Seaside Home: La Jolla’s luxury furniture destination

The finest appointments in coastal furnishings and accessories are to be found at Seaside Home Coastal Lifestyle Design.

Though more than a year old, the two-story furniture store at 7509 Girard Ave. recently held a re-launch party to reacquaint patrons with all it has to offer.

“We really are San Diego’s only luxury home furnishing destination,” said store owner Sheryll Jackman, ASID, who is also a general contractor and a real estate broker. “Nobody carries anything like we do. We carry just about every high-end line.”

Seaside Home is a unique, eclectic atelier showcasing a casual-yet-classically-elegant ensemble of delightful finds reflecting Southern California’s special style of seaside leisure and grand traditions. Jackman has brought together some of the world’s most renowned and sought-after lines and has showcased them in a fresh and inspirational way.

The upscale store features Baker furniture, lighting and accessories, as well as other prominent lines such as Ralph Lauren, Century, Oscar de la Renta, Hickory Chair, Henredon Aquisitions, Janus et Cie, McGuire and many others.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the field of decorative arts, interior design and architecture, Sheryll founded The Jackman Group in 1978. Seaside Home, originally named Island Provenance, was started in 1996. A graduate of the Design Institute of San Diego and the College for Appraisers in Placentia, Jackman is also active with several design, appraisal and historical preservation groups in both San Diego and Coronado and is also a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She has served as an Instructor at the Design Institute of San Diego and has lectured on historic preservation.

Jackman touted the Baker line of furniture. “What I love about Baker’s Milling Road Collection of fine antique reproductions is that there are no ‘en-suite’ collections,” she said. “Each piece reflects Baker’s love of heritage and respect for fine craftsmanship and is based on the timeless qualities of line, proportion, finish and attention to detail. British Colonial, European, Country, Asian and American Traditional all work together as if collected over a lifetime. Baker upholstery is reminiscent of couture-level fashion. Premium fabrics and craftsmanship with all upholstery hand cut, basted and rebasted reflect the details that set Baker apart and above.”

In addition to Baker Furniture, an enviable selection of furnishings and accessories are displayed in the most inviting lifestyle settings. Light from crystal chandeliers shine on cashmere throws from Italy and sparkle onto an abundant display of British designer William Yeoward’s crystal, glass, fine bone china and hallmark sterling. There are also fine bed and bath linens from Yves DeLorme, Peacock Alley, lighting by Chapman, Jamie Young and Frederick Cooper and original art from Trevor James. The air is lightly scented by candles from Manual Canovas and Dyptich and fine Italian pewter by Arte Italica and Match serve as perfect accessories for the European Country feel. Jay Strongwater frames and jewelry add the finishing touches.

Jackman started out with an architectural design and construction company in Coronado more than 20 years ago. “We design and build custom homes,” she noted. “About 12 years ago, we opened up an antique store in Coronado because we needed accessories. We went back and forth to Europe to get accessories, sofas and beds. We had so much from Baker furniture, they asked me to open a store in La Jolla.”

Jackman found her new home in the retail space formerly inhabited by Aja. A complete remodel was undertaken, including the entire storefront.

The showrooms at Seaside Home are very busy but in an attractive, uncluttered way. One showroom seems to blend seamlessly into another. Every room - living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, etc. - has its own exhibit space.

Jackman characterized the style of Seaside Home’s furniture as “transitional,” insofar as it is a hybrid of different stylistic elements - Chinese, animal prints, French - that are easily mixed and matched and customized to suit individual tastes. Furniture lines tend toward the classic, but they can be accessorized to make it appear more contemporary, yet softer. “Certain people love that contemporary thing,” said Jackman, “but what’s happened in the last 10, 12 years is the whole contemporary hard edge has been taken off. On the traditional side, it’s all been brought into the current time to meet in the middle somewhere.”

The interior designer said today’s new modernistic furniture styles reflect how people live. “They collect things,” she pointed out, “where not everything, end tables, coffee tables, are matched. It’s all about choosing. What we try to do is find things for people and show them how they can use them every day.”

Clientele of Seaside home come from far and wide, even places outside San Diego like Newport Beach and Orange County. A lot of customers own second homes. They’re looking for alternatives to what they’re used to, something, unique, something “them.” Said Jackman: “Our clientele want quality. The number one thing is comfort. They want to have something a little bit spectacular. We’re very elegant, but still very coastal. That’s what we’re all about.”

Seaside Home is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information call (858) 454-0866 or visit www.seasidehomelajolla.com.