New shop for old things
- Share via
Andrew Edwards
Almost everything in Leslie Sykes’ new shop is old.
Sykes reopened Nikki Twigs, primarily an antiques store, in March.
Her new Costa Mesa digs are in a 17th Street house that was converted
into a store -- a locale that makes the old furniture and housewares
on sale look like decorations in a home.
“That’s how I wanted it to feel -- you can walk in and say ‘Wow, I
could put that in front of the fireplace,’” Sykes said.
Three years ago, Sykes and a partner ran a different store called
Nikki Twigs in Costa Mesa. That shop was open from 1999 to 2002,
Sykes said. The store was named after her business partner’s dog.
“My partner at the time wanted to combine the home and garden
thing and her pug, Nikki, was kind of our mascot,” Sykes said.
The fax machine at Sykes’ desk is one of the few modern touches at
Nikki Twigs. The store has some new merchandise, such as scented
candles and jewelry -- like the rhinestone-studded items Sykes calls
“kitty-collar bracelets.”
New artwork is also sold at the store, and paintings depicting
subjects like a bird’s nest, a sea horse and the Eiffel Tower line
Sykes’ walls. The pictures are painted on pieces of tile instead of
canvas.
Sykes also plans to use her store for such events as children’s
tea parties or Mother’s Day celebrations.
When Sykes displays her antiques, she likes to place items from
different styles next to each other to suggest eclectic options to
her customers.
Referring to an ivory-upholstered wing chair, Sykes described a
possible decorating arrangement.
“You throw it with a rusty iron shelf and a shabby-chic mantle,
and it’s just a kind of funky-but-pretty collection of different
styles,” she said.
Keeping fresh antiques in stock is a constant effort for Sykes.
She said she goes antiquing at least once a week. Her friend and
customer Cory Wanamaker accompanies Sykes on her scavenging missions
and said Sykes has a good eye for unique items.
“I will walk through and see nothing, and she will walk through
and spy the neatest stuff,” Wanamaker said.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.