Update: This post originally ran in May, but I just learned that owner Kelly Sperbeck is closing Berkeley's Relish at Home to focus on her own product design business and to relaunch the shop online. Relish at Home's last day as a brick and mortar is Friday, January 16, and until then everything in the store is 30 to 75 percent off, with progressive markdowns as the last day approaches.
A bit off the beaten track in West Berkeley is a tiny gem of a shop called Relish at Home. Despite its modest size, the store is chock full of absolutely lovely little things that are perfect when you need a gift that will surprise and delight its recipient, or when you simply want to treat yourself to something really special.
Opened three years ago by Kelly Sperbeck, an indie artisan in her own right who creates sweet accessories under the name k.autumn, Relish focuses on handmade wares from independent designers -- many of them local.
Though housewares form the bulk of her inventory, Sperbeck stocks jewelry, papergoods, handbags and other personal accessories as well. (And in case you're wondering, this dreamy wall color is Behr's Aqua Bay -- which is now a serious contender for our about-to-be-repainted dining room.)
The shop also functions as an art gallery of sorts, featuring pieces from artists such as Jane Buck of Foxy & Winston, whose "Mammalia" show hung there last spring. Buck's collection of small, vibrantly colored silkscreen prints depicting woodland creatures ranges from $55 to $475 apiece.
Prices for many items are exceedingly reasonable. But be warned: A visit to Relish could be perilous to your pocketbook. I popped in planning to simply take a few snapshots and be on my way, but wound up dropping a fair amount of cash on a bag bursting with treasures that I just had to have. (Oh well, I love them all ... )
Here, a tour of the wee shop and a peek at its current inventory:
Bags from k studio ($139), Hable Construction ($168), and Lotta Jansdotter ($49); Papaver Vert felt trees ($60 to $79); and wall tiles by Xenia Taler ($35 to $108).
Tanpopo plates ($28), graphic Dovetail vases, and ceramic pieces from Perch! and j.mendicino ($35 to $60).
Papergoods from Sukie UK, Jill Bliss, Foxy & Winston, Nantaka Joy, Chewing the Cud, Satsuma Press, and others.
Origami PJ Pocket Pillows from Modern-Twist ($85), and harlequin-patterned bowls from Anna Elzer Oscarson ($12).
Ceramics by Dovetail ($28) and j.mendicino ($35 to 55); tiny handblown glass bud vases from Sugahara ($20).
Clockwise: "Jelly Bean Rocks," river stones coated with 12 layers of colorful lacquer ($12); bunny pens and tape measures ($14 to $16); Log Bowls from Loyal Loot, $79 to $99; burrow owl from Roost, $26.
Airplants ($6 to $65) in vessels from Roost ($36) and Perch! ($29 to $89).
j.mendicino vases ($30 to $60), one of Jill Bliss' fabric Autumn birds ($32), and a Satsuma letterpress print ($39).
Birds by Jill Bliss and k.autumn ($24).
Lampshades from Mibo ($82 to $110) and small Hide Boxes from Modern-Twist ($25).
Felted vessels from Papaver Vert ($20 to $82), and harlequin cups from Anna Elzer Oscarson ($10).
Clockwise: Print from Jill Bliss ($16); pillows from Joom ($50 to $70), Ciuccio ($29), and k studio ($375 a pair).
Relish at Home is located at 2703 7th St. #112 at Pardee in Berkeley, and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.
(Need some more Retail Rx? See other great shops I've featured right here.)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Retail Therapy: Relish at Home
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
eBay Find of the Day: Vintage Typewriter
When we visited L.A.'s ReForm School last week, my daughter was fascinated with the vintage school- and office supplies there. She and I both couldn't resist tapping a few keys on a beautifully timeworn typewriter the shop had on display, and it occurred to me that in this age of computers and tiny, magical handheld devices, my kids had probably never seen an actual typewriter in person before.
Since we got home, I've been on the hunt for vintage model of our own. (The great irony here, of course, is that my late father-in-law had an awesome antique typewriter that we let go in an estate sale a few years ago.) I was thinking that maybe we could keep it on the table in the hallway, feed a fresh piece of paper into it every once in awhile, and tap out random phrases and notes to each other when we passed by and inspiration happened to strike. Wouldn't that be fun?
Right now, I'm digging this vintage Underwood, complete with the original carrying case.
Current bid: $10. (The auction ends Saturday evening, January 10.)
Etsy Find of the Day: Yokomono Studio Pillows
I saw these at a craft fair here in Oakland not too long ago, and couldn't wait to share them here. Created by the Japanese-born, Berkeley-based Yoko, of Yokomono Studio, each pillow cover is made from heavy cotton twill handstitched with contrasting sashiko thread. Above Blue Chikuchiku Pillowcase, $40
Yellow Chikuchiku Pillowcase, $40
Coffee Brown Chikuchiku Pillowcase, $40
These are even more beautiful in person, and the craftsmanship is exquisite.
See more of Yoko's creations right here (she has some gorgeous bags, too).
