Remnants on Main Antiques &
Collectibles offers shopping wonderland

October 02, 2015
Santa Paula News

“Inspire – Create – Restore” are the watchwords of Remnants on Main Antiques & Collectibles where lovers of the unique and unusual — from fun fedoras for Fido to functional industrial art — are finding a wonderland of shopping.

Officially opened with a ribbon-cutting at the September Cruise Nite, during the evening hundreds of people visited the store after admiring the window display featuring Jet Sweep and other vintage pedal cars as well as an ample sampling of what can be found inside. 

With Halloween drawing near owner Racquel Taylor is featuring spooky fun and vintage merchandise perfect for decorating everyone’s haunted house among the thousands of items for sale at the store, located at 944 E. Main St.

Taylor wants people not only to find that perfect item whether antique or new at her store but also to find inspiration with and from their perfect treasures.

A veteran of the antique and collectibles business in various locations Taylor is particularly pleased that the shop allows her to stay close to her Santa Paula home and children; her husband Brandon is an Oxnard firefighter whose works of industrial art, particularly lighting, have already gained a following. 

Remnants on Main has plenty of space in the building formerly occupied by the Santa Paula Times. 

“I always wanted a place on Main Street,” she said and once the building was leased, “We just covered the windows up and started painting…my husband is very handy and he created the spaces,” for her own merchandise as well as featured vendors, including Shaggy Chic Dog Boutique; animals are welcome to shop with the owners at Remnants.

Taylor also has space filled with other treasures at the Agoura Antique Mall. 

“Brandon does industrial type lamps,” and is so handy that Taylor said if her husband, “Can’t fit it or renovate it to brand new he’ll custom make it for you!”

The two decided an old washing machine should be repurposed to become a display case primarily featuring items related to laundry rooms, just one example of the fun sense of decorating you’ll find. 

Whether it’s furniture, clocks, clothing, patio décor, porcelain, birds, linens, shelving, dolls, dried flowers, paintings, murals, scooters, tea pots, china, plaques, figurines, books, crocks or photographers you’ll find it at Remnants on Main — and much more!

“I always had been into interior design,” which led Racquel to visit estate sales where she discovered she had a natural imagination for ways of revamping and redecorating space and stuff, evident in the store where everything has its perfect place that complements its surroundings.  

It wasn’t a surprise: when Racquel was about 7 years old she started down the vintage path with her mother, visiting flea markets, thrift stores and estate sales in her native Riverside.

Now surrounded by vintage toys, kitchen items, stools, metal signs, advertising art, fine lace and, well, just about everything Taylor is delighted to be open on Main Street.

“It just makes me happy to go in there!” she said of the shop.

“I joined the Chamber of Commerce and I’m hoping to promote Santa Paula, I definitely want to help put us on the map. I definitely want people to come into the shop and feel something, that’s my goal, that something really touches someone,” from peddle cars evoking childhood or 120-year-old illustrated French books. 

And, if by any chance Remnants doesn’t have what you crave, “Let me know and leave me your contact information…I’ll find it for you,” 

Taylor said, “We have a lot of Santa Paula items and memorabilia…we love Santa Paula, love our neighbors. And some of the items I buy are related to Santa Paula,” including a scrapbook with “tiny photos” from the 1920s including children in Halloween costumes trick or treating that Taylor suspects are local. 

“Another photo is one of a woman packing lemons at Teague-McKevett…I blew that one up, I’m really trying to promote Santa Paula.”

She has no typical customer other than “Someone who gets it and enjoys it, people who love decorating and love their environment and know quality pieces…”

People much like Taylor herself who is balancing the business, three children and an often-absent fireman husband, although she notes, “I have a great team, I couldn’t do it without them and Brandon. He enjoys Remnants also…he’s a real artist!

Taylor’s own taste is all encompassing and she has no particular favorite item but she notes with a display of vintage typewriters, “I just show people what they can do with things, inspire them to create and restore things to realize what they can do with an old beat-up door or frame. I love it all, I even love the displays,” that hold the merchandise.

“Some things are not for sale,” but Taylor will take names of those interested in display pieces in case she decides to sell them later.

Taylor is always on the lookout for “quality merchandise, we have only quality pieces” and she is willing to meet by appointment other pros or those that have something nice they are interested in selling.   

“I prefer that people send a photo first,” prior to making an appointment as time must be set aside to consider purchases. 

Remnants on Main offers gift certificates and layaway as well as delivery service; it is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (later for special Downtown events such as Cruise Nite), closed Monday. Phone is 805-204-6292.

For more information visit the Remnants on Main Antiques & Collectibles Facebook page or visit www.remnantsonmain.com





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