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Lamps from the south of France, chairs from Rome and zebra skin from Africa are just some of the eclectic items you’ll find at The Art of Consignment, 617 East Gutierrez St., in Santa Barbara.
Under new ownership since April, the consignment store is decorated with high-end couches, chairs, tables, lamps, art and dozens of other items.
“You can’t get this from Ikea,” said Amy Maloney, whose mom Judy Smith, purchased the store, formerly called Montecito Treasures.
Maloney has primarily worked as a home stager for Sotheby’s. Prior to her mother owning the store, she would visit the previous business looking for unique and interesting items to use in her work.
The family decided to buy the shop when Smith was moving from her 4,000-square-foot house to a 900-square-feet space at Casa Dorinda. Rather than sell her expensive furniture items for a few hundred dollars, the family decided to buy the business and sell some of the items at the store.
It’s how they get many of their items for The Art of Consignment; as people downsize or move, they look for a place to shift their items.
“There’s definitely a need for this business,” said employee Jane Woodhead.
If you walk into the store, you are likely to get greeted warmly by Amy, Jane, and possibly Ted Munoz, a consigner who spends a lot of time at the store, and specializes in finding mid-century items. They will serve coffee and candy and strive to make the store feel like a living room — just people having a relaxed conversation.
Miner’s Ace Hardware Store Opening in Goleta
Miner’s Ace Hardware plans to open Friday inside the former Orchard Supply Hardware building at the Fairview Shopping Center, 125 N. Fairview Ave.
Miner’s Ace Hardware started in Grover City (now known as Grover Beach) in 1956. At the time, the hardware store was run by the two Miner brothers, Lee and Glenn.
Their first employee was Wally Lewis, who still works at the original store. In 1972, Miner’s joined Ace Hardware, a buying co-op owned by independent dealers. In 1982 Mike Miner, Lee’s oldest son, was named CEO of the company.
Miner’s will open at 7 a.m. and is looking forward to greeting the public.
“Throughout the build-out process we had so many people popping in to check on the progress and welcome us to town,” said said Laurel Cadena, marketing director for Miner’s.
“This neighborhood and city is truly amazing and we are so excited to open our door and become the community’s helpful hardware store.”
New Santa Barbara Restaurant
Maybe the third time will be the charm.
La Cocina restaurant, at 7 East Anapamu St., plans to open its doors Friday.
The restaurant will specialize in Meso-American, Spanish and Mexican-Californian cuisine.
“I love this city, and am so excited to offer a unique experience with wonderful Mexican food, perfect for families, large groups, or a lunch or dinner date,” said owner Steve Hermann. “We hope this will quickly become a locals favorite and offer the community a place that pays homage to our local Santa Barbara food and culture in a relaxed and casual setting.”
The restaurant has hired Mario Alberto as executive chef, whose style of cooking is inspired by Asian flavors and his travels through Latin America, the Amazon, and Europe, according to a news release.
“I want to offer locals is food that is flavorful, clean and light, as an ode to our favorite Mexican dishes, but with a subtle and unexpected twist,” Alberto said in a statement. “This may be with a flavor or spice, or how the dish is presented. I am looking forward to welcoming the community through our doors.”
The previous restaurants at the site, Somerset and Smitty’s were both quickly rebranded over the past few years, paving the way for La Cocina.
The food will combine the Central Coast’s cuisine with Rancho cuisine, which consists of cattle, corn, legumes, native chilies, fruits and nuts. Meats and wild fowl will be cooked barbecue style over an open flame, and marinated or slowly simmered in chilies and spices, according to a news release. Dishes range in price from $12 to $31.
All of the food at the restaurant is homemade daily, using organic, non-GMO and locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible from farmers’ markets.
Santa Barbara Running Moves to Coast Village Road
Santa Barbara Running owners and husband-wife team Joe and Monica DeVreese are moving their specialty running shop.
“We loved being in the Funk Zone, but we couldn’t pass up this opportunity,” said Joe DeVreese.
The move from the Santa Barbara Funk Zone to 1046 Coast Village Road will help the owners move closer to their core clientele and prime running routes.
“Since the devastation in Montecito with the 2018 mudslides, there is a wonderful sense of renewed energy, excitement and new businesses opening up in the community and we wanted to be a part of that,” he said.
The specialty shop joins another lifestyle brand, lululemon, in setting up at Coast Village Walk located at 1046 Coast Village Road.
The company plans a grand opening at 8 a.m. Saturday. The event will kick off with a community run.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.