Designer Bottles a Coastal Aesthetic
Between Tootsies shoe shore and Sapphire restaurant, the inspiration of natural beauty collects on the floor of a small Laguna Beach shop with stunning displays of works by artists and artisans. Opened last April and including designs of her own, Lisa McDennon has stretched her talents into another area where a customer can visit to see first hand the accumulation of experience gathered through her 15 years as an interior designer. Previously working busy as a bee in her office with architects and builders in major remodels, she now finds herself in full throttle projecting her distinct style into a space for all to browse, seek and enjoy.
Q: Interior designer, and now boutique owner. Why open a store?
A: We started off with a little pop-up shop inside of an art gallery in the north end of Laguna. I’ve had my design firm for over 14 years and so it provided an opportunity to display my work. Over the years I’ve created a lot of custom pieces such as lighting, upholstery, case goods and had started to dabble in developing fabric design and embroidering bedding and drapery. The pop-up gave me the impetus, the encouragement and opportunity to push it forward another step. It just became obvious to me I needed to put together a store that represented my aesthetics.
Q: Which is?
A: Coastal modern. It’s a description I’ve coined to express the type of look you’ll find in the store. But it’s probably not what you’d expect with the word coastal in it. You’re not going to walk in and find seashells. When I say coastal, I am expressing a clean, modern, textural organic aesthetic that represents the coastal environment we live in, without being literal. It’s all about the lines of the furniture, the tailoring of the pieces, textures, quality of fabric, the layering of materials that bring a more eclectic worldly feel into my designs.
Q: What items do you have?
A: I have gone through and hand picked items representing things I love all made by great artists and artisans whom I’ve had the pleasure to collaborate with in my designs. Many of the pieces are produced locally and are one of kind. One of the artists is Elizabeth MacKay and her line of jewelry Rock of Eden. There’s a wonderful display of jewelry by Mariana Gillies a brand new upcoming artist. We also represent fine artists such as Nicole Landau, Chase Langford and Issac Anderson. And I’ve included Brenda Houston who has brought in very exotic and unusual artifacts using natural minerals in lamps and tables. You can see a display of beautiful bronze boxes with gorgeous chunks of crystal and malachite she created that are quite exquisite.
Q: What else can someone expect stepping into your store?
A: I do have my pieces as well. We collaborated with a national furniture manufacturer to make a collection I designed that is showcased in the store. I’ve also taken all my embroidery sketches I created for drapery and bedding that actually fills a niche in the market place. For me when I shop for bedding I usually find it either too traditional or too feminine. It’s my belief the bedroom needs to be in balance. So I found a great line that produces organic cotton and linen, very clean, modern, and simple. Then I layer the material in custom embroidery. The bedding can be custom colored to match interiors and best of all it is machine washable.
Q: You’ve even brought in high-tech.
A: I’ve partnered with Nathan Mays of Fuzion 3 Home Theater to provide and showcase the store almost like a home would be. There are iPads on the wall, lighting controls, motorized window shadowing, and surround sound with updated speakers. Customers can walk around and envision their home with this same technology. All types of automation are displayed in the store. It is really cool because it is invisible. Yet with a touch of a button, the automation comes alive and showcases the technology. I actually have a lot of partnering going on in this space.
Q: What else do you have?
A: It’s so wonderful to be able to create the face of the resource of any remodeling projects. For instance my painter has samples of his Venetian plaster so any customer can touch, see and get the feel of it in person. It’s a great idea, taking our exclusive trade resources and making them accessible to everyone. The goal is to be a source for our community to find anything, say maybe a special candle or even the unique fireplace mantle the candle needs to sit on. And being in the store allows me to share with people all the things we offer and to find out their needs. It can be something simple as a pre-packaged pillow with a matching cashmere throw, or a more developed design that uses a lot more elements. But whatever the reason someone comes into our store, for a design project or maybe to admire the beautiful works, there will always be little treasures waiting to be found for gifts and carried off happily into their new home.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Lisa McDennon
Nuance Boutique
1200 S. Coast Highway, Suite 103A
Laguna Beach
949-494-8833
Mon – Sat 10-7p, Sun 10-6p
