A Little Bit of Shangri-La

Lovely Tea Canister in Japanese paper. 

Teapot Set in Glass and Bamboo Handle. 

Pretty Chopsticks & Ceramic Crane Chopstick Holder. 

Just Some Sweet Donuts :) 

Mini Iron Teapot (used here as paperweight.)

Silk Kimono Robe (Did you know Gwen Stefani picked up a similar one here at my friend’s shop when she was on tour in S.F. last year?!) 

Silk Jacquard Jewelry Roll. 

Handcrafted Bamboo Salad Bowl (used here as business card holder.)

Last week I made a little stop in the good ole’ San Francisco Chinatown and picked up all of these lovely goodies from my friend’s wonderful shops. She and her family runs three successful established shops in Chinatown and sells a wide selection of imported goods from all over China. They often travel to cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Canton to source the best and latest products in home decor, furniture, collectibles and knick knacks, and bring it back to people, like me, who wants to mix a little bit of ‘shangri-la’ into their homes ;)

Her three shops in Chinatown are set up similar to the Gap Inc., each one as its own individual brand.  The Old Shanghai is like the Banana Republic, The Canton Bazaar is like the Gap, and The Pekking Bazaar is like the Old Navy ~  all sells at different price points and quality in products. They also have an online store which also carries items from all of their three shops.

Here’s me walkng out with my bag of goodies :) :) :) 

Very recently, they opened a fourth branch in Petaluma, Old Shanghai Decor, which carries mostly furniture and home decor goods. I’d say this is pretty good news for the folks down in the Napa/Sonoma county, where having that bit of ‘shangri-la’ in their home is only 20 minutes away (rather than the long trek into the city!)

Since we’re all in the holiday shopping mode, can I just mention that these are all great shops to keep in mind if you’re looking for unique and budget-friendly gifts for your friends, family and co-workers. Everything I mentioned in my photos above all came out to be just a little over $100. Talk about shop sweet things, right?  

And If I can just add one more thing… these shops are also the best kept secrets for interior designers! I used to work with a few who would take walks to Chinatown just to score some real bargains for their clients. They even offer trade discount so be sure to inquire the perks for all your decorating projects!

OLD SHANGHAI 645 Grant Avenue. CANTON BAZAAR 616 Grant Avenue.  PEKKING BAZAAR 826 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, Chinatown

OLD SHANGHAI DECOR 172 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, CA.

(All images via Shop Sweet Things)