Best Interior Designer (Tie): Maria Barry And Doug Dolezal
Specializing in Old World Tuscan style, Maria Barry creates a seamless design concept for each space she works on, collaborating with both the architect and the homeowner to capture the perfect atmosphere. (858/759-2709, www.ledimora.com)
From urban Craftsman to European sophisticated to modern organic, Doug Dolezal creates beautiful rooms in a wide range of styles, making sure that each is distinct and has great depth to its character. (858/759-1744, www.dolezaldesign.com)
Best Real Estate Agent/Company: Barry Estates
Always putting the client first, Barry Estates specializes in luxury properties in Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, and other affluent coastal areas. The company ranked at the top in sales volume last year in the Western United States. (858/756-4024, www.barryestates.com)
Best Architect/Homebuilder (Tie): Smith Brothers Construction And Mark V. Agee Custom Homes
Building spectacular homes in Hawaii as well as SoCal, Smith Brothers Construction is an award-winning custom design homebuilder that uses the highest quality of materials and workmanship to ensure the end result is the home of your dreams. (858/350-7629, www.smithbrothersconstruction.com)
A custom homebuilder in Rancho Santa Fe, Mark V. Agee offers a commitment to excellence and attention to detail when he personally sees through one of his projects. His stunning work has garnered clients including sports legends LaDainian Tomlinson and Jeremy McGrath. (858/756-3517, www.markvagee.com)
Best Home Accessories (Tie): Le Dimora, Seaside Home, And Leaping Lotus
Le Dimora offers a unique collection of furniture, accessories, and gifts — all individually selected by founders Maria Barry and Cindy Cerenzie. Current lines include Barclay Butera, Century, Coastal Living, Fremarc, Guy Chaddock, Lexington, and many more. (858/759-2709, www.ledimora.com)
Enjoy the shopping experience at Seaside Home, a home showroom that Ranch & Coast readers love for its fabulous collection of furniture, linens, and home décor that emanates California coastal elegance. (858/454-0866, www.seaside-home.com)
Leaping Lotus, an exotic market on Cedros Avenue, showcases over 120 merchants’ wares from around the world with a wide selection of home goods ranging from art to kitchen items to bath and body supplies. (858/720-8284, www.leapinglotus.com)
Best Furniture: Kern & Co.
Also a remodel source favorite, Kern & Co. offers a vast selection of sophisticated and eclectic furniture, and works with clients to ensure their one-of-a-kind vision can become a reality. (858/792-7722, www.kerncodesigns.com)
Best Antiques: The McNally Company Antiques
Discover the rich history in each beautiful piece at this fine antique store that boasts 17th, 18th, and 19th century furniture, objects d’art, home accessories, and one of the finest antique silver collections in Southern California. (858/756-1922, www.mcnallycompanyantiques.com)
Best Flooring (Tie): Aja Rugs And Lumber Liquidators
Though Aja Rugs specializes in Oriental and Persian rugs, its collection of flooring offers endless possibilities, including the opportunity to exchange your rug should your tastes ever change. (858/459-0333, www.ajadesign.com)
With great prices, warranties, and a huge selection, it’s easy to see why Ranch & Coast readers turn to Lumber Liquidators for their flooring needs, whether seeking hardwood, bamboo, cork, engineered, floating, or laminate floors. (800/HARDWOOD, www.lumberliquidators.com)
Best Remodel Source/Window Coverings (Tie): Cedros Avenue Design District, Kern & Co., Direct Buy, And Old World Garage Doors
Filled with stores sure to meet all designing needs, Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach grabs Ranch & Coast readers’ attention as a unique one-stop shopping spot for any kind of home décor. (www.cedrosdesigndistrict.net)
Nestled in the Cedros Design District, Kern & Co., under the helm of designer Susan Spath, offers diverse collections of home furnishings from around the world including hand-selected fine hardwood furniture, upholstered pieces in richly woven textiles, lamps, and accessories. (858/792-7722, www.kerncodesigns.com)
Members can browse Direct Buy’s showroom and catalogs for an array of furniture, appliances, flooring, window coverings, and more, and avoid retail markups with factory-direct prices. (www.directbuy.com)
Old World Garage Doors offers custom Old World craftsmanship paired with modern technology when creating beautiful wood garage doors milled in-house that withstand any kind of weather. (760/966-1270, www.oldworldgaragedoors.com)
Best Landscaping/Garden Source (Tie): Green Gardens, Weidners’, And Grangetto’s
Pacific Beach’s Green Gardens offers both a nursery and a landscape division. To complement its extensive plant and plant care inventory, the nursery also houses imported pottery, specialty fountains, indoor and outdoor garden décor, and accessories. (858/483-8803, www.sdgreengardens.com)
Weidners’ Gardens in Leucadia formed in 1973 when Bob Weidner placed an order for 25,000 begonias, unbeknownst to his wife, Evelyn. Today, Evelyn and her daughter, Mary, run the nursery that has grown to also offer pansies, cyclamen, and more, along with an informative and charming Web site. (760/436-2194, www.weidners.com)
With locations in Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, and Valley Center, Grangetto’s Farm & Garden Supply offers over 50 years of experience with pest control advisors on staff, as well as a wide assortment of landscape, grove, and garden products. (760/944-5777, www.grangettos.com)
Best Stationery (Tie): Warwick’s And Paper Paper
A La Jolla gem, Warwick’s has an extensive line of stationery to fit all styles, as well as printing services for custom invitations, gifts, office and party supplies, art, and books tied to frequent author book-signings. (858/454-0347, www.warwicks.com)
Near Flower Hill Promenade in Del Mar, Paper Paper is a charming stationery store that meets all paper needs with upscale custom cards, invitations, note paper, gift wrap, and more. (858/481-8883)
Best Florist (Tie): Floral Palette And Dolezal Home & Garden
Rancho Santa Fe’s Floral Palette creates lush arrangements of flowers for any occasion and has an extensive collection of gift items perfect for when you play host or hostess. (858/832-1127)
Also in the Ranch, Dolezal Home & Garden offers stunning designs and a great selection of beautiful blooms so that you can get whatever arrangement works best for you — one-of-a-kind custom, ready-to-buy, or by the stem. (858/759-1744, www.dolezaldesign.com)
EDITOR’S Pick — Best Furniture: Kreiss
Known for its California casual style and neutral palette, the Kreiss Collection has long signified class. “I love designing furniture, but my real passion is creating inspired spaces,” says CEO Michael Kreiss, whose family founded the business 70 years ago. The company has expanded to more than 30 showrooms and galleries around the world and has evolved from its California casual roots to include European formal, Spanish Mediterranean, and a new contemporary line with Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. (858/456-0246, www.kreiss.com) ANDREA NAVERSEN
EDITOR’S PICK — Best Housewares Shop: Anthropologie
Anthropologie has been a store I only visit on vacation, but when an outpost opened in Fashion Valley, I simultaneously rejoiced and sighed. I knew it would become a favorite bad habit. I especially like the housewares department for the distinctive and affordable etched Champagne flutes, delicate bud vases, and petite jeweled picture frames that make great gifts. (www.anthropologie.com) MARIA C. HUNT
EDITOR’S PICK — Best Water-Wise Gardening Advice: The Water Conservation Garden At Cuyamaca College
With rationing on the horizon, I’m making frequent trips to The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College. This great resource provides info on drought-resistant plants, as well as fire-wise landscaping, irrigation, and much more. (619/660-0614, ext. 10, www.thegarden.org) ELIZABETH HANSEN
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