the modern lifestyle.

She was “shocked and honored by the level of interest in my design services,” she says, and soon began accepting residential design projects. She now has a waiting list.

Her take on tradition is elevated and fresh in a modern vernacular, or as she calls it, the “new traditional.”

“I love creating spaces that exist between casual and formal, that include formal elements like fine antiques, silver and other elements, but feel welcoming and comfortable where people feel like they can pull up a chair and stay for a while, surrounded by warmth and comfort,” she says.

Like the furnishings and accessories she sells, she says her home design aesthetic also speaks to a range of people, regardless of age, project size or budget, but especially to younger clients who may be going through exciting life stages.

“I love that I get to work with young people buying their first homes, getting engaged and married, having children,” she says. “It makes sense that during these milestones they want to make changes to their homes to reflect a new chapter and it’s been such a joy and privilege to be part of that.”

She credits her mother, who “always had a beautifully furnished and styled home” and “prioritized quality and timeless styles,” with influencing her design eye, but “I think my design aesthetic is a reflection of who I am,” she says.

Prices range from $1 for a vintage matchbook to thousands for fine antique European furniture.

“Our prices are for everyone,” she says. “I really work to keep pricing as fair and accessible as possible while maintaining a high standard for quality.”

And, with the holidays coming up, the store carries things that would make great holiday and entertaining gifts, she says.

“Our vintage wine coasters ($45 to $115) are especially popular as gifts and I also think our ancient olive wood charcuterie boards ($42) would make an excellent host gift,” she says. “You could even combine it with some of our silver plate spreaders and cocktail forks, which start at $10. We love helping customers find special gifts.”

• Details: McConnell Design is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 150 Bon Air Center in Greenbrae. For more information, go to McConnell-design.com or email
hello@mcconnell-design.com.

Show off

If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin home, I’d love to know about it.

Please send an email describing either one (or both), what you love most about it and a photograph or two. I will post the best ones in upcoming columns. Your name will be published and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O. Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.

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