Stop, Drop & Shop

Tips on how to outfit your dream home

By Sandra A. Berry

 

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Photo by Francisco Estrada

A home is more than a house. It’s an extension of you, of your family. And decorating it requires more than a single trip to a big box store. If you have just moved into your Los Cabos dream home and want to appoint it with a few accessories, there are many local options. Remember: Your home decor should reflect your style, personality, and the way you live, work, and relax.

Your home is, after all, your refuge, and you want your surroundings to feel like you. Design happens, but not without a plan. Whether your scheme is formal, dramatic, comfy, or made for entertaining, there is a world of ideas just waiting for you. And you’ll know it when you see it.

You may be in the market for some unique furnishings—or even design services. Los Cabos shops can accommodate all your home ideas. If you are traveling to Los Cabos and want to take back some pieces to liven up your house, bring photos, measurements, and paint chips with you. Maybe you want to fill a niche with a special piece of sculpture or add to your collection of memorabilia of foreign travel: perhaps a wall of masks from different countries, dolls, or framed prints. I love to have a mission while traveling, and it’s so satisfying to find that perfect piece. You get to shop, educate yourself about local crafts, meet fascinating shopkeepers, and fulfill a personal need all at the same time.

One of your first stops should be the Shoppes at Palmilla, located on the Tourist Corridor halfway between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. You can take care of all your shopping needs with a trip to this trendy shopping center. For architecture, interior design, and construction, head straight to Atlantis House
(www.atlantis-house.com). The showroom will blow you away with the one of the largest selections of fine furnishings and decor from the mainland of México.

Next stop: Antigua de México (www.antiguademexico.com). Here you’ll find beautiful furniture from mainland México, where the wood pieces are handcrafted and customized to your liking. No two pieces are alike, and you won’t find a catalog. But, if you see a hand-carved, gold-leaf mirror frame you like in the showroom or in a photograph, you may want to consider a similar design for a king-size headboard or other unique piece. Beautiful hand-stitched pillow coverings and other accessories are also available.

Ave Fenix (624-104-0322) has every sort of Mexican home accessory that you could have ever wanted in the way of decorative items: from lamps to dishware. One of the cleverest ideas I’ve seen in a while is to have a set of talavera dishware custom designed with your family name inscribed on the back. That way, you can pass it down to future generations.

If you are looking for just the right painting, stop by Pez Gordo art gallery (www.pezgordoloscabos.com). It has “everything art” and all originals. Get them on canvas, on metal, or even as fun hand-painted alebrije figurines from Oaxaca. If time permits in your vacation schedule, unleash your inner artist at a paint party. Pez Gordo staffers like to say the gallery puts the “art in pARTy.”

A new addition to the Shoppes at Palmilla is Audio High (www.audiohigh.com), originally from Los Angeles. It is dedicated to sound systems, cinemas, and home automation. For the uninitiated, home automation means being able to control almost everything at your house from your smart phone. For example, you’re at the office and want to turn your house’s air-conditioning on or want to check the surveillance cameras on the patio to see the weather. Whatever you can think of, this company can develop the software and make it happen.

When I first moved to Los Cabos in 1995, finding furniture, accessories and interior design services was not easy. But I was lucky enough to happen upon three: DecorAmerica Interiors (www.decoramericainteriors.com) who has been in business in Cabo San Lucas since 1986 offering turn-key interior design; El Callejón (624-143-1139) opened in 1991 and specializes in large projects, remodeling and everything in between to freshen up with fabrics, rugs, lamps, pillows, etc.; and Casa Paulina (www.casapaulina.com), a San José del Cabo fixture since 1989 that offers full-design integration from floors, iron work, texture, and tile.

Since then, other great establishments have opened up. Landgrave Furniture & Patio Store (www.landgravecabo.com) is located on the Tourist Corridor and features such name brands as Tommy Bahama, Stanley, Lexington, and La-Z-Boy from the United States as well as cast-aluminum, powder-coated patio furniture from México. Another is The Home Store (624-173-0203), which offers a blend of classic and rustic pieces, as well as traditional Mexican and “beach chic” looks. Also consider Casa Bonita (624-144-1500), Diaz de Luna (www.diazdeluna.com), Rattan Peninsula from Guadalajara (624-143-6373), and Treasures (624-144-6411). And, of course, I can’t forget the resale shops: Tienda 17 (624-105-2323) now has two locations in San José del Cabo, and Artesanos (km 2.5 on Tourist Corridor) in Cabo San Lucas is an amazing source for accessories from México—especially pewter—and also items from Bali. If only some of these great resources had been here back then. But I can now plan on redecorating.

See, it never stops.