Charlotte Moss - A Flair for Living

Fresh flowers, ocean breezes, chic boutiques, and a treasure trove of shopping gems…I never have enough time in Los Angeles. Of course, no visit to LA is complete without some shopping. On a recent quick trip, my visit began with cocktails and a dinner party given by Hutton and Ruth Wilkinson at Dawnridge, the famous home of Tony Duquette. We walked through the gardens that were lit with candles and votives, chatting with friends.

Things have been very busy with the publication of my latest book A Flair for Living, including a book signing party at Hollyhock and a delicious southern dinner hosted by Suzanne and Fred Rheinstein in their beautiful home. Earlier that day, a book signing at William Sonoma Home, gave me an opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people and talk about a couple of the things I love doing, entertaining and setting the table. Working with the collections at Williams Sonoma Home and personalizing with items I shipped from home, we created five different stories and did a presentation that was more like having a conversation with a group of friends.

I was jealous that two of my staff, Max Sinsteden and Lynde Easterlin, had arrived earlier that week and did much of our antique shopping. I took a quick visit to Indigo Seas on Robertson Boulevard where I always feel transported to some place exotic or tropical. I always find great textiles, a vintage book, and a great CD. Next door at the Ivy, I always enjoy the crab salad and a minted iced tea on the outdoor patio.

At Williams Sonoma Home, I bought shagreen trays, table linens, lucite and cane bar accessories, picture frames, and note cards -one stop shopping for a little spruce up for my house in East Hampton and some hostess gifts.

At Hollyhock, where I always find some beautiful things. This time we shipped back to New York an ottoman with great carved legs and hoof feet and a petite five-piece Delft Garniture which I could not resist. Suzanne has an amazing eye and always has something to tempt me and I always look forward to these visits.

And to J. F. Chen’s new warehouse in Culver City. If one can imagine almost an airplane hangar full of antiques, furniture, objects that span the centuries, and cover the globe. I found furniture, ceramics, and lots of ideas for an upcoming project. A casual lunch at Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City, fortified me for the Friday afternoon drive up to Montecito where I was off to see friends for the weekend.

Saturday was “shop ‘til you drop”. At the Summerland Antique Collective, I bought antique curtain tie-backs, tole objects, vintage jewelry, and a giant basket full of perfectly bleached antlers. I have no idea where they are going. Just know that they will soon find a home.

Circa, where the mother and daughter team of Ann and Ellie O’Connell who hold court in this exotic jewel box of a store. While I was there, they let me have a peak at a space they are now expanding into. I found brackets, collapsible canvas baskets, my new gardening trug and a great faux volume called Take-Out Menus, which I immediately scooped up to organize the menu jumble in my kitchen in New York.

At Rue De Lillie, all things provençal, I found an antique Champagne basket that I am now using for flowers in my garden in New York and a French bistro sign for my own store for our upcoming store story for summer – “en Provence.”

Antico II has a great mix of objects; I found a great pair of candlesticks and an 18th century French ceramic vase.

A must stop is botanik, a home furnishing store with terracotta urns, oozing with succulents, great fragrances and accessories-a clean, well-edited collection. Great hostess gifts, too.

At Summerhill Antiques, run by Jennifer Sannan, is a breath of fresh air as Jennifer specializes in painted Swedish and French furniture. A carefully edited and well chosen collection.

At William Laman, a shop self described as “not what you need, but what you want” — oh, so true. Did I really need another pair of cachepots? No…but of course!

Europa, filled with antiques and fine art, is a shop for collectors. Every room houses a carefully curated collection, merging countries and cultures. Eclectic, eccentric — all excellent.

Upstairs at Pierre LaFonde and Wendy Foster, I found a treasure trove of gifts and accessories for the home. Something for everyone.

The perfect ending to a great shopping day was a visit to the mountain top Villa di Lemma, the Montecito home of John Saladino and Betty Barrett. Navigating around agave, olive trees, and stone troughs exploding with lavender and rosemary- we watched the sun drop and sipped what John calls “The Perfect Martini.”

Stylish, glamorous, and seductive. California will always be a recurring story. This is just the tip of the iceberg.