Anitra Mecadon (Dealer Code ANITRA) has been a dealer-merchant at the Alpharetta Queen of Hearts since September 2014 and her booth is located on Church Street. Her booth, Sophisticated Junk, specializes in colorful accents and accessories for your home, and she is obsessed with mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles, up-cycled accessories, original artwork, vintage furniture, accessories and lamps and all things rusty! As the TV host and Design/Build Expert of the DIY Network show, MegaDens, she is a very busy woman but she was gracious enough to sit down with us for a few minutes to answer some questions. Her down to earth personality and warm sense of humor will have you grinning and you just want to sit and talk with her all day. We love having her as one of our dealers at the Queen and she says of the experience, “The Queen has been one of my go-to haunts for MegaDens since 2010. I would start every single show with a trip to the Queen. Now, I get to share my unique eye and perspective on Design/Décor with my customers!”
Stroll down Church Street at the Alpharetta Queen of Hearts and you can easily find her colorful, eclectic booth artfully arranged and displayed with all things vintage and secondhand, with Mid-Century and Hollywood Regency gems sitting along side pillows and throws made of vintage fabric, architectural salvage pieces, upcycled accessories, original artwork, vintage lamps and perfectly rusted accents!
She says her favorite items to sell are “Vingtage! I love sending handpicked Vintage Treasures off to a new home: I call it “Furniture Rescue.” I think what drives this desire is that when you shop and sell vintage repurposed items you are honoring the past but also daring to see it differently. I also love that furniture was real back then, not made of glue and cardboard like the stuff you find today. It was made with love by the hand of a real honest to god craftsman!”
Almost every item in her home is secondhand as she is a true lover of the HUNT! She has repainted, reupholstered, and rethought every single piece. Her home is always a work in progress and she loves everything from her 1960’s chrome lamps to her Superman Blue Dining Table! But her favorite thing in her home is her secondhand animals, as she has a house full of rescues that give her unconditional love and affection each and every day!
We asked her what trends she loves and her response was, “I love the vintage fabric and rug trend that is happening now. For years, I have been obsessed with antique textiles: the patterns, colors and craftsmanship blow my mind. What I love about this trend, it’s timeless. Look through vintage design magazines and old movies. Notice anything in the background? I bet there’s a Persian rug! I feel that vintage over-dyed area rugs are a great way to add a pop of color to any style room. I am also loving the vintage Persian rug accessories. Pillows and ottomans made of vintage Persian rug remnants are the perfect addition to help create the look of a well-collected room. If you’re looking to add a bit of color and texture to your space, this is the trend for you.”
Anitra was recently married on October 31, 2013, which makes Halloween her favorite time of the year! She grew up in Pittston, Pennsylvania, which is a tiny town outside of Scranton and filled with hardworking people that love their tomatoes. She is lucky to live her hobbies and interests every day, which is hunting for vintage treasures, painting and helping save animals!
She is currently the Design/Build Expert and host of MegaDens on DIY Network and has hosted shows on both HGTV and DIY, like All American Handyman, Behind the Build of the HGTV Dream Home, Behind the Build of the HGTV Smart Home, Esquire Magazine’s Ultimate Bachelor Pad, and so much more. as well as a Design/Build expert, Set Stylist/Dresser, Furniture Designer, Holiday Decorating and Wedding Décor specialist.
You can usually find Anitra at the Alpharetta Queen on Thursdays when she is in town. Be sure to check out MegaDens on Wednesdays at 8 pm on DIY Network! To find out more about Anitra, visit her website at www.AnitraMecadon.com or her Facebook or Pinterest - Anitra Mecadon or Funkologie. She is also launching a new blog at www.Funkologie.com so be sure to check it out!
We love having Anitra as part of our Queen family and enjoy seeing her and her big smile when she comes in! She is always willing to stop and chat and give us the scoop on what really goes on behind the scenes!
