On quaint Main Street in Seal Beach, this general store stocks small and largely unknown lines with one thing in common: good design combined with purposeful function. Owners Bryce and Cecilia Cole opened in November after long careers in fashion. Bryce, 53, designed graphics and clothing, and Cecilia, 45, is an FIDM graduate and former head merchandiser for Volcom’s kids’ line. A sign outside the shop says “good design for better living,” which Bryce says, “is what we want to offer the people who come to our store.”
The Coles, architecture aficionados who live in one of the Eichler homes in Orange, live up to their motto by thoughtfully curating their inventory. Instead of the usual trendy lines, they carry handcrafted men’s jeans from Railcar Fine Goods in Monrovia, handmade leather goods from Long Beach-based Half Light Bindery, delicate lingerie from L.A.’s Maison du Soir, and glasses
from Garrett Leight Eyewear. They also carry Ogami, an Italian line of waterproof, tree-free notebooks with paper made from stone, and greeting cards.
“We wanted the store to be an expression of everything we were inspired by,” Cecilia says. Despite some of the unique items, prices are reasonable: Clothing ranges from $32 to $332, and housewares, $10 to $150.
Coast Modern
219 Main St.
Seal Beach
562-314-3440
coastmodernstore.com
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