Down-to-earth decor: Picnic Home opens

Pei Sze Ng and Jasmine Tan were definitely onto something when they opened Picnic boutique in Russian Hill seven years ago. The clothing atelier, stocked with graphic T-shirts, jeans, and one-of-a-kind jewelry, has been a longtime local staple. So, when the adjacent space became available this summer, Ng, who has a graphic design background, and Tan, a former advertising exec, jumped at the chance to expand with a designated section for home goods such as burlap place mats by Simrin, striped area rugs by Dash & Albert, etched highball glasses by HomArt and letterpress calendars by Seattle's Ilee, at Picnic Home.

"We first talked about the idea of opening a home store a few years ago, and this was just a good time now. It all worked out," says Ng, who along with Tan, outfitted the store with display pieces including rustic wood armoires, vintage letters, a sage green midcentury-inspired sofa, and a gold wire magazine rack, all plucked from their own apartments and garages.

"We choose items for the store that we like and would shop for ourselves, but it's also important to have high-quality things at affordable prices." The same holds true for their decorating philosophy. Ng, who frequents the Alameda Point Antique and Collectibles Faire to scour vintage finds for her own apartment, brings in vintage letter pushpins for the shop, and visits gift shows for unique goods ranging from retro-inspired eco totes by Maptote, high-gloss lacquered boxes by Thomas Paul and floral tea towels by Danica Studio. She also mixes in hard-to-find wares from her annual travels home to Singapore.

"I love decorating and moving things around," says Ng, who lives just a few blocks away. "The store looks similar to my apartment, really, so now it's just an extension of all of the things we love."

Picnic Home, 1806 Polk St., San Francisco; (415) 346-6556; www.picnicsf.com.

- Jennie Nunn, home@sfchronicle.com

This article appeared on page L - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle