Three friends Maggie Peterson, Carol Demkowsk and Patrick Mayberry launched the “Three Sisters” antique shop in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood in June 2008.  Separately, each had been antique enthusiasts and were looking for a project to do together.

One of the sisters stumbled upon a hidden alley store front on busy Lincoln Boulevard and the rest is history.

Their unassuming shop is like discovering an attic full of treasures.  There is plenty to look at and you could easily spend an hour sifting through the layers of finds.  The shop also features a small backyard that houses fun garden art made of iron and tile.

The shop is a blend of the partners eclectic taste featuring retro mirrors, lighting fixtures and jewelry.  I was drawn to their collection of fine antique china, lamps, dinner platters and a funky birdcage.  The entire store was a mix of vintage and new, with items coming from as far away as the East Coast.  They are also adamant about highlighting local finds, such as honey from a beekeeper in Willow Glen (hard to believe in suburban San Jose).  They also carry la Lavande soaps, a line of french triple milled soaps that make excellent hostess gifts.  I couldn’t resist bringing home a couple of bars of jasmine and lavendar soaps for myself.

They have the South Bay’s largest collection of oil cloths in every pattern and color you can imagine.  There were over 20 bolts to look at and 50 more in stock ready to be pulled out.  This hard to find, yet easy to clean, fabric can be transformed into oil cloth table cloths, aprons and bibs. Owner, Carol Demkowsk is happy to fulfill special orders for aprons and table cloths.

The entire stock changes each month, so be sure to stop by often. Patrick was just setting up the holiday ornaments when I came by and encouraged me to buy what ever caught my eye immediately. “Things go quickly,” said sister Mayberry.  I have no doubt he is right.

Three Sisters 1393 Lincoln Ave. San Jose, CA (408) 287-3720

This entry was posted on Monday, November 24th, 2008 at 7:25 am and is filed under Antiques, Home and Garden, Looki What I Found, Sheila. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.