Furnishings

GREER WYLDER The most stylish home furnishings store to open in Newport in years, d. kruse, debuted last month in the Lido Village area. Co-owners Dee and Randy Kruse have fashioned their store as a place to find fresh looks to enhance stodgy interiors. Before opening d. kruse, the couple operated a local upscale design house for nine years, creating d. kruse furniture and accessories and offering interior-design service. "So many of our clients say they're just plain tired of traditional interiors," Randy Kruse said.

This summer, home decor and furnishings are as hot as the local beaches. While the home category of retailing has been on the upswing in recent years, consumers are more interested than ever in redecorating and creating beautiful and creative spaces to enjoy entertaining and family life. Since 1999, taxable sales of home furnishings in Orange County have gone up 12% to nearly 1 billion dollars. Numerous Newport Beach retailers are experiencing a steady stream of interest from customers wanting to make their homes their castles, including Italiano Home Store at Corona del Mar Plaza.

A successful Orange County interior designer with aspirations of catering to high-end shoppers has expanded his business to a new two-story showroom in Costa Mesa. Marc Pridmore Designs, 3089 Bristol St., displays a variety of furnishings but also offers custom flooring, drapery and interior design. The 42,000-square-foot showroom held its grand opening Thursday. FOR THE RECORD: This story has corrected the spelling of Marc Pridmore and Marc Pridmore Designs. Also, bedroom sets go up to $40,000, not bedding.

GREER WYLDER Von Hemert Interiors will celebrate the opening of its elegant Baker Gallery today at their Costa Mesa store. The Baker Gallery features a fabulous selection of Barbara Barry's home furnishings. Barry's trademark look includes classic contemporary furniture in dark mahogany finishes that she refers to as Java. The Baker Gallery also features furniture by Thomas Pheasanta celebrated designer recognized for timeless neoclassic lines accented by swirl mahogany and warm ash burl woods.

Gian Vex has joined the staff at Studio Chameleon as Showroom Manager for the Newport Beach store. He will oversee retail operations, staff and client relations. Gian is well-established on the Newport Beach fashion and home furnishings landscape. Over the past 15 years he has had positions at Ligne Roset, Barclay Butera and BCBG Max Azria managing staff, merchandise, designers and showrooms. “We are excited to have Gian with us. He brings lots of retail experience with him, has a gift for interacting with clients and he is a great addition to our team.

NEWPORT BEACH - If home furnishings could speak, newly opened Magnolia Mews Consignments would be a place to tell their stories. Tucked into what owner Hillary Niblo described as a "small but mighty space" at 314 Old Newport Blvd., the 750-square-foot consignment shop is a stage for paintings, baubles, home decor and furnishings bursting with intimate stories of times gone by. "I've always felt like old things have a soul," said Niblo, 45,...

"I don't own a piece of Chippendale furniture," commented Gail Serfaty, director of diplomatic reception rooms for the U.S. State Department and curator of the Blair House in Washington, D.C. Serfaty winged into Orange County this week to address the Decorative Arts Society in Newport Beach. "As you know, the United States government owns a great deal of Chippendale furniture. The White House as well as many other buildings of state are filled with some of the finest antique American furniture in the nation," added the woman in charge of national furnishings.

GREER WYLDER The new Anthom store on East 17th Street in Costa Mesa features many exclusive lines for the home and body. Co-owners and local interior designers Richard Thompson and Oonagh Serna seek out a collection of modern, primitive and ethnic furnishings and accessories. They also carry select works from emerging Los Angeles artists. The goal at Anthom is to keep shoppers local with "no need to head to Fred Segal or Melrose," according to Thompson.

A holiday open house at Teacups & Tulips will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Desserts, seasonal spicy cider and specialty teas will be complimentary. Teacups & Tulips is filled with antiques and collectibles in the rambling house that occupies 3,500 square feet, complete with two tea rooms and 12 rooms of furnishings. There are items available for every budget, including historical collector miniatures from Sheila's, chintz bone china from Herman Dodge and classic cake plates from L.E. Smith Glass.

