Home & Garden - Ranch & Coast

Best Antiques: The McNally Company Antiques, Inc. (Runner-Up: D.D. Allen Antiques, Inc.) After 30 years in the antiques industry, Connie and Bill McNally have earned a sterling reputation. Their Rancho Santa Fe shop has one of the finest collections of antique silver in Southern California — Connie, after all, was editor and publisher of Silver Magazine. But there is much more than just silver, including furnishings, paintings, and objects d’art. Browsing their showroom, which opened 17 years ago, is a bit like going to a museum — only these treasures are for sale. On the off chance you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, the McNallys will find it for you. Connie calls herself an antiques detective. "Some pieces have provenance and that means they have a romance that goes with them, which is a history," she says. "And I love seeking out the romance behind the piece." One find: a dozen sterling silver chargers made for President Woodrow Wilson. (858/756-1922, www.mcnallycompanyantiques.com) — Andrea Naversen Best Furniture: Seaside Home (Runner-Up: Treasures) Designer Sheryll Jackman’s latest store brings the coast to the country, filled with furniture and accessories that reflect California’s leisure lifestyle. The new Rancho Santa Fe location, along with showrooms in La Jolla and Coronado, features one of the West Coast’s largest collections of the acclaimed Baker furniture line, along with such high-ends brands as Barbara Barry, Henredon, Ralph Lauren Home, Lexington, and Century. It also offers extensive tabletop collections, luxury linens for bed and bath, chic accessories, and concierge-style service in a boutique setting. "I think with the Internet today, to get people out of their chairs and get them to go shopping, there’s got to be a real experience," says Jackman. "With our stores, we’ve tried to create that." She recalls with a laugh that one customer who visits weekly suggested "I should charge her for coming in." (760/436-1011, www.seaside-home.com) — Andrea Naversen Best Landscaping: Bradley Landscape Development, Inc. (Runner-Up: Landscape Artistry) Bradley Landscape Development has been beautifying San Diego-area custom and estate homes since 1989. The firm has earned three prestigious Best Overall Project awards from the California Landscape Contractors Association, including a statewide sweepstakes win in 2004 — the first time such an honor was bestowed upon a San Diego contractor (the winning project is pictured here). Owner Brad Woodford has a simple explanation for Bradley’s continued success: "Just following through to the 100th percentile in details." (760/436-0554, www.bradleylandscape.com) — AnnaMaria Stephens Best Architect: Trip Bennett (Bennett + Associates) (Runners-Up: Allard Jansen and David Robinson) Architect Trip Bennett is a familiar name to La Jollans, and not just for the many elegant homes he’s designed in the community. He and the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club helped raise more than a half million in goods and services to renovate La Jolla’s Fire Station 13, a project that was completed this past summer. Bennett, who has received regional and national awards for his work in architecture and interior design, says his philosophy is simple: "I want the design to reflect the owner, not me. I work real hard to make it their house, not my house." (858/454-4555) — AnnaMaria Stephens Best Real Estate Agent/Company: Barry Estates (Runner-Up: Maxine & Marti Gellens) Laura Barry says she and her brother Jason, also an agent, are no strangers to sibling rivalry. When it comes to business, though, support trumps competition. "Blood is thicker than water," she concedes with a laugh. Good thing, since Barry Estates is a family affair — their parents founded the company two decades ago. Laura, whose sales volume in 2007 was $183,219,000, ranks among the top-producing agents_ in San Diego. Barry Estates specializes in luxury properties in Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, and other affluent coastal areas. (858/756-4024, www.barryestates.com) — AnnaMaria Stephens Best Tile/Stone/Flooring: Encinitas Tile & Stone (Runner-Up: Coles Fine Flooring) Finding the perfect tile or stone for a home renovation project is a breeze at this North County business. Since 1982, Encinitas Tile & Stone has stocked a huge assortment of hard surfaces — the slab division alone offers 1,000 different stones. If you’re uncertain just how transforming a color-popping tile accent or earthy stone floor can be, visit the showroom in the Cedros Design District of Solana Beach. It’s designed to look like an actual living space, which will help you imagine new possibilities for your own home. (760/436-4630, www.encinitastileandstone.com) — AnnaMaria Stephens
		Best Linens: Between The Sheets (Runner-Up: Everett Stunz) Since 1986, Between the Sheets has provided the finest selection of linens and specialty items for the home. Founders Paul Marx and Sandra Tobin Marx have scoured the world many times over to bring Southern California residents an eclectic product line that includes superior down comforters, sleeping pillows, and lambs wool mattress pads from Germany; Italian bed linens of exquisite 600 and 1000-thread count Egyptian cotton; Spanish cotton and wool blankets; plush Egyptian cotton towels and thick Turkish towels; and more. (619/299-9300, www.betweenthesheets.com) — Jane Shiomi

