Ok folks!
I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a name for the shop!
I will be keeping Time Worn Interiors for our show name,
but would like something new and French for the shop name!
Yes, I will be selling some French things that I've collected here and there.
And I'm planning a trip to France next year
so I can hang out with one of my best friends there!
So, my idea is......to get some ideas from you all!
I've had many, many ideas, thanks Jackie,
but most of the time that name is being used my someone else.
The name I'm sorta thinking of right now.......
Maison de Deux Onze
House at 211
The address to the store is 211 Main St.
Not sure what the prize will be yet,
but I'll make sure it's something good!
Just leave me your name idea for the store in French
and please, oh please tell me what it means in English!
I am even open to some English names for those of you that don't like French.
If I choose your name for the store the prize is yours!
I think I have over worked my brain trying to come up with something new!
So, if you've got the time and any ideas I would love to hear them!
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49 comments:
In my opinion if you are going to use a french name you should try to keep it to one word. Often people are uncomfortable with long names that they have to struggle to pronounce. Sorry I have not inspired ideas at the moment but I'm sure you will get some great ones.
I always thought if I opened a store I would call it:
Réminiscence Vieux, Old Reminiscence
or, in English, Early Reminiscence since old things always brings back memories of other times, other places.
I love your blog, Theresa, and have been lurking for a very long time. In fact, somewhere in a box, I still have your spread from CL. I cannot wait to drive down and see your store! Best of luck, and I know whatever name you come up with, it will perfectly reflect what you collect and share with us...
Laura.
Time Worn interiors in French
Intérieurs du Temps Porté. But it might be a bit hard to say.
Another thought is: you don't want to lose the your establish customers by changing your name. The reason I say this is so people just don't get change. I had a retail store that I moved 2 blocks down the street. Everyone of my mailing list was notified, signs left on the door, ad run the the local newspaper, yet months and even a year or two later an old customer would stumble in and say "I wondered what had happened to you". Some never found me. Of course I had new customers, but it would have been nice to have retained the old ones too.
I totally agree with Imperfections.
You want to keep it simple for those who don't know or speak french.
I am worried you would eliminate your clients by them not being able to pronounce it or search it online.
AMy
I was so busy looking at the store, I didn't think much about a name. My store is in old buildings and I love it. As I looked at yours, I could see the old brick peeking through. My building is brick, but over the years some knucklehead stuccoed over the brick! I would love to see it brick again. I wish you the best in your new endeavor.
Take care, Sue
I know no French at all :( so I am USELESS to you in that regard! But I am SO excited for you and can't wait for all the wonderfulness you are going to experience!
Lou Cinda
You said the building used to be a bank.....
French for 'the bank' is 'la banque' so that got me thinking to calling your store "Banquet" it gets to still be a bank but with a french twist and would be easy to say and remember.
x
Hey girlfriend! Oh dear I will be pondering this all day...You know how obsessed I can get when I grab onto something...
My first thought is I LOVE your idea and the sound of it but when googled there are a zillion maison- somethings and the rest may be difficult to pronounce for some and you don't want to be the store that people say "you know the store no one can pronounce" which of course is silly but we're dealing with realities here...so I shortened to Maison 211.
Francophiles might not be offended..lol
So then I thought - simplify
the core is ... things from france or of french origin
simple words, easy to remember, pronounce, yet still definitely French..
de la France "of France" easy for USA"ers to pronounce and understand but it would always be pronounced in English, not what you want...scrap that
then I wanted to connect your past and present and came up with "timeless French" or Francais Intemporel...or shortened to just the word timeless in french ...Intemporel ...but would anyone have a clue? It has to convey who and what you are. Of course who would ever think APPLE is about computers...
"temps porte'" ? time worn...... connection to past and present business
then I realized I was late for an appt YIKES..
so..I'll ponder some more...now my brian hurts..
luv ya gal..it'll come, perhaps on the long drive to show?
xxx
z
Well I know no French so I cant help u much with the name.....but I did want to thank you for the post on those darn dish towels, I was at Target by 830 and got all 10 of those suckers for the shop! Adamdorable things they are! I will give you a blog shout out on my next post for introducing me to these dolls! Have a great weekend! Hugs, Janna
Toujours is a French adverb that means,
"Always, Anyway, Any How, At Least and Still”
sooo ---
Toujours Two Eleven
How about "Maison De Le Temps"?
