Our News

When a house is a home

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:35:31 -0700

The current financial environment has certainly changed our behavior as residents. Recent reports indicate that people, at all income levels, are spending more time at home. This is not necessarily bad news.

The recent economic boom had us jumping from one place to the other always looking form the best next deal or the best opportunity to get into the house we always dreamt of. These are noble purposes. Nevertheless, in the process, we started to see houses as commodities, as “things” you get in and out of depending on the cycle of the market. Houses where not homes anymore. They stopped being the place where you wanted to seat in front of the fire to watch the rain go by; or where you saw kids running around and laughing, living; or where friends and family gathered to talk about the present, the past and the future. In short, many houses were not homes anymore.

Maybe this is the time to rekindle that so-called pride of ownership. Maybe is the time to continue or start a tradition in that place we like to call a home. Maybe is time to sit in your living room and wonder about the colors, the shapes and the light that make up your home. Maybe is time to appreciate that memories that those four (at least) walls encapsulate.

Whatever a home means to you, it certainly helps to decorate your house in a ways that brings out its character. We are here to help. If it is character, uniqueness and value that your are looking for, you have to stop by.

We carry an amazing and very limited collection of handmade home accessories.

If you want to learn more about us, visit our homepage.

You have to see it yourself!

Our Commitment to Earth

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:04:09 -0700

Being environmentally conscious is not only about being green, it’s also about being socially responsible and accountable for the way we carry out our business. At least that is what we believe in Casa Caroni.

All our pieces are carefully selected from the collections of Latin American Artisans. Gold, silver, glass, copper, wood, clay and wrought iron are blended in balance to create our beautiful pieces. All of our artists work from their very modest workshops, using mostly their own hands, hearts and lungs and thus, generating a very tiny carbon footprint. The scale of their production is such that energetic requirements are also minimal, and the reuse and recycling of materials is an everyday practice: It helps them to reduce costs (and thus increase their profits) and also to refine their products (any product that does not meet their creative and quality standard will go back to the fire...)

No mass productions and no big inventories here. We guarantee it. This is what makes us so unique,

The materials our artists use come from mother earth and can as easily go back to mother earth. We are also very stringent when it comes to the use of lead: we don’t allow it in our products. In fact all our glass and pewter products are lead free.

We have always said it: we are very proud of the artists we work with. Casa Caroni’s driving force is to showcase the skills, techniques and quality of the high-end Latin American decorative arts. We are interested in the artists achieving success and keep creating and perpetuating their art. That is the wind of our fire.

Come and visit us. You have to see it yourself!

Fall has arrived

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 18:19:33 -0700

Change enlivens the spirit and renews the energy; and that is why we love seasons. But when it comes to character, love, elegance, nothing beats Autumn.

Fall also signals that the Holidays we all love are all coming, and it’s time to welcome family and friends to our homes. In the spirit of change and sharing your home with the people you love, this is also de perfect time to redecorate and add warmth to your environment.

Earth tones and vivid accents always create a welcoming, yet energized environment. Indoor pottery is a fantastic way of adding texture and bring color to a space. Handmade pottery, in particular, when combined with your current decoration dramatically enhances any room creating a focal point that is not overbearing, but graceful. Furthermore, for centuries, pottery has also been a sign of abundance.

Decorative fruits are also widely used this season. Fruits also signal well-being and abundance and therefore also make for beautiful and thoughtful gifts. Disperse blown-glass fruits around your home, on your tables, kitchen, or create an elegant bounty on a silver or pewter tray and you will add sparkle and grace to your space. Want to know a decorator’s tip? Always create group of things in even numbers (e.g. three candles, five blown-glass fruits, etc.). It makes a real different. Everything looks purposeful and natural. Give it a try.

In Casa Caroni we have an amazing selection of handmade pottery, blown-glass fruits, candles and other very unique decorative accents that will be the delight of the most demanding customers.

Remember, if you have questions or comments, please don’t forget to send us a note to news@casacaroni.com

Why We Are Different

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 08:31:21 -0700

Everybody keeps repeating us that. But we are not different weird. We are the interesting version of different. We are Unique.

We are not just an inventory of fine home accessories. We are a process and we are passion. We don't flip through the pages of catalogues or point at attractive pieces at workshop floors just to bring them to you and make a profit. We talk to the artists, we weigh, we imagine, we dream, we get inspired. We look for beauty, maturity, balance, elegance, value and character. We look for ohs! and ahs!

If we stand in front of a piece and it doesn't talk to us, or if we can't imagine fire and sweat giving form, texture and color to it, that is not Casa Caroní. We are proud of the artists and workshop that come together in our space.

You see, we are a concept. Walk through the doors of Casa Caroní for the first time and you will realize that you had never been here, but at the same time you will feel that warmth of belonging.

We are hard to define in terms of style. We represent quite an eclectic taste. But if you are looking for classification, our style is very Mediterranean, with a Tuscan overtone and a strong fusion of sumptuous Iberian grace. Add to this the vibrancy of Latin-American creativity, fervor and a quest to discover the new and rediscover what has been lost. Our pieces range from the Classic to the Modernist, with such a sublime balance that it is truly a form of beauty seeing all these coexisting together.

Walk into our gallery and when you look up you will see a reminiscent industrial space. Look down and you will see the artful and welcoming magnetism of beautiful and downtrodden Tuscan floor. Don't focus on the details (although we'd love you to do just that) but just experience the ambience and you will feel the kind embrace of a turn-of-the-20th-century Latin-American Hacienda.

Got the picture? If you still can't believe it, come and visit us, you have to see it yourself!

If you have questions or comments, please don’t forget to send us a note to news@casacaroni.com

Summer is here!

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:10:25 -0700

We can't believe summer is here. Spring this year, with all the rain we got during the season (at least for souther California standards), was just gorgeous. The hills were covered in wild flowers of the most amazing colors. Quite a change from a year prior.

Anyways, on with the new! Specially with all the Laguna Beach has to offer: the Sawdust Festival, the Art-a-Fair (at Tivolli 2), the Pageant of the Masters, the beach, the summer breeze, the people... what a fantastic place to be! By the way, if you are looking for us we are sandwiched between the Sawdust and the Art-a-Fair festival and just steps away from the Pageant of the Masters.

Free public transportation are available from all these attractions to downtown Laguna and beyond. If you want more information, don't forget to visit www.lagunabeachinfo.org

The whole city has geared up for the season and so have we. Casa Caroni has spruced up its collection of fine decorative accents. We have also added a line of stylish handmade silver jewelry. Don't miss a chance to enjoy fine arts, creative artists and arguably, the best weather in the world.

This is the perfect time to come and visit us. You will really have a chance to see how unique we are. If you are visiting us from out of town, no worries, we carefully pack and ship!

If you are looking for elegant and distinctive pieces made out of the most noble and materials for yourself or as a that perfect gift, you have to come, you have to see it yourself...

By the way, we are located right next to the Sawdust Festival grounds and we have FREE parking!