Natural light filters in through the windows of the historic home-turned-antique-store Sisters Gift and Home, creating a tranquil, airy environment that would lead anyone to lose track of time while leisurely wandering around. Owner Ana Lomeli Curiel recently moved her business from Orcutt into the oldest home in Los Alamos after her lease ended and a customer suggested her store would be a good fit in Los Alamos.
The name originally came to Curiel after her sister inspired her to open the store. However, the new location brings a different meaning to the name. Unlike the previous shop, Curiel invited six antique vendors and two local artists to share the historic space with her, and now these nine women feel like their own type of sisters.
“It’s really nice because all the vendors are so unique and they all have their own style,” she said, “but it’s fun because we can go to a vintage show and all come back with different things, and we’d all love each other’s items.”
Each vendor has their own bedroom to set up shop in, so while each room feels unique, as a whole it remains pretty cohesive, Curiel said. Vendor Madeleine Jex recently moved her store, The Gentleman Farmer, into the new Sisters location. Jex carries a wide array of antiques including equestrian objects and primitive bird sculptures, in addition to her son’s handmade furniture pieces.
“My original store was right next to this one, but I got really excited about this shop and wanted to be part of it all,” Jex said.
In the next room, artwork of landscapes and farm animals, including a large canvas painting of a sassy-looking rooster, decorate the walls and shelves. Carol Wood Jackson is one of the two artists that share the Sisters space, both displaying and painting artwork at the store.
Jackson rented a room in the Los Alamos home even before Sisters moved in and decided to remain at the venue. As an artist, lighting is essential to her work and her location near the back of the shop is perfect, she said.
“This space is just worlds better than what it once was,” Jackson said. “It’s just wonderful.”
A variety of customers walk through the doors of Sisters, Curiel said, so it’s hard to determine what her customers will want to buy. Her strategy is to sell items that she loves and would like to buy.
Curiel and her husband have owned Sisters for 14 years, but she refrains from bringing “boxed store” items in to sell because that’s not what she likes to buy. When building her home, she always looked for vintage and antique items to make it distinct, and knows her customers want the same.
“One-of-a-kind things are usually our best sellers because you can’t get anything like it,” Curiel said. “With all of the women we have working here now, we’re just trying to make it all work together.”
Sisters Gifts and Home is located at 349 Bell St., Los Alamos. The shop is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. More information is available at 357-9415 or sisters928@aol.com.
Intern Emily Holland wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Ideas and suggestions can be sent to spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 4-11, 2017.