Best Sellers in San Diego

by Maya Kroth

Warwicks

It was more than a century ago that W.T. Warwick opened his first stationery/book store in Minnesota. Relocating to California in the '30s, Warwick founded what would become one of tony La Jolla's most treasured village shops, offering everything from the latest bestseller to hard-to-find notebooks, jewelry, decor items, designer pens and more. Now run by a fourth generation of Warwicks—W.T.'s great-granddaughters Nancy and Cathy—the shop continues to be a favorite among locals and visitors alike, not only for the string of high-profile authors that stage readings and signings there, but also for the wide range of charming, quality merchandise.

Best Sellers
Baby: Trumpette Jenny and Johnny socks
Home: Annie Modica lazy susans and trays, Tin Woodsman hand-hammered pewter measuring spoons
Jewelry: Pendants by Ayala Bar and Dogeared Jewelry
Stationery: Waste Not gift cards, fold-and-mail stationery by Chronicle Books
Desk accessories: Mont Blanc writing instruments and artist-themed pens by Acme
Wedding: Rag & Bone handcrafted wedding and guest books

Nancy and Cathy Warwick, Owners
858.454.0347
Warwicks.com [1]

Grounded

Juli Risner opened Grounded three years ago when she and her husband, a landscape architect, found themselves a little bored with the area's home and garden shops. So the couple started their own hip, modernist emporium in an airy warehouse just off the railway line in the laid-back community of Encinitas. The store carries everything from mid-century-style patio furniture, birdfeeders and glassware to quirky gift cards, colorful floor mats and chic vases. Risner looks high and low for outdoors-inspired wares for her shop, finding gems everywhere from gift shows and design blogs to friends' living rooms.

Best Sellers
Overall: Chilewich placemats, floor mats, doormats, handbags and totes
Home: Michael Aram recycled aluminum vases and porcelain dishware
Garden: J. Schatz egg-shaped birdfeeders and birdhouses
Jewelry: Loop "karma" pendants by Nashelle
Stationery: Wooden postcards by Night Owl
Kitchen: Roost etched botanical glassware

Juli Risner, Owner
760.230.1563
ShopGrounded.com [2]

Champagne Taste

Eight years ago, Andrea Graef made the leap from training caretakers of developmentally disabled adults to becoming an independent retailer. Graef has a definite eye for quality, as one would expect from a store called Champagne Taste. "My mother always said, 'You have such champagne taste on a beer pocketbook,'" she explains. Originally founded in Northern California, Graef's shop quickly became San Diego's go-to spot for expectant mothers and baby-shower attendees upon its opening in the city's South Park neighborhood six years ago. In addition to the many high-quality baby gifts, Graef also stocks an array of fine French soaps, candles, Italian dishware, elegant and humorous gift cards, and locally designed jewelry.

Best Sellers
Baby: Robeez baby shoes, Beba Bean Pee-pee Teepees
Home: Vietri Italian dinnerware
Jewelry: La Vie Parisienne earrings and charms
Stationery: Edgy, humorous cards by Uncooked
Bath and body: Mistral soaps and lotions, especially lavender flower and verbena flower

Andrea Graef, Owner
619.234.3585
ChampagneTaste.com [3]

Solo

Situated in the chic Cedros Design District in the artistic northern San Diego community of Solana Beach, Solo's 4,000-square-foot, warehouse-like space offers a dizzying array of modern home furnishings from names like Eames and Knoll, but the real fun comes in discovering the smaller finds tucked away in the store's many nooks and crannies. The shop has something for nearly every design-minded taste: one-of-a-kind jewelry for the discerning diva, high-quality toys for tots, handblown glasswork, designer stationery and more. Owner Carole Carden selects her unique, modern merchandise from vendors in far-flung corners of the globe and also right in her own backyard, carrying many items designed and produced in Southern California.

Best Sellers
Baby: Rody toys and bla bla stuffed animals
Home Accessories: Voluspa candles
Jewelry: Handmade, vintage tintype cameo necklaces by local artist Jill Price
Stationery: Delphine cards

Carole Carden, Owner
858.794.9016
SoloCedros.com [4]

Scott James East Village

After seven years working in sales and as general manager of a successful chain of San Diego gift shops, Scott James decided to strike out on his own, opening his eponymous boutique in 1993. Focusing heavily on local, independent designers, SJEV packs a vibrant array of items into its small main space (a second location opened up two blocks away). Colorful canvases by local artists hang from the walls, which are lined with shelving that displays a variety of European-inspired stationery, picture frames, pet accessories, baby gifts, quirky gift cards, barware and bags made from unusual industrial materials, such as seatbelts and recycled inner tubes.

Best Sellers
Overall: Harvey's seatbelt bags
Baby: Clothes and gifts by Elegant Baby
Home: redbox Candle Co. reed fragrance diffusers and soy candles
Jewelry: Venezia Murano glass pendants and one-of-a-kind pieces by local artist Francine
Stationery: Mik Wright photo-album greeting cards
Pets: Von Dutch carrier bags

Scott James, Owner
619.696.0910
ScottJamesEastVillage.com [5]