BEHIND BOHÈME

Spotlight on Sarah Shabacon
We’ve adored Sarah’s style for years ~ from mixing vintage accessories with her Spell, to her creative eye and the way she captures the little details of her everyday life to her worldwide travels. There’s just something about Sarah that has you slowing down, and soaking it all in ~ her feed is an aesthetic.

We escaped to Arizona with Sarah last year and fell for her desert styling take on Spell. Now, we catch up with Sarah at home, find out all the details of what’s on Sarah’s {Pinterest dreamy!} shelves and go behind her business Bohème Goods.

When someone asks you ‘what do you do’ ~ how do you sum that up?
I collect and sell vintage and all the good bits in between. 

Share the story behind Bohème Goods… Let’s start from the beginning, where did your love for collecting begin? 
I grew up in a family of collectors, my grandad was a military collector who travelled the world and sold to several famous museums and my Gigi had a 20 foot closet filled with the most incredible wardrobe. She ballroom danced and so feathers and silk and some seriously avant garde pieces were what made up my childhood (and teen) fantasies. 

What gave you the drive to create Bohème Goods, how did it all come to be, and any words of advice?
Funnily enough I started bohème as a means to an end of my busy days selling online. I was unhappy running my old company even after achieving a milestone of selling to free people and having offers from mentors to help me grow it further but alas my heart just wasn’t in it. I was spending more time thrifting than designing new styled so it felt like a simple change of pace because I didn’t expect the vintage I found to become so coveted. About 2 months into selling vintage I realized it was my calling and felt second nature to me. I closed my old shop and and at 23 I registered my new business ! As far as advice, trust your gut and provide the best customer service you can. The majority of my customers are all repeat and being able to build relationships with your customers is the coolest thing!

How would you describe your style? From your wardrobe to your home…
I’d have to say our family is drawn towards texture and soft shades that you can find out in nature, hues that are naturally occurring. We aren’t fans of bright primary colours as they’re not as soothing as neutrals or more muted hues. I don’t put much thought into matching since mostly all we own pairs well. There’s definitely days were out and someone makes a comment about how cute it is that we’re matching but it’s only then that I realize we are and also find it so funny that when children aren’t covered in head to toe cartoon characters or gender typical colours, it seems like an oddity to some adults!

Where do you find inspiration for your style?
Most of my inspiration comes from Instagram if we’re being completely honest. I follow a wide spread of fashion labels, artists, vintage decor pages and really beautiful curated pages and I take little pieces I love from each of them and they become engrained in my memory so when I’m picking out a new knit sweater and see a soft pink and tan shade, it will remind me of this magical stone stool I saw a designer post. Everything is connected and intertwined and I feel lucky that I don’t have to overthink my choices when it comes to style because I only care if I find something beautiful when deciding what to wear or a purchase for our home.

What is your favourite space in your home?
Our bedroom! It’s almost entirely white and very simple and it’s where the whole family spends mornings in bed on the weekends (the dog too, sorry Ryan!)

Your most-loved accessory?
My solid gold moon face pendant from Cleopatra's bling. I swim in it, bathe in it, it’s always on. My sons love to twirl it in their hands and feel the texture and it’s something I imagine them remembering about me when I’m gone. 

What is the most treasured item in your home? And tell us the story behind this piece…
I’d been dreaming of purchasing a large Moroccan pot but shipping something of that size would have been the price of our mortgage so when I stumbled on one a few hours away for a good deal we all jumped in the car and crossed the border to America to buy it. The man it came from said he and his wife brought it home from Morocco in the 60’s and when they bought it then, it was already very old. It’s beautiful and worn and stands tall in our home and it also triggers the memory of our last minute road trip so mummy could buy a giant vase haha

We’re wowed by your art piece for your boys ~ where are some of these treasures from, and what does such a beautiful sentimental piece mean for you to create and for your boys to have forever?
Thank you!!! Memor Studio creates such sentimental and aesthetically unique pieces so when I heard she could create a custom vase, I began collecting all our trinkets from our travels, charms and special tokens from grandparents and shipped them to her in America. They each have their own that I hope they cherish as much as I do when they’re grown men with families of their own and can share the stories that are woven into the vases with their families. 

Top tips for where to shop for your home?
I love Etsy if you’re searching for something particular. There are so many amazing treasures to be found on there. I bought a 1960’s Maurer Uchiwa Fan Lamp on there and that was something I never imagined I’d own. There’s always something special. Craigslist (Canadian equivalent of Gum Tree) can also be a trove of great pieces.