John’s a big kid at heart, and it's most obvious in his toy collection. The selection includes tin toys, Steiff stuffed animals, and one-of-a-kind antiques. Tin toys have been around since the early 19th century. Germany’s Blechfabrik makes replicas of original mechanical tin toys that spin, jump, and roll.
From a single starfish to a school of fish, John dove into his archive of antique marine images to design a collection of unique decoupage pieces this season, all expertly hand-crafted in our NY studio. See fish fly and dolphins frolic, and red crabs and blue lobsters. To explore even more, cast your net here.
Even landlubbers love our maritime marvels... John adds nautical charm to Astier de Villatte's distinctive ceramic pieces. We sell seashells: unique shell-encrusted topiaries by Christopher D. Bassett are creative interpretations of sea life’s splendor. More shells appear on a Victorian box and hand mirror. Needle-felted queen conch shells are worth collecting.
Dreaming in Color: The John Derian Colouring Book: Flowers features a curated collection of 20 coloring pages for both adults and children. The book is filled with John’s most-loved blooms, shown in their original-colored versions and outline versions to color in as you wish. Whether using colored pencils (we love Kita-Boshi sets!), markers, or watercolors, collectors, hobbyists, and artists alike will enjoy the chance to bring new life to these cherished artworks.
Flags fly this week to celebrate Flag Day. Ephemera from antique postcards and felted flags, sometimes called "tobacciana," as they were often included with tobacco products in the late 19th century, decorate trays, plates, and coasters. Glass charms get star treatment, too.
Some of John’s favorite botanical prints are from William Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, founded in England in 1787. The magazine has informed the world’s botanists, horticulturists, conservationists, and fans of botanical illustration for over 200 years. Thirty-six hand-colored plates have been reimagined as a series of rectangular decoupage trays.
The simple beauty of an early 20th-century artist’s oil study on board inspires many of John’s decoupage creations, such as trays, plates, vases, cake pedestals, and light switch covers.
Dreaming in Color: the John Derian Colouring Book: Flowers. is now available in stores and online, featuring a curated collection of 20 coloring pages for both adults and children.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of John’s first shop in New York. A few years after starting his one-man decoupage design business in Boston, he moved to New York in the early 1990s. As orders increased, he hired a team of artisans to craft his motifs and opened his first shop in 1995 on 2nd Street in the East Village... a quiet block that would soon become his creative hub.
