Ahoy, Mate
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Photographs by Matt Albiani
Owners Matt Albiani (left) and Ron Brand
Ten-year-old MATE GALLERY, located in Montecito’s Country Mart (the retail compound and de facto community center of Montecito), is home to all things nautical—from clothing and vintage accessories to home furnishings. Conceived and owned by Matt Albiani and Ron Brand, the shop was—according to Albiani—designed “to bring a bit of East Coast vibe to California,” and they have achieved that goal; the place is a style source for transplants and natives alike. Country Mart owner Jim Rosenfield recently enabled Brand and Albiani to triple Mate Gallery’s footprint, providing room for more bounty, including vintage furniture and fixtures. “Jim’s been very supportive of us and is a really good guy,” Brand says.
Albiani, a fashion photographer and Boston native, resides primarily in New York; Brand, a real estate agent, immigrated to Santa Barbara from Dundee, Scotland, in 1991. Together they cull and curate unique items that embody the Mate Gallery aesthetic. The pair also own a stylish getaway—dubbed “Sea Roost”—in Montauk, New York, that was recently featured on Magnolia Network’s Beach Cottage Chronicles and is available for rent on Searoost.com. “If you lived in Mate Gallery, it would be Sea Roost,” says Brand. 1024 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805-895-6283, mategallery.com
