Burlap and crystal. Peeling paint and gilded mirrors. Rustic and refined. Wander into Wisteria Antiques and Design in Soquel and you’ll find harmony. This home and garden compound on nearly an acre of what had been an old farm is a true destination. The chicken coop and the original farm house are filled as usual with French antiques and vintage linens, but the spaces are constantly evolving. You’ll still see the bright primary colors of Provence, but the new French style is becoming more muted, with neutral linens, billowy whites, faded khakis.
"It’s the Louis-style furniture _ not with brocades, but with linen. No color,” said Wisteria manager Temia Demakopoulos. "It’s a more natural look _ not formal French.”

Everywhere you look is another stunning vignette: an old concrete urn ($395) on a windowsill with a linen curtain ($99) draped beside it; crisp embroidered pillows (from $456 to $450) in front of a stone fireplace; a glimmering chandelier in front of a pillow-filled French chest. 

It’s a place for friends to mosey along pea gravel pathways, finding stunning little treasures at every turn.  Aptos Gardens, a separate nursery business on the same site, delights the eye with vintage statuary and abundant flowers. It’s easy to miss at 5870 Soquel Ave.  It’s just north of Park Avenue, on the west side of Soquel Ave.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 12:08 pm and is filed under Julia, Looki What I Found. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.