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Photos by Veronica Theodoro
A holiday table featuring a festive combination of blue-hue dinnerware, crystal accents, and natural greens.
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Do you know a devoted bird-watcher? If so, this might be a welcome holiday gift for him or her.
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This charming, three-piece, salt-and-pepper shaker plus creamer set would make any hostess happy.
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This time of year, shelves are brimming with unique and affordable Christmas goodies.
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Miriam Switching Post offers an array of stemware and home accessories for every taste and budget.
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Vintage children's music boxes never go out of style.
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Long-time Miriam Switching Post volunteer Linda Estell offers tips for decorating in style this holiday season.
This Saturday, December 5, is Friends and Family Day at Miriam Switching Post (292 Hanley Industrial Court, 314-646-7737, miriamswitchingpost.com). Shoppers will receive special offers, enjoy refreshments, and caroling at one of St. Louis' first resale stores established 60 years ago. The store's new, 8,400-square-foot showroom and warehouse space in Brentwood accommodates new and gently used furniture and household items.
“People are giving back. The economy is better and people are excited about Christmas,” says Linda Estell, a volunteer for the past 15 years. Outside, at the entrance to the store, she’s styled a collection of holiday tables with items sold at the shop: festive greenery from Pottery Barn donated in its original box; holiday-theme party plates priced at $1 each; a toy sled used as a centerpiece, and lawn furniture accented with a down, silk-upholstered accent pillow for $30.
“Use what you have to play with and then add to it with pieces that you find,” she advises.
Inside the store, silverware, door wreaths, three-tiered serving trays, and china in a multitude of patterns and colors are aplenty. Tables have been decked out to inspire shoppers to think about decorating their homes with one-of-a-kind pieces found at resale stores. “Mix up two China patterns to jazz up a holiday table,” says Estell. “Make homemade cookies and leave the Christmas plate with your hostess. A bird-watcher would love this piece,” she says, picking up a wood, hand-painted decorative statue priced at $6.
The treasures keep coming: A Jim Shore decorative train set is a high collectible, notes a nearby shopper; a salt-and-pepper shaker plus creamer would make for a unique and, at $6 for the set, affordable hostess gift. “Is Mickey for sale?” asks a shopper, pointing to a brightly lit, plastic statue of the Disney character behind the checkout desk. Unfortunately, he is not, replies Estell.
Students from The Miriam School and Learning Center in Webster Groves will be at the store this Saturday for caroling from 1-3 p.m. The school is the recipient of 100 percent of the shop's sales. Last year, it contributed $370,000 to the Miriam Scholarship Fund.