Yay! I love the going to France portion of the post!!!!! I'll email you some names :)
Wow!
So much excitement!
But I am really lovin' what the Z suggested...that is if you change you it!
I too have had problems with clients and customers not being able to comprehend a name or location change. As long a realize might loose them...I like using your existing name in french
hugs from here
Donna
I like Votre Havre Francais. It means Your French Haven.
I hope you like it. What a fun contest !
Kristen
searchforgod@yahoo.com
What about time worn interiors in french? OR the time worn home or something similar?
I was thinking that a french name would be too hard for some people. Also think that "Maison" is everywhere nowadays. For some reason I like "vieille mais belle" which means "old but beautiful" and pronounced (viei me bell)or "buckets of rust" "buckets and rust" Or "lots of rust" "beaucoup de rouille" which is pronounced (beucop de ruy)sigh, I could go on and on and on. Good luck choosing the name.
XXX Ido
You have such a following with Time Worn Intereiors. I wouldn't change a thing. Why mess with perfection.
However, if you do decide to change it anyway, let me say this. As a business owner who has moved locations, unless you are buying the building, I would not use the address in your name. You may move one day, and then the name stops making sense.
Miss you!
Liz
I love Shabbily By the Seas idea,
easy to say, love the play on words. Wish I had thought of it...:)
As a woman of faith, I believe our words and our names have more substance and power than we even know, after all, our God spoke all things into existence.
That being said, how about something affirming, like
"Ca Va Bien" Literally meaning "It Goes Well," and it's pronounced "Sah Vah Bee En"
It would be like proclaiming a little blessing every time someone spoke it. The C has a little flourish on the bottom of it that makes it sound like "s."
That's my 2c (or euros) worth!
-Revi
Theresa, I really like using the address in the name. But given some people's comments, how about just... Maison 211?
How about:
La Maison Grise (The Gray House)
Anita
i think you should go with simply.... two eleven (in lower case).
my french is very rusty. but two eleven in english would be catchy. a shop in upper Michigan used the street address and i always thought that was so chic.
at any rate, i wish you the very best on this new venture.
Tilda
I got nuttin' honey , so I vote for Maison 211 as well! :)
Blessings~
what fun! how bout "Chez 211." "Chez" means "at the home of".
I like Chez 211 and Maison 211 the best so far. People could remember it. What about keep your name, Time Worn Interiors, but maybe adding a fleur de lis as part of the branding? You could incorporate into the logo and on the door?
You got some wonderful suggestions here. I suppose TICK OFF TOT is out?;>) Can't wait to see this up and running! xo Diana
Oh I can't wait to see how wonderful it will be. I have two suggestions, how about the simple word 'Oui'. Or perhaps a word that means some thing to do with family since your daughter is joining you.
Smiles,
Carol
A French name, I no Nothing of French period, except Provence. i had to look up the spelling for it. Here's my toss in the hat:
Pleasant Provence on Main.
No, I didn't look to see if it already exists somewhere, that is just too difficult to do this night! Smiling at you, hope all goes well, I love the picture of your building!
I think you should use Time Worn Interiors (it hasn't been that long since you changed your name). Now everyone has come to know you by that name - don't make it complicated by having 2 different names. People are easily confused. Also you should promote your shop & name even when you are at shows. If you have 2 different names you will constantly be explaining... (you) "I have a shop in Kentucky. no it's not called Time Worn Interiors. That is our show name. Our shop name is.... (customer with a puzzled look) Oh, so you aren't going to call your shop Time Worn Interiors - that's only for shows?" You get what I'm saying. And, hopefully, your plan is to be in business for a long time. What are you going to do when "French" trends out? And, we all know it will. Everything does -look what happened to "country". Best of luck with the new shop. Let us know when you open. We'll come shop.
What a beautiful building and so much fun! I would love to open my own shop one day. I would name it either (une)? belle maison [beautiful house] or belle tresor [beautiful treasure].
Some of the earlier posts bring up some good points, about name recognition and moving. So...
Time Worn Interiors les devanture - the storefront or Time Worn Interiors les magasin - the shop
Also...
telle mère, telle fille - Like mother, like daughter
And about branding, maybe something less obvious than the fleur de lis, I don't know, a baguette or beret? Ha!
I only took one semester of French and since I barely have a grasp of English language...it didn't go well. All I remember is à tout à l'heure - see you later, all the best for your new adventure!