GREER WYLDER Up Country Tropicals celebrates its grand opening Saturday. The wholesale interior tropical plant and home furnishings store is open to the public. Although it's in an obscure area, on the Westside of Costa Mesa, it's worth a visit. Up Country Tropicals offers great savings on Hawaiian and Polynesian tropical plants. Shoppers may choose from 4-inch ivy, bromeliads and African violets, and up to 12-foot palm, ficus and Draceana trees. Pacific Rim home furnishings include exotic wood furniture, pottery, baskets, orchids and other gifts.

A successful Orange County interior designer with aspirations of catering to high-end shoppers has expanded his business to a new two-story showroom in Costa Mesa. Marc Pridmore Designs, 3089 Bristol St., displays a variety of furnishings but also offers custom flooring, drapery and interior design. The 42,000-square-foot showroom held its grand opening Thursday. FOR THE RECORD: This story has corrected the spelling of Marc Pridmore and Marc Pridmore Designs. Also, bedroom sets go up to $40,000, not bedding.

NEWPORT BEACH - If home furnishings could speak, newly opened Magnolia Mews Consignments would be a place to tell their stories. Tucked into what owner Hillary Niblo described as a "small but mighty space" at 314 Old Newport Blvd., the 750-square-foot consignment shop is a stage for paintings, baubles, home decor and furnishings bursting with intimate stories of times gone by. "I've always felt like old things have a soul," said Niblo, 45,...

 The 2009 Design Tour – Urban Living @ Astoria will be the first of its kind for the ASID Orange County Chapter featuring contemporary design in an urban, high-rise setting.  Held from April 21 to May 17 (Tuesday- Sunday from 10AM – 5PM.  The Tour will remain open until 8 PM on Friday nights. Closed Mondays.), the showcase will benefit the Orange County Performing Arts Center and will be highlighted by a speaker’s series, “Meet the Designers” and Date Nights.

Don’t miss Studio Chameleon and Chameleon Design’s blow-out tent sale Wednesday through March 14. You can save 50% to 75% on furniture, accessories, lighting, art, fabrics, lodge-pole furniture, mid-century modern and more. Studio Chameleon owners Eve Lowey, an award-wining interior designer, and partner Darsi Rubin mix fine art with the finest furnishings, accessories and gifts. Along with Eve, the store’s talented staff is always available to share their gifts with customers.

Gian Vex has joined the staff at Studio Chameleon as Showroom Manager for the Newport Beach store. He will oversee retail operations, staff and client relations. Gian is well-established on the Newport Beach fashion and home furnishings landscape. Over the past 15 years he has had positions at Ligne Roset, Barclay Butera and BCBG Max Azria managing staff, merchandise, designers and showrooms. “We are excited to have Gian with us. He brings lots of retail experience with him, has a gift for interacting with clients and he is a great addition to our team.

The South Coast Home Furnishings Center on Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa has been selected for the city’s 2007 Planning Commission Design Award, planners said. The Planning Commission Design Awards Program, established in August 2002, provides public recognition of public and private projects reflecting excellence in community planning and design. The South Coast Home Furnishings Center, completed in 2007, was chosen by the Planning Commission because it further enhances its immediate surroundings, as well as the overall image of the city, according to a news release.

The South Coast Home Furnishings Centre in Costa Mesa may replace Wickes Furniture with as many as three new retailers when the store closes in April, the president of the center’s management team said. Chris Louis, the president of the PacificWest Asset Management Corporation, said the center by the 405 Freeway may sign another large retailer or two or three smaller ones to fill the space. He declined to say which tenants the center had in mind. Wickes, an Illinois-based corporation, recently announced it would close all its nationwide stores by the end of April.

Waterfront Furnishings, a boutique store that faced possible eviction from South Coast Home Furnishings Centre, will move out at the end of the month after attorneys reached an agreement, co-owner Don Logan said. The shop, which has struggled to attract customers since opening at the Costa Mesa shopping center in August, received an eviction notice from the property’s owners after failing to pay rent on time. Logan attempted to fight the eviction in court by subpoenaing almost every other shop owner in the center to testify on his behalf.

Waterfront Furnishings, a boutique store that faced possible eviction from South Coast Home Furnishings Centre, will move out at the end of the month after attorneys reached an agreement, co-owner Don Logan said. The shop, which has struggled to attract customers since opening at the Costa Mesa shopping center in August, received an eviction notice from the property’s owners after failing to pay rent on time. Logan attempted to fight the eviction in court by subpoenaing almost every other shop owner in the center to testify on his behalf.