This Montecito boutique showcases exquisite merchandise including Simon Pearce hand-blown glassware, Vietri ceramic dinnerware, lighting from Arteriors and Le Jacquard Français table linens.
“Santa Barbara was missing a traditional gift store that had high-quality merchandise, where you can find everything from a hostess gift to a wedding gift, as well as accessories for your own home at various prices,” says proprietor Jane Barrett.
A former retail manager and antiques dealer with experience in interior decoration, Barrett has transformed a once dingy 700-square-foot space into a showcase for tasteful merchandise. “It’s current but not trendy,” she says. “My taste is more classic, but definitely with a twist. I’ve found that my customers who have very conservative taste, as well as those who prefer clean, contemporary design, appreciate the merchandise we carry.”
Walking through the welcoming front Dutch door, customers notice the back wall done in a striking gray-and-white damask wall covering from renowned British paint manufacturer Farrow & Ball. (Janie B carries the entire line of their wall coverings.) It combines with soothing gray walls and sisal floors to set the stage for a series of vignettes in which objects from highly regarded national lines, such as Simon Pearce hand-blown glassware, meet singular treasures from smaller manufacturers. “I wanted to present decorative objects as they would be arranged in a living environment,” Barrett says.
Metal works and bronzed botanicals from Michael Aram, and gilt and platinum-edged Annie Glass pieces occupy a dark-wood shelf. A mahogany side table from Arteriors is topped by a beautiful pale-blue blown-glass lamp, also from Arteriors, while Calaisio placemats and serveware, woven from water vines from the South Pacific, add their handsome exotic essence to the mix.
Vietri ceramic dinnerware (Barrett will also special order pieces for you) and Mariposa pewter serving pieces share a table with Le Jacquard Français table linens, while a Barclay Butera Home sofa and pillows completes the scene.
Since opening in December 2008, Barrett has received a warm response from Montecito residents and others. They’re happy to rediscover that specialty house wares boutique of long ago, where they’ll always find warm customer service and that thoughtfully selected item they would love to give or receive as a special gift. With price points ranging from $20 to several thousand dollars, there really is something special to fit any budget.
Janie B
1482 East Valley Road, Montecito
(upper village)
tel: 805.969.4400