Susanne.
Patina 211
Facade 211
Patina
Facade
Chateau TimeWorn
Hope you find the word for you
Can't wait to see pictures!
Sherry
Keep it simple and the name must let your customers know who and what you are. I own a salon with a 205 Street address - thus, Salon 205. It has worked well for 16 plus years. I think the French name is too dificult to remember, spell, and pronounce. It's beautiful, but not great from a marketing standpoing. You only have to register the name with your county, so check out what's going on at your courthouse as far as other names.
I can't wait to hear you answer the phone in French with that sweet southern Kentucky accent...HA!!!!
Luv ya...s
How about " Vaut le voyage"....." Worth the Trip! Hope to make it there sometime. My very best wishes to you.
Hugs
Becky
I wouldn't have two separate names. "Time Worn Interiors" is who
you've been, who you are, and what you can be. Offering french items is awesome, (I'm so jealous) but what if down the road you decide not to. "Time Worn" is specific but not so specific that you'd be stuck to one style. It can evolve and grow with you and your taste. I doubt this is what you wanted to hear but you already have the perfect store name. Concentrate on having the best and most unique merchandise to make customers fall in love with "time worn style".
And have fun!!!
I am torn...the one hand thinks you should keep Time Worn Interiors (maybe written french like) but then when I saw Chez 211 I liked that as well.
Why don't you just keep TWI and just give the whole place a french feel.
Whatever you come up with it will be fabulous! Oh, how about fabulous in french?!
This is fun T. Your building is going to look Frenchy. I say keep it simple and easy to remember and say. I too was going to do the same thing for my store. I went with the English because I could not say The Green Pea in French, (le petet pois vert). Here are my suggestions: TOT (tout pett en fant)
Me (Moi) very easy to say
Just Me (Juste Moi)
Have a good weekend. Hugs, sandi
How exciting to be opening your own shop!!!! (I'm absolutely blank regarding a name...but knowing you it will be uber-cool!)
Can't wait to see you and your daughter next weekend!! I never do "first annual" shows, but took a chance on this one--fingers crossed!!
I plugged in time worn interiors into my google translator and came up with intérieurs du temps porté.
fancy huh?
Just wanted to say that I had a different name for our shop and it only managed to confuse people.
Just saying:)
but thanks for wanting our 2 cents....
mines is only worth a penny I'm afraid
I took years of French and love to speak in French, but I work in a quilt shop and have noticed that since the fabric lines with French names started to come out that people do not enjoy one bit trying to say the names. I would have thought most people could take a stab at it and enjoy it but most emphatically do not. I wouldn't give your shop a French name for that reason. The suggestion of "two eleven" lower-case is very cool. It appears that Chez or Maison is all people can handle, otherwise, they won't be saying your shop name.
I'm opening a store in Bellevue,KY., in 2 weeks. Choosing a name was the hardest part. I finally just stopped thinking about it and it came to me.Vintage @ 707. We are at 707 Fairfield Ave. Good Luck! I don't have a blog, but my facebook page is Vintage at 707
what a fabulous building, as for a name that's a tough one, good luck! how about just 211 ? I know its not fancy but it certainly is easy to remember!! Have a fun time with your shop.
I think I have to echo the votes for Maison 211!
What about the translation of Two Generations. I think it's Deux Generations. I also thought of the saying, Like Mother, Like Daughter. I see someone already posted it. I like the one that you are already thinking of, House at 211. I'm certain whatever you choose, it will be a great fit.
Smiles,
Carol
Well, my dear TOT, having had a French shop for 5 years here in Iowa and being a fluent French speaker (and teacher) I decided to call my shop A French Accent and people STILL got the name mixed up and called me the French Connection. So, I would say keep it simple. Maison 211 is something most Americans could say without slaughtering (Mayzon)because Maison a deux cents onze is likely not going to roll off their tongue. Now if you want to call it A French Accent, I have some great black and white exterior BIG signs with fleur de lys on them I'd sell you on your next Iowa jaunt :)
If you want something different don't use the word Maison there is scads of stores starting with that or had the word Maison in the title.
amour de la France
(Love of France )
or
millésime de la France
( vintage of France)
I know you will come up with something dreamy from France
xoxox janice kiss on both cheeks
You know my choice:
Tous le Maison
(sounds like "Toola May Zon") and it means To the house or all the house (I think lol!)
jackiw
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