Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a cute, albeit a bit lackluster and predictable, little film about an old man and his "magical" toy shop. Maybe it was the casting or maybe it was the script, but somehow it didn't quite translate well into the masterpiece it had the potential of being...

The only line that I really liked was when Mahoney (the young, gamine shop assistant) asked "Mutant" (the accountant hired to go over the shop's finances) if he saw a "sparkle" in her. He thought she was talking about having glitter on her face but then she explained, "A sparkle...Like, something reflective of something bigger that's trying to get out." I have to admit, I kind of fell for that line.

But what was NOT lackluster was the film's amazing set design!

I'm not going to bother to show images of the toy shop itself because as incredible as it is, it's just a large retail area stocked high with toys. What I am going to post are images with stylistic elements that I (and you) can actually take from and use in your own homes.

Below are images of Mr. Magorium's apartment, which sits above his shop. I love the two-tone green striped wallpaper and the rich wood trim and wainscoting. I also love the assortment of mismatched picture/painting frames, some being very ornate and others being very simple and modern.





There is also a great deal of clutter. Which I actually find charming...But you'll notice on the left, the chairs are covered in a newspaper print design. Also, I love the yellow mushroom-like lamp. In fact, he has quite the collection of really interesting and colorful lamps all over his apartment and store.



Below, in the lower right hand corner, is another great yellow lamp painted (?) with Japanese cherry blossoms.



Here is a close-up of the armchair upholstered in a black+white cityscape (village? castles?) fabric. Also, I love the gramophone sitting in front of the round window.



That round window actually looks like one of those pivot windows seen here. I would love to have one of those in my house. Makes me feel like I'm looking through a porthole.



Below are more examples of the several stain glass lamps he has. I love the small ones that you can use as place settings! And they look cordless too!





Now we move onto Mr. Magorium's office. I really like the vintage desk. It reminds me of the ones seen in 1940s film noir movies...the ones used in detective agencies.





Mahoney's (the shop's assistant) apartment:



Of course there is no way she could afford such place like this in real life, not on a shop assistant's salary. But whatevers. I envy her high ceilings and elaborate crown moldings. Also, if you'll squint, I really like the lampshade on the left (above image). It looks like it's embroidered with flowers and small birds...kind of like something out of an Anthropologie catalog.





Now, we move onto Eric's (the little boy) bedroom and his hat collection.





A small detour to a clock shop just because I love clocks:



And lastly, the basement of the toyshop, which is also the inhabitance of a large, muscular man who looks like he belongs in a circus and is allegedly a toymaker/repairer for Mr. Magorium:

Posted in: children's films,recent films,stain glass lamps,striped wallpaper