Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2009
Cambria store offers a casual, come-as-you-are approach to decorating
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closeTina Cleaveland likes to sum up her Cambria furniture and home accents store, Home Arts, with one word: unstuffy.
“I don’t like galleries or home design stores that feel uptight and pretentious. I wanted the store to be very casual—not that the look is casual, but the store’s personality.”
Cleaveland, who has a background in fine arts, opened the shop in 1995 to showcase the work of artists and artisans. Around three-quarters of her wares, which include furniture, accessories, art and textiles, is handmade. Her style is eclectic, encompassing contemporary, mid-century modern, Danish modern and cottage.
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FRESHEN UP FLOORS
Pull up those dark, heavy rugs and give your home a fresh summer makeover by laying out sea grass or sisal rugs. They are less expensive than wool rugs and offer nice texture without a lot of extra color. Just remember that these rugs are very absorbent and easily damaged by liquids. So soak up spills quickly and never use a steam cleaner. If the rug becomes soiled, have it professionally cleaned.GRAINS OF SAND
Turn vacation mementos into an inexpensive display. Save glass spice jars and remove their labels. Use them to collect sand from beaches you visit locally and on vacation. Label them and display on a wall-mounted spice rack or on a table atop a pretty tiered platter. You’ll be amazed at the variety of textures and colors.A NEW TWIST ON ART
For a fresh take on wall art, consider buying a painting on canvas that is hung on a rod, rather than stretched on a frame. The rods that they’re hung on are often works of art themselves that add interest and texture to the presentation.
“I buy what I love for the store and what I want in my own home,” she said. “I don’t buy exactly what I think is going to sell, and it’s worked so far.”
Lately, the store has taken a turn toward beach-influenced, with nauticalthemed merchandise and soothing colors derived from the sea. You’ll find nautical paintings, sea grass rugs and hand-hooked pillows bedecked with sea stars. She carries a line of rattan furniture with weather-resistant fabrics, as suitable for an informal living room as it is for a covered porch.
Many of the pieces at Home Arts are ecofriendly, crafted from recycled materials.
There are lamps made by Arroyo Grande’s Steve Bewley from salvaged items such as computer components, auto parts and guitar strings. There are bird houses made by a Novato artist from old license plates and left-over shingles. Wall sculptures by Morro Bay’s Anthony Hanson are crafted from recycled metals. The Brigham family, also local, creates framed mirrors from recycled woods, old tin signs and even scraps salvaged from buildings in San Luis Obispo that have been retrofitted.
Cleaveland appreciates salvaged art for its aesthetics, as well as its benefit to the environment.
“I always think that even if you have to pay a little bit more, you’re not only supporting an artist, you have something in your home that is more unique, not something that everyone else has,” she said.
Cleaveland isn’t afraid of picking up something seemingly out-of-character for the store. Right now, there’s a section with handmade Japanese kanji calligraphy and another section with dog-themed items.
She’s also known for her window displays that range from creative to kooky. You might find a nine-foot mermaid lounging on a hammock, or a Santa Claus made from cola cans. For Cleaveland, it’s all about lightness and humor — two more design principles that help her to keep stuffiness at bay.
Home Arts is at 727 Main Street in Cambria, 927-2781.
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