Custom Furniture to Kitsch—It’s all in the Stores
Catherine Macfee’s Rubicon Collection in Tahoe City and Cathy Nason’s Spirit Interior Design in Truckee not only showcase retail furniture and accessories but also give would-be clients the gist of each designer’s aesthetic.
Macfee’s lakeside shop feels warm and exciting, Nason’s renovated 100-year-old corner warm and serene.
There’s a sense of adventure and playfulness in Rubicon, where the star is Macfee’s own collection of upholstered chairs and couches, which are being rebranded in a new line called C.M. Cartouche. But the co-stars are one-of-a-kind pieces she’s picked up in her travels to Paris and Colorado; a cute pair of kissing mice could be had at $25 per mouse. At Spirit, nature and meditation hold the places of honor, with Forest Stewardship Council certified wood locally crafted into stunning tables and case goods; organic mattresses and bedding and nature-evoking accessories also are featured.
Theirs are the luxury design destinations in the vicinity of Tahoe’s North Shore – but not the only places to shop for nesting feathers. A two-day survey uncovered a fine variety of shops for everything from carved bears to snuggly throws to antique bars and more. Here’s a sampling: