Meet Shawn Meaux of Neo Vintage Decor in Melrose Avenue

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Meaux.

Shawn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have a split personality–professionally speaking. In addition to being a business professional with a career spanning over 25 years in retail, merchandising, advertising/marketing, finance and entertainment production, I am also with a self-taught decorator & event planner with a great eye, a passion for amazing design and an appreciation for vintage furniture.

My design career began in Chicago while working at Merrill Lynch. A wealthy client who liked my style asked me design his condo. I partnered with a more knowledgeable designer friend of mine and a designer was born. After moving to Los Angeles in 2000, I continued to design interiors, working for friends and their friends. I started an online side-business to sell excess inventory in 2008 evolved into a full-on business, Neo Vintage Decor. After winning an Architectural Digest Contest for Creative Use of Fabric in 2010, I continued designing/decorating for new and repeat residential and commercial clients and a design business quickly flourished.

Neo Vintage Decor quickly developed and grew into a brick and mortar retail stop. The showroom opened on Melrose Av. in late 2011 to designers, private and celebrity clients, then opened to the public in Spring 2012. I was also one of the initial partners in the One Kings Lane Vintage and Market Finds site and have online stores at Chairsh and Omera Home. I describe my style as “neo-vintage,” and loves mixing different styles from different periods to achieve a personal, well-traveled look that feels like it has been collected over time. This business venture is a labor of love and the culmination of inane passion, inner drive and a multitude of skills honed throughout my professional career.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like with any meaningful journey, it has been a path full of hills, valleys, potholes and smooth straightaways. Being a novice and self-taught has been a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that I didn’t have any preconceived misconceptions or bad habits to correct and approached it with unbridled enthusiasm. A curse in that I had to learn everything from the beginning, not just the design side, but the starting and building a business side as well. There is a steep learning curve. Having a foundation in corporate business and personnel management has helped me tremendously. Having a business plan and a proper understanding of what all is involved in running a business is also key.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Neo Vintage Decor – what should we know?
Neo Vintage Decor is a design showroom specializing in vintage furniture, artwork and accessories from different periods in different styles and finishes. Some items are sold in original/as is condition while others have been refinished, re-stuffed and reupholstered to like new condition. Open to professionals and civilians alike, the shop has become a curated resource for great vintage furniture, decorative accessories and original artwork.

The showroom is a mix of styles, colors, textures and finishes from a wide swath of time periods and serves as an inspiration for showing how you can mix styles and designs to create a look that is uniquely personal that tells your story. Your home decor should be an extension of you and your personality. It tells the story how you live your life now, in the present moment.

My creativity, my artistic eye and my point of view informs every decision made for the store from buying to selling and everything in between. I have lived in various regions of the country and appreciate the design differences, preferences and individuality that exists all over the U.S. and the world. Having worked in a number of industries in a number of roles has given me a broad foundation on which to build a business that has been both sustainable and metamorphic.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Because being an entrepreneur was a new role for me, when I started this venture, I sought counsel and legal advice from friends who have launched successful businesses and/or practiced law. They were a great sounding board and helped in filing all of the necessary paperwork to form an S corp, to applying for all of the proper permits and licenses, to lease contract negotiations. You don’t know what you don’t know, so knowing someone who has done it before and knows the process made navigating my journey much easier.

Contact Info:

• Address: 6053 Melrose Avenue
• Website: www.neovintagedecor.com
• Phone: 310-261-4235
• Email: meauxdesigns@yahoo.com
• Instagram: @neovintagedecor
• Facebook: Neo Vintage Decor
• Twitter: dominomagazine
• Yelp: Neo Vintage Decor
• Other: www.chairish.com/shop/neovintagedecor

Image Credit:
Chairish

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