I’VE SHOPPED COUNTLESS antique shops in my life.
Looking toward the front of Pearl Button Primitives.
But never have I seen one as artistically inclined as Pearl Button Primitives in downtown Waseca.
A candy display rack repurposed.
Shopping here is like perusing an art gallery or perhaps a museum curated by someone with an artistic flair.
This setting seems the perfect prompt for a story.
I expect that’s because Justine Meyer possesses an educational background in art. It shows in the way she artfully arranges merchandise in snippet scenes that catch the eye.
A backdrop of vintage magazine pages create visual interest.
Afghans and quilts brighten walls. Vintage ads and magazine pages make for unique merchandise backdrops. Rows of 45 rpm vinyl records precisely arranged on a wall appear pop art style. A vintage suitcase holds Carolyn Keene’s The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, Zane Grey’s Nevada and other old books. Plastic magnetic letters—the type my kids once plastered to the front of the fridge—provide a visual pop of color in a chest of drawers. I wonder whether my eldest would appreciate one of the maps splayed across the wall.
The back room.
There’s so much to take in here that I really needed more than the 20 minutes I wandered through the shop on a recent Saturday afternoon. But Justine and crew (friends are part of the business, too) were already plucking up merchandise that had been hauled out back for an alley garage sale when I arrived late. They are clearing out, making way for new stuff and promise more such sales. I figured I best not linger too long.
Beautiful setting just makes me want to scoop up these dishes.
Pearl Button Primitives describes itself as “an eclectic mix of antiques and primitives; featuring vintage jewelry & buttons, linens, architectural salvage, furniture, pottery, and other gathered treasures all lovingly displayed.”
Quirky.
In the tight space of this shop, antiques and collectibles abound. Quirky doll heads with open and shut eyes remind me of my favorite childhood doll.
It takes an artist’s eye to pair this coat with this afghan. Textures and contrast of color make this work.
Milk bottles and vintage jewelry pins and wash tubs and dainty floral hankies and dishes and a lovely coat and so much more draw my interest.
Repetition and simplicity. Perfect.
But it is the artsy displays, the attention to detail, the obvious time and care invested here which most impress me.
There’s something about this portrait of a determined, defiant woman with an attitude that I love.
This shop makes a memorable imprint. Just like the “Woman with an attitude,” as I’ve dubbed the hands-on-hips woman in a portrait showcased at the front of the store. Love that painting.
The narrow space that connects the front of the shop to the back.
Love this shop.
FYI: Pearl Button Primitives, 206 N. State Street, Waseca, is open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, but not year-round. Best check before you visit. Click here to reach the shop’s website and here to reach the Facebook page. Phone: 507-461-1648.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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