Maggie Peng

Nov 17

the owner of PINK & TAN on meaningful décor, art and clothes

JEUNE OTTE: TELL US ABOUT YOUR SHOP.

MAGGIE:  Pink & Tan is a design store where the conception and intention of living beautifully every day is the connective tissue of everything we do. We source and bring to our customers the best in unique home essentials, meaningful décor, and limited-edition prints. At the same time, we curate artworks that are meant to be loved and lived with (not just as an investment).

JO: What INSPIRED you to open?

MAGGIE: After eight years in Shanghai, the pandemic sparked an unexpected move across the world for myself and my family. Living over a year in Evanston without our belongings, we were forced to repatriate and remake our home. This process involuntarily pushed us to take an emotional inventory of the objects in our lives—learning that even everyday items can and should have intrinsic meaning and value. Yet, at the same time, the experience also taught us what we can live without and inspired new ideas of what was needed to color in this new chapter of home.

JO: What kind of makers and artists does your shop support?

MAGGIE: My passion is highlighting local and globally-sourced designers, makers, and artisans that celebrate materiality, craft, and functionality. At the same time, I’m drawn to the wabi-sabi, the unexpected, and the lighthearted. High art and design can be so austere! I want the things we live with to have a liveliness or an element of playfulness that sets them apart.  There is also a lot of noise and saturation in the design and home goods world. The items at Pink & Tan are carefully selected and edited, and often even test-driven (I’m not going to sell anything in the store I don’t want in my own home, or I wouldn’t give as a gift). It was essential to me that when you walk into the shop and browse, that each item is thoughtful and the experience as a whole feel bespoke (like we choose these must-have pieces you never knew you needed, just for you), with little elements of surprise to disarm you along the way.

JO: How do fashion and/or clothing play a role in your life?

MAGGIE: Though I’ve been around the fashion industry for much of my adult life, I’ve never particularly followed or felt pressure from fashion. To me, style is ultimately a personal form of self-expression and interpretation. I wear things that make me feel good.

JO: Any thoughts on the Jeune Otte pieces you tried ?

MAGGIE: The collection is feminine yet strong, with a beautiful push/pull between the structured and softer, dreamier pieces. I particularly loved the Anni Open Collar Blouse. It is a staple that I could wear with anything!

photos by Noah Sheldon