noon designs

The other week, as I was driving to my yoga studio, I passed a small storefront along the 101 in Solana Beach that caught my attention.  I stopped after class, and although it was after hours, I peeked inside to see what Noon was all about.  This adorable store (349 N Highway 101), with big glass windows and a bright interior, was chalk full of jewelry and paper products, all displayed in strategic clusters throughout the floor space.  This past weekend, I went inside and was happy to find products with creative design elements with high detail and attention to craftsmanship.  The shop had awesome displays tables, a retro couch and bright painted walls - I almost wanted to purchase the furniture too.  Learning that the shop, Noon Designs, was started by two Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) grads, a jeweler (Nora Farrell) and graphic designer (Maie Liis Webb), who teamed up to open their first shop in Ocean Beach, and recently had expanded (October 2010) to Solana Beach.  RISD holds a special place in my heart, so I automatically liked them, but their designs could have easily stood on their own.  Most of the jewelry displayed had simple, clean lines with a tasteful gem (they were running low after the Christmas season).  And the paper products included journals, cards and letterpress invitations.  The graphics were bold, crisp and unique.  I wasn't able to linger too long in the store (as the pup was in the truck), but I have every intention to return and give myself a little treat.