he Mayfair Shop has doubled its size at Allied Arts by moving into the space formerly occupied by Townsend's dress shop, right on the path to the Allied Arts restaurant and Traditional Shop.
"The exposure is good; before we moved, people didn't know we were here," says Eva Duffy, co-owner of the shop with her mother, Mary Duffy.
The Duffys moved to Allied Arts last October in space formerly occupied by weaving and needlework shops. In their new location they have twice the space for Eva Duffy's artistic displays of china, teas, fragrances and gift items.
A cabinet filled with Royal Winton china in the "Chintz" pattern greets visitors at the shop's entrance. "This china is hard to find and we get calls from all over the country for it," says Mary.
An open suitcase spills with silk organdy pillows, sachets and drawer liners filled with lavender. Nearby niches showcase the Bronnley line of fragrant English soaps, lotions, cologne and shower gels. "The White Iris scent is the Queen's favorite," says Mary. According to her, Queen Elizabeth sends her butler down to Buckingham Palace's gift shop to stock up on White Iris for her.
A nearby hutch holds a collection of Brambley Hedge Royal Doulton collectibles, based on stories by Jill Barklen. "She's the latter-day Beatrix Potter," says Mrs. Duffy. "We carry one of the largest collections of the line in the United States."
Children's tea sets in Beatrix Potter, Flower Fairy and Paddington Bear designs make you long to be a kid again.
Eva Duffy is also enthused about her new line of Mariage Freres teas: "Mariage Freres is a 100-year-old company with its own tea shops in Paris. It took a year for us to be approved to carry the line. We had to send them photos and a description of the shop."
Mariage Freres is also carried by Martha Stewart.com.
Young women, as well as grandmothers, enjoy browsing at Mayfair. They love the antique linen pieces, says Mary, who adds that an interior designer from Malibu bought out the shop's entire supply of antique linens last week.
The younger generation is also interested in learning about tea, says Eva. For those wanting to go a cut above Lipton's tea bags, Eva recommends a light afternoon tea, such as Fortnum & Mason's Darjeeling tea. "It's called the champagne of teas," she says. She also carries Palm Court by Harney & Sons, which is blended for the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Mayfair, in conjunction with Fino Fino hat shop, is having its own tea parties at 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23, in the Garden of the Oaks at Allied Arts. Hat designer Wayne Wichern of Seattle will be on hand to show his fall collection. The Saturday tea is sold out; however, there are reservations remaining for Friday. For reservations, call Mayfair at 327-8815.
Eva Duffy, 21, who is the buyer and designer for the Mayfair Shop, is attending Foothill College and deciding whether to major in art or business. She and her mother are happy with their new location and look forward to a busy holiday season.
When asked if they were concerned about the future of Allied Arts Guild, which is under discussion by its owners -- the Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary to Children's Hospital at Stanford -- Mary says: "I'm hoping Eva can continue the shop. This is exactly the right place for it to be. We both want to see Allied Arts Guild kept because it's a treasure for the whole community."