		Best Interior Designer: Maria Barry (Runner-Up: Sheryll Jackman) Once again, Ranch & Coast readers rate designer Maria Barry best in her field. With 20 years of experience, Barry and her team have designed interiors in some of the grandest homes around, focusing on an Old World, Tuscan style. Barry’s goal is to create a memorable experience for clients, involving them in the design process without overwhelming them. She says accessories are the company’s specialty. "We do a lot of accessorizing for customers who just need their homes to be pulled together," she says. "And that’s what we really do, I think, best." Three years ago, Barry and business partner Cindy Cerenzie opened Le Dimora — "home" in Italian — now in its new location in the Del Rayo Village Shopping Center. It offers furniture, accessories, and design services to make your house feel like home. (858/759-2709, www.ledimora.com) — Andrea Naversen, photo by Vincent Knakal

		Best Window Coverings: LMO (Runners-Up: Perfectly At Home and Le Dimora) Lisa Odenweller, the woman behind the award-winning LMO, found her interior design calling with window coverings. "Draperies are often an afterthought," she explains. "But when done well they complete a room like nothing else." Odenweller has been creating custom window coverings and coordinated bedding for six years. She kicks drab draperies to the curb, collaborating closely with her clients to make sure the windows wow as much as the rest of the décor. (858/204-4926, www.lmodesigns.com) — AnnaMaria Stephens

		Best Home Accessories/Décor: Perfectly At Home (Runner-Up: Seaside Home) Don’t pop by Perfectly At Home if you’re strapped for time — the Carlsbad home furnishings and accessories shop is packed floor to ceiling with treasures. JoLynn Shapiro — who handles the creative side while husband Jordan manages the business end — says exploring is all part of the fun. "One thing we hear constantly is that you have to walk through a minimum of three times and you’ll continue to find new things." The Shapiros’ eclectic collection emphasizes old-world Tuscan and a bold mixing of colors, patterns, and textures. Perfectly At Home also provides interior design services. (760/436-2736, www.perfectlyathome.net) — AnnaMaria Stephens, photo by Vincent Knakal

		Best Remodel Source: The Jackman Group (Runner-Up: Merino Home) Remodeling a house can rank right up there on the stress-o-meter. But Ranch & Coast readers have found it doesn’t have to be that way. For more than 20 years, the Jackman Group, Coronado’s premier custom builder and design team, has built and renovated homes down to the last designer pillow. "We get down to every single detail," says Sheryll Jackman who owns the business along with husband Harry. "Are you left or right-handed? Where do you want your hair dryer? Which drawer? I think that’s how we take the stress out of our building and our remodeling. We do a lot of homework." The company also does it all: construction, architecture, interior design, and landscaping. The Jackman Group is truly a jack of all trades. (619/435-7025, www.thejackmangroup.com) — Andrea Naversen

		Best Garden Store: Anderson’s La Costa Nursery (Runner-Up: Dig) Thumbs will turn DayGlo green with glee at Anderson’s, which has everything a gardener could need. The nursery carries more than 3,000 plants, including indigenous succulents, as well as containers, fountains, garden art, ponds and watergardens, and playhouses for kids. Anderson’s — a repeat Ranch & Coast winner — prides itself on its friendly and capable customer service, which includes custom orders. Stop by the Secret Garden, where you’ll find a children’s playhouse and an aviary. (760/753-3153, www.andersonslacostanursery.com) — AnnaMaria Stephens