New Boutique: Pal + Smith in Costa Mesa, California (PHOTOS)
The Shop: Pal + Smith, 3323 Hyland Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA, 888-725-7684; palandsmith.com.
Melissa and Marc Palazzo's new 4,000-square-feet storefront is cool, luxurious, and everything in between. One look at the chic mix of home finds laid out in the store, and it's immediately clear that the couple have an eye for bold patterns, rich colors, and unusual designs. And Melissa, an interior designer, also has a knack for glamming up "grandma's antiques"--as she calls her stylishly refurbished pieces. We caught up with the designing duo for a quick chat about their fashionable new store.
1. What was the inspiration for this store?
Me and my husband, Marc Palazzo, wanted to bring the Pal + Smith look and style to a retail venue that welcomes both interior designers and traditional consumers. We take a lifestyle approach to interior design and offer home furnishings that reflect our notion that interior design should incorporate fashion, art and music. It has been my dream to create an environment where people can come in, sit with a cup of coffee and look through our design and architecture books, browse our furniture, lighting, fabric, and wallpaper selections, and also get design help. That's where the idea for the design lab came from--to offer hourly design consultation and access to a variety of home furnishing lines that were previously only available to the trade.
2. Are there any highlight pieces that are specific to this store?
There are one-of-a-kind vintage pieces I have reworked that are mixed in with the Pal + Smith line. One of my favorites is the Harper sofa, a lovely little piece upholstered in chartreuse and black damask. New pieces are constantly being introduced and everything can be customized. We also have an eclectic mix of European lighting and some great vintage lamps.
3. What's been most popular with visitors to the store?
People love our wallpaper selection! In the design lab we show new selections each day from companies including Osborne & Little, Designers Guild, and Cassaro.
4. What keeps these visitors coming back?
People love the pop of colors and the unusual and unexpected mix of Art Deco, mid-century and Asian designs. The store's look is multi-layered--both urban and old world at the same time--and our goal was to push the limits.
5. Do you have a favorite item in the store?
I love the book wall! The 16-foot-tall bookcase houses my latest must-reads on subjects including architecture, design, photography, art, music, and fashion. And our pillows are fabulous.
6. What do you like most about your store?
We offer hourly consulting services in our design lab for customers who want assistance in designing on their own. A lot of people in Southern California who can hire a full-time designer just won't. They have an idea of what they like, but they don't know how to pull things together. Our showroom is a place where people can be inspired to create rooms themselves. We don't want anyone to be intimidated by the design process, so we have various packages that offer people our expertise, from space planning to design and architectural services.
7. Fun fact:
We are currently planning a full schedule of events at the showroom, including introducing authors, artists and product designers in a series called "Meet the...", in order to give clients a complete immersion in the Pal + Smith experience. Marc and I love wine and cheese, and that will be part of the experience.
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