Just in time for the arrival of the first houseguests of the season, Sausalito-based lifestyle outfitter Serena & Lily has launched its new destination Design Shop. Located on white-hot Sacramento Street, the boutique showcases the brand’s easy elegance—think classic Hamptons by way of the Bay. Its shelves are laden with crisp linens, signature bedding and plump pillows, all perfect for summer entertaining. And from its breezy playlist to a well-stocked mini-bar, Serena & Lily invites lounging amidst its cozy and comfortable vignettes.
With their Design Shop concept, founders Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter have achieved a rare hybrid: a working design space that accommodates both the consumer and professional designer. Stocked with textiles, wallpaper, rug and paint collections (as well as furniture, lighting and décor), the well-planned interior includes a custom textile display system that places the entire fabric range in full view, a central bar where one can spread out materials, impeccably organized sample drawers and a salon where clients can meet more discreetly.
“Our vision for the Design Shop was to take the showroom model and update it for a more fresh, creative, collaborative experience,” says Kanter. “It’s truly hands-on, which is what makes it so much fun.” Adds Dugan, “We want people to feel creative, to come in and play.”
The brand, which the duo launched in Mill Valley in 2003, began as a retailer of chic nursery linens, but in just over a decade has expanded to include a range of home collections, a thriving catalogue and online business, a book, a store in the Hamptons and, now, a retail space in its hometown. For summer, the Design Shop—which will change décor throughout the year—features an abundance of new offerings, including crisply patterned, portable Sling Chairs in hues like Pacific Blue and Paprika, the Marina outdoor furnishings collection (inspired by 1960s Scandinavian design), banded herringbone throws for chilly San Francisco summer evenings, and vibrant pareos, beach cover-ups and totes for those precious Bay Area beach days.
And to ensure you leave with the perfect accoutrements to welcome those soon-to-descend summer visitors, design advisors are on hand for consultations; the shop is also available to interior designers for private appointments, client meetings and presentations. So whether you
design for a living or just live for design, Serena & Lily is all about home sweet home.
