DESIGN : ‘50s Fun

IN KEEPING WITH today’s fascination with ‘50s designs, the San Diego store called Boomerang was named for those bent kidney shapes on ‘50s Formica. Owner David Skelley had been collecting “Twilight Zone”-era items for years, with the thought of opening a diner, when he decided to start Boomerang instead. Partner Jeff Spence joined him soon after.

Inside the store, zebra-striped vinyl pulses with ‘50s fervor, a wood-and-leather Eames chair reposes near a sculptural coffee table by Isamu Noguchi, and an arsenal of bowling balls with swirling patterns await their next roll. Skelley’s own Calderish mobiles and abstract paintings are for sale, as is ‘50s-look furniture designed and built by the partners.

Prices are often half what they would be in cities with more demand for ‘50s merchandise. That’s why a third of Boomerang’s customers come from Los Angeles, San Francisco and destinations beyond. “We try to deal in pieces that are good-to-excellent in quality, in designs that are either classical or outrageous,” Skelley says. “Colors are real important, too. You won’t find olive green or harvest gold in this store.”

Boomerang, 3795 Park Blvd., San Diego, (619) 295-1953.