Five Things to Love about SF’s New Cavalier
Author:Lindsey ShookIt would be easy to be disappointed in Cavalier, the new store from interior design star Jay Jeffers and retail guru Michael Purdy. If it were any less spectacular than Jeffers’ interiors (many have been featured in the pages of California Home+Design) or not as innovative as Alabaster, the late, great Hayes Valley store that Purdy managed, then their fans would be let down. But if you make your way to this about-to-ignite design hotspot at 1035 Post St. when it opens Tuesday, you will leave inspired. The store is fresh, surprising and insanely creative.
Erin Feher will have the full story in the next issue of CH+D, but before the doors officially open, I want to share five things I love about this store.
1. Jeffers’ Originals
Dying to own a Jay Jeffers-designed sofa or ottoman? They are here. Check out the Kingsley (above), the sofa which, like the store, derives its name from the couple’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Other items to covet include beautifully embroidered ottomans.
2. Art with an Edge
One of the best things about Cavalier is it originality. “I got tired of seeing the same things everywhere,” said Jeffers. Frankly, I know how he feels. That’s why unusual discoveries such as the feathered skulls by French artist Laurence Le Constant, photography by Bay Area artist Catherine Wagner and mind-bending jewelry by Alex & Lee of Mendocino are so exciting—they are pieces not seen everywhere or every day. As the Cavalier Code reads, “We don’t sell mass produced things…we believe in hand made, hand selected goods for the home.”
3. Perfect Pillows
The duo is carrying a line of woven leather pillows that blew me away with their design and colors (the vibrant hues pop and the metallics glow). Also notable, cushions with tiny metal studs that form initals and patterns.
4. Luxury in a Cup
Jeffers and Purdy have partnered with artisans in Brooklyn to bring an exquisite line of full-leaf teas to San Francisco. The smell is heavenly and the taste is divine.
5. Global Scents
One of the small, clever details in the shop is the candle collection. The couple sourced candles from their favorite hotels around the world to sell here, including the Hotel Costes in Paris.
Editor’s Note: This post was modified on April 29, 2012 to reflect that Michael Purdy managed Alabaster. The Hayes Valley shop was owned by Nelson Bloncourt.
