Carpinteria
Everyone seems to know everyone else in this low-key, close-knit beach town with a penchant for vintage wares
Written by Joan Tapper | Photography by Sara Prince | Illustrations by Digital Sunsets
Laid-back Carpinteria has the air of a beach town from years gone by, so perhaps it’s no surprise that a number of the boutiques and shops along the main drags of Linden and Carpinteria Avenues (or even farther afield) highlight vintage objects big and small. Folly has expanded from its tiny trailer venue to spacious new digs. Some 90 percent of its wares are vintage or handmade in California (mostly Santa Barbara and Ojai), and the shop carries furniture and items for men and children, too. Planned for the future are makers’ markets held on the grounds every couple of months. Pots, urns, planters, and troughs—there are containers of every shape, size, and material at Eye of the Day Garden Design Center. Fountains, antique items, stone and terra cotta wares, and glazed pottery are just a few of the oh-so-tempting Italian, Greek, and other European offerings for your outdoor pleasure.
For 23 years Homestead Antiques and Trading Company has showcased the individual tastes and specialties of the collective’s myriad dealers. The eclectic and vintage goods range from furniture to jewelry, books to old bottles, art to accessories. You can spend one dollar or a couple of thousand. The elegantly shaped cast-ceramic bowls, vases, lamps, and pendants at Miri Mara Ceramics may be colorfully glazed or incised with subtly intricate designs on a neutral palette, like the new Assisi bowls with a sgraffito finish. The sophisticated objects are all handmade by the talented Italian-born artist who gives the boutique its name. The Grapeseed Company is behind the Seaside Makers Collective, a sister boutique to its Funk Zone venue. New and popular items here include Mono B active- and leisurewear, an artisan food pantry, and the Breathe Easy Mask Spray, whose organic eucalyptus and mint infusions refresh our latest accessory. Soap has occupied its courtyard corner for more than two decades, offering Asian-influenced items, robes and sleepwear, and bath and beauty products, including its own Carpinteria Beach Collection, with a water lily and lotus flower fragrance. New and unique are 8-inch flat candles from Lithuania, with hand-painted scenes that range from fine art to florals. Zelda Prune opened Space Home and Garden on Labor Day 2020 and filled it with furniture and decorative items ranging from antique to midcentury to contemporary goods. There’s artwork inspired by early California history and, notably, the history of surfing—including surfboards and other surf-related treasures. Founded 11 years ago, women-owned Tidepools presents ocean-oriented gifts, accessories, and objets—from locally created jewelry to shells and candles, as well as natural soaps and lotions. The boutique also showcases a constantly rotating display of works by area artists. A longtime Carpinteria favorite dedicated to reusing, recycling, and repurposing, Whimsy Antiques has vintage architectural salvage, hip vintage clothing and jewelry, vintage maps, vintage furniture, and other fun things. It’s all reflected in the shop’s new motto: “the comfort of old good things.”
