A Guide to the Best of Southern California : SHOPTALK : A New Take on the Old West

Walking into Raffia is a walk back in time--specifically, to the romance of the Old West. Owners Linda and Don Berman believed that the time was right to offer the public cowboy-and-Indian memorabilia and Western jewelry, textiles, luggage and home and personal accessories. “I got the feeling that people were ready to go back to something with warmth, with roots,” says Linda, a merchandizing consultant. “The West is our contribution to the world.”

But having the right merchandise wasn’t enough; the right mood had to be evoked as well. So the Bermans took their design concept to Cinnabar, a prop/set/special-effects construction company. Raffia evokes echoes of an upscale mountain lodge, with interior paneling of red-glazed fir, copper pegs in the wood floor, a stone fireplace and a comfortable hearth setting. Raffia treasures include Indian blankets ($150 to $350), Rosevill pottery ($75 to $200), an animated bucking-bronco clock ($600) and old sports trophies.

Raffia, Century City Shopping Center, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 201-0681.