"I've always been a creative person," said Labró Sherby, who was in the insurance industry for 15 years before taking the plunge into the antiques trade. "I'm a do-it-yourself type. I fix throw-outs, paint them and sew new covers. I do everything myself."

Labró Sherby's museum-like antique store opened on Feb 17. The shop showcases pieces of furniture, seemingly ready for retirement, which she has revived with fresh coats of paint and new upholstery.

The vintage refurbished items aren't the only treasures in th is two-bedroom bungalow-turned-antique-shop. The store is filled with a antiques, vintage accessories and collectibles, ranging from cookie jars, electrical appliances, glassware and toys, to jewelry and purses.

"I love unusual pieces. I like to think about who had this, who bought this first and just learning about its history," said Labró Sherby, who scours flea markets, estate and yards sales for pieces of time gone by.

She developed a love for antiques in childhood, when she was surrounded by artifacts at home and accompanied her father to estate and yard sales. "It was always a part of my life," Labró Sherby said.

Two years ago, she decided to leave her insurance job to work at an antique shop in San Jose. When she heard that Forget-Me-Nots on Meridian Avenue was up for sale in January, she jumped at the opportunity.

"It just felt right," Labró Sherby said.

She spent two weeks sprucing up the shop and reorganizing the inventory. She arranged items according to function and their place in the home and compiled a booklet showing people how to decorate with antiques and vintage accessories.

"If someone wants a vintage kitchen item, they can go straight to the kitchen and not hunt high and low for what they want," Labró Sherby said. "I also want to show people how each piece can fit into their home decor."

Labró Sherby, who has interior design training, transformed one room into a children's bedroom filled with such vintage treasures children as dolls, toys, beds, and clothes. Another room houses armoires, nightstands, dressers and others items for a master bedroom. She even set up a vintage retreat in the backyard, replete with a 1940s iron-rod bed and worn trunks.

"A lot of people ask me if I live here," said Labró Sherby, a Rose Garden resident. "When people think about antique stores, they think it's probably dark and dusty, but people who come here say they feel like they're walking into a home."

Her labor of love has paid off. The shop has attracted steady streams of Bay Area antique hunters who purchase vintage perfume bottles, jewelry, fine china and furniture.

" It's a decorator's paradise," said David Reid, an antiques aficionado and friend who helps out at the shop.

Part of Labró Sherby 's success also comes from keeping prices low. Prices range from $3 for a small vase or plate to $700 for an armoire. Among her prized pieces are a $300 1940s Red Riding Hood cookie jar and a $350 1930s doll in its original box.

"A lot of people think antiques and vintage items are more expensive than new stuff but it's not," Labró Sherby said. "When you buy, you get better quality. When you sell, you probably get a better price for it."

When she's not busy at the store, Labró Sherby spends her time with her children, Jay, 24, Natasha, 10 and Ethan, 8.

Labro Antiques, 1404 Meridian Ave., is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 408.448.8200.