Step into A’maree’s, the Newport Beach haute couture clothing and jewelry boutique, and you’ll feel like you’re on a European vacation, complete with spectacular harbor views, a classic Modernist space and an array of beautiful objects.
Allow yourself to take in the light, white space of this unique structure, designed in 1961 by Thornton Ladd and John Kelsey, Pasadena architects who later designed the Norton Simon Museum. Though formal on the outside, the interior conveys a casual elegance that is both calm and inviting. Sunlight filters through the soaring windows, playing across the floor and through glass cases filled with designer jewelry.
Saving an O.C. icon
For years this space was home to popular restaurants – Stuft Shirt and Cano’s – then it sat vacant for more than a decade. Finally, five years ago boutique owner Nancy Brown and her daughters Dawn Klohs, Denise Schaefer and Apryl Schaefer, were able to relocate their clothing and jewelry store from Westcliff to the iconic building.
“We wanted this for so many years,” says Dawn Klohs. “The owner, Paul Haskell, said it was our destiny to be here. He knows we respect the building and treat it like our home.” (Haskell, now 84, resides on Bay Island and still owns the building.)
The sisters restored the space to expose its original structure, working with Venice architect Paul Davis. “When the restaurant Stuft Shirt took it over, and then Cano’s, they did everything they could to hide the architecture because they thought the building was out of date,” says Klohs. “We could not wait to expose everything – this made the owner so happy.”
The project did not daunt the sisters – quite the opposite. “It was actually amazing to work with this building – there was no dry rot, no mold, no termites. It’s really solid, and museum-like,” says Klohs. “We took the whole back cooking area and exposed the masonry, making it industrial and raw. On the selling floor, we wanted it to look more refined with white spaces.”
A driving passion
The sisters didn’t want the look to be static. “We didn’t connect anything to the concrete walls, so it’s very flexible for different installations,” explains Klohs. “We love change, bringing in new things, creating different environments all the time.”
But the store re-opened at this location just as the economy was crashing – it was a risky time, and friends and customers were worried. The drive of the three sisters and their mother to keep it going turned out to be more than enough to meet the challenge.
After all, the daughters have been in this business for practically their whole lives.
Almost 40 years ago, Nancy Brown started the gift and home business with a friend, whom she later bought out. “My younger sister and I, at age 10 and 12, organized the merchandise and displays after school,” says Klohs. “And our mother realized that whatever we put out, people wanted. So she began taking us on buying trips.”
The rest, you could say, is Orange County history. Klohs believes that running the business as a family, in a place where they are known and loved, is key to its success.
All in the family
“We don’t have a high turnover with our store employees, we’ve never used a buying office – and I think customers feel the difference,” she says.
They come from all over the world, according to Klohs. “We have a lot of customers from L.A., and definitely a lot from Orange County, but it’s really a global business. Saudi Arabians come in August – they adore our store,” says Klohs.
And each customer gets individual attention.
“We know what they want, what works and what doesn’t,” says Klohs, adding that some clients have been shopping with them 30 years.
Another factor is the consistently high quality of merchandise. “We don’t like trendy things that date quickly,” says Klohs. “We love good quality, and we love good style more than fashion.”
As part of the store’s upcoming 40th anniversary celebration in February, the sisters plan to feature exclusives from designers they have worked with for more than two decades, such as South African designer Peter Cohen. Nancy Brown is retired but keeps tabs on what her daughters are doing.
“We feel so blessed to do our business here,” says Klohs. “It makes us happy, and I think this, in turn, makes our business stronger.”
Get the look
You can’t replicate the iconic building of this boutique, but some aspects of A’maree’s inviting environment can be applied in your home. Here are a few ideas from Dawn Klohs.
If you have tall windows, use white linen curtains to filter the sunlight. “We use Pierre Frey linen,” says Klohs.
Go for white walls and light flooring.
Move objects and furniture around often,
as a creative way to showcase your favorite objects.
Keep the space clean, open and uncluttered.