Monday, January 5, 2009
Wanderlust: Holiday in the Sun
Ah, January -- back to reality. I hope you all had a lovely holiday. Before we get back into the regular swing of things, I wanted to share some snaps of our winter break. We hit the road heading south in search of sunshine and swanky retro fabulousness, and for the most part, that's what we got.
So this is the house we rented in Palm Springs. I meant to take a few snaps inside, but then forgot. Dwell on Design did a video tour of the place a few years ago (click on "Wexler Harrison House"). The furnishings are all different now, but you'll get the idea.
This house is really all about the backyard, anyway.
I think I took these pictures of the kids frolicking in the pool on Christmas Eve. It's just wrong, I know.
Elvis and Priscilla spent their wedding night here.
Trina Turk Residential was fun in an over-the-top, Palm Beach kind of way. (I was too shy to snap pics there; the ones above were borrowed from The Contemporist.) And there was the 111 Antique Mall, a great jumble of a secondhand store in a random strip mall north of downtown. (Thanks to the always-chic Maison 21 for the tip on that one!) I lusted after a pristine and decently priced set of teak dining chairs and a bunch of midcentury pottery there, but didn't get a chance to return for them after my initial hurried run through the shop. Just as well, because we're totally broke.
All told, though, I have to say that I wasn't too impressed with the shopping in Palm Springs. The other stores I visited were mostly obscenely overpriced midcentury boutiques (trust me -- you can do way better on eBay and craigslist) or equally overpriced trend emporiums that looked like a Z Gallerie exploded inside. Asylum, pictured above, was probably the least offensive of them. Elsewhere, I saw a lot of things that I'm positive the shop owners picked up at Pier 1, the Z, and even IKEA and tripled the price on before putting them out on their floors.
Besides shopping and driving around random neighborhoods, my favorite thing to do on vacation is hang out at hotels we can't actually afford to stay in. And, of course, you simply can't go to Palm Springs without checking out the Jonathan Adler-designed Parker.
I'm finding myself less and less of a fan of Adler's pottery and product design (most of which seems to be shamelessly ripped off from original midcentury pieces). But I still love his interiors, which have a great sense of exuberance, wit, and fun.
The Parker's lounge almost makes me miss my parents' circa-1974 living room. Almost.
Plus, the grounds are gorgeous.
Brunch on the patio at Norma's. There were a lot of hungover, sunglasses-sporting Hollywood hipster types sucking down Bloody Marys when we visited.
The gift shop is a bit Legally Blonde, no?
Here's Nick hamming it up at Mister Parker's. If you're in the area and want to drink old-school cocktails and spend $400 on dinner (thanks, Mom!), this is the place for you.
We also stopped by Kelly Wearstler's Viceroy Hotel, which was super-glam and swanky. I'm pretty sure this is the yellow-and-white tile wall featured on the cover of Modern Glamour. Can't you just picture Kelly striking a pose here in some insane couture ball gown?
One of the cleaning ladies saw us wandering around drooling, took pity on us, and invited us to poke our heads inside a Viceroy suite. Sweet!
One of the property's three pools. If I ever win the lottery, I'm moving here.
The pool cabana, darlings.
The recently refurbished Riviera Resort is more Vegas than Palm Springs, but is definitely worth a gander.
These portraits of local legends (this one is Bob Hope, of course) were made entirely of sparkly bits of metal. Sadly, the shot I took of the pre-surgery Cher in all her glory didn't turn out.
My 13-year-old says he want to be a cabana boy here when he grows up. That's right -- aim high, my love.
In a future life, I think I'll need an enormous, patent-leather wing chair.
Something about this place makes me want to drink whiskey and eat steak.
One day, we actually got out of town to explore the desert. (Sara Bethell, I hope you're happy.) I am so not a nature person, but I'll admit that Joshua Tree is pretty amazing. Strangely, though, I still haven't found what I'm looking for ...
OK, on to L.A.: I would love to tell you that we did fabulously cool things there -- but the fact is, we mostly drove around kind of aimlessly, tried to visit a bunch of stores that were closed for the holidays (of the ones we managed to get in, ReForm School was my favorite), did some dorky touristy stuff the kids begged to do, and sat around at my sister- and brother-in-law's little Silverlake bungalow, noshing on vegan treats and watching DVR'ed episodes of Whatever, Martha. (I'm now completely addicted -- and think I may be even more terrified of Alexis Stewart than I am of her mother. Thanks, guys!) It was lovely, if not terribly exciting.
Dinner at the Farmer's Market with Nick's beautiful sister and her hilarious husband.
My husband makes a pilgrimage to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Sunset Strip Guitar Center.
The weather was insane -- mid 70s and sunshine the whole time we were there.
There's no questionable taste quite as awesome as L.A. questionable taste; don't miss the naked statues of David in the background. (Photo courtesy of my BIL.)
All in all, it was great fun -- although we're going to be eating rice, beans, and Top Ramen and Netflixing it on date night for months while our wallets recover.
How were your holidays?
