SANTA FE CHIC
Southwest style comes to your home via custom furniture from Out of Santa Fe, an apparel and jewelry store.
The collection is part of the Pecos Group, designed exclusively for the store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach by Robert Bowley of Santa Fe, N.M. All of the pieces in the line are handmade from western ponderosa pine using mortise and tenon joinery.
The furniture is accented by chip carvings and tin plate insets. Tin plate insets have distinguished northern New Mexico furniture since the late 19th century.
Among the pieces, which can be made with or without tin work, are chairs ($475), storage benches (as pictured, from $1,695), tables (from $765), an entertainment center (right, $4,500; without tin, $3,795) and a wine cabinet ($1,295). Other pieces, such as a rocking chair, can be made on client request.
“These pieces, which are part of the contemporary Western lifestyle, are suitable for any decor, including traditional,” says Ted Grieve, the store’s buyer and a designer of custom furniture.
Out of Santa Fe is at 297 Newport Center Drive. For information, call (714) 644-5953.
Coppery
A little brass can cast the exterior of your home in a whole new light. Ornate brass rain gutters and castings by Don Miller of Orange lend a bit of drama and individuality to your home.
After making common castings and gutters for several years, Miller decided to give his work a little artistic flair. “I’ve always had an artistic inclination, even when I was working at my grandfather’s sheet metal shop when I was 15,” says Miller, who also learned sheet metal techniques at a school in Iowa.
Most of Miller’s designs are his own, although he does draw some inspiration from castings used in homes in centuries past.
Nearly any shape and size is available, Miller says, and custom orders are welcome. Patina finishes also are available. It usually takes Miller about two weeks to complete an average job. Miller, 36, does all the metal work and installation. Costs vary, starting at about $24 a foot. For information, call Miller at (714) 633-9308.
Climate Central
When the heat is on and the winds blow, you can stay on top of the conditions outside with a weather station from the Nature Company.
The stainless steel gadget has a barometer that shows shifts in atmospheric pressure; it tracks temperature changes, and a hygrometer measures the humidity.
The weather station ($65), imported from Germany, can be found at the Nature Company store, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa; (714) 557-0656.
