Columnist Muriel Stevens: Home Goods leaves you wanting more

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 | 8:17 a.m.

Shopping in the dead heat of summer is not my favorite thing, yet I find myself trekking through stores in search of large and small treasures. Sometimes the search is fruitless -- I search for stores that exist only in the mind of a friend who got the scoop from a friend of a friend.

During a recent visit to Carlsbad, Calif., a friend told me about Home Goods, a fabulous store owned by the same company that owns the T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores.

Home Goods is in Encinitas, not far from Carlsbad. It is set up in the same fashion as is any upscale home furnishing store. Place settings of china and accompanying serving pieces are displayed with style and flair.

The in-house display team does a terrific job: furniture and lamps, linens, a remarkable display of pots and pans, gadgets galore, decorative pieces, flatware and items so tempting I had to remind myself that my traveling companion and I were were flying back to Las Vegas, not driving.

Another friend told me about a new store in Summerlin she believed was a Home Goods store. It was my next stop, but it turned out to be a Marshalls. It's not a Home Goods store, not even close.

Will we ever get a Home Goods store? Who knows, but we're not at the top of the list or even on the list.

After many attempts to reach a media relations person, I struck gold with Katherine Beedy, vice president of marketing for the Home Goods division. There are 150 Home Goods stores nationwide. The first ones opened 11 years ago on the East Coast. Stores in the Midwest came next, and now a number of stores are opening in California.

How the company decides which location is next is a marketing formula that Beedy would not share, except to say, "We like to open in areas that have growth potential. Our strategy cannot be disclosed, of course, but it has been very successful. Our buyers are in the markets all the time and enjoy really good vendor relationships. They are able to do really good deals."

Yes they are. The variety of merchandise at the store in Encinitas is remarkable. In addition to name brands, there are many lines exclusive to Home Goods. Maybe one day ...

Barbara Lee Woollen presents Art de Vignettes at Fashion Show: Art de Vignettes is a 4,000-square-foot gallery on two levels situated on the second level next to Bloomingdale's home store.

"Art de Vignettes was designed to please all art lovers with a unique architectural design to the gallery that complements the wide range of art we are offering," Woollen said.

Art glass from many artisans is dramatically displayed in a floor-to-ceiling case that can be viewed from inside and outside. A number of international and local artists are represented. Many of the artworks are exclusive to Art de Vignettes.

Local artist Jurgen Aldag paints textured abstracts and collaborates with superstars Siegfried and Roy, transforming photographs of their beloved Royal White lions and tigers into dazzling paintings bedecked with gold leaf and diamonds. So much eye candy!

For Art de Vignettes hours and additional info, call 734-3202.