by Armella Stepan
You have just finished your dream vacation by the sea. Six glorious days of sun, sand and soirées and it’s time to leave your chic oceanside villa and go back to your lovely albeit land-locked home. Alas, if only you could take this luxurious coastal vibe with you….
If you are in Santa Monica this summer, now you can….
Memorial Day weekend, the West Coast’s preeminent coastal design store, Rooms & Gardens, will be ‘popping up’ at 1910 Ocean Way inside the swanky Hotel Casa del Mar.
Celebrating 25 years of designing some of the most famous coastal enclaves around the globe, Rooms & Gardens’ owner, Eric Voulgaris explains, “our mission, since my wife Jami and I opened our first store in Santa Barbara in 1993, has always been to provide a sophisticated, classic, yet very comfortable and inviting style in our stores. Having our pop up store right off the incredible lobby at Hotel Casa del Mar will create a whole new level of residential shopping experience.”
Proud locavores, the Voulgaris’ will feature numerous LA brands and designer products at the oceanside pop up. Selections will include items by famous LA based design icons such as Peter Dunham, Martin Lawrence Bullard and JASPER by Michael S. Smith., Finn & Co bath products, Nest Candles, vintage California flags, decorative pillows, throws, thoughtful gift items and more will be available.
The Voulgaris’ also recently introduced newly commissioned original art by contemporary local artists Garrett Speirs and Cynthia Eddings into the guest rooms and suites at the hotel, a Santa Monica landmark. Original works by these artists will be featured in the pop-up store, as well as some of R&G’s own locally made custom furniture.
“Our coastal style has been inspiring clients all over the world for decades; we continue to grow and evolve but never lose sight of our original mission. Nearly all of our furniture is custom-made here in Los Angeles, which also allows us to create individual pieces for our clients. That has been one of the biggest reasons for our continued success.”
Travelling to Santa Monica this summer? Swing by Hotel Casa del Mar, for a sunset cocktail and pop into the Rooms & Gardens pop up opening Saturday, May 26th through Labor Day…you just might need to bring a bigger suitcase.
