Women Doing Business at The Cove

It may look like another strip mall, but The Cove on West Coast Highway is serving as an anchor in the revitalization of the Mariners Mile area—and is home to several small businesses run by local woman.

When Russ Fluter purchased the property last year it was vacant and boarded-up.

"The previous owner had intended to demolish the building and make it a large retail center. It was in a pretty bad state of disrepair," Fluter said. "I had an architect come up with the color scheme. He wanted to preserve the mid-century look and enhance the mid-century components of the building."

After the renovation, Fluter began renting out spaces—that all the renters were women was coincidence.

"It just happened that way. I was just looking to lease it," he said. "They started to talk to their friends, they all know each other, and it all kind of worked out that way."

It was the women who came up with the name The Cove, Fluter said.

"We are all one degree of separation of knowing each other," said Merideth Fleener, owner of MerMade Designs. "We're all local moms. We really embrace the retro building and the vibe. We are all very different, but like-minded, even though we have separate stores, we work together."

The following boutiques can be found at The Cove:

Posey Couture: Owner Paige Van Rensselaer-Kunkle named her boutique after the nickname, Posey, given to her by her grandmother. Upon entering, clients are dazzled by the sparkly costume jewelry and reasonably-priced unique gifts. Van Rensselaer-Kunkle labels herself as the "recessionista for the fashionista." She has low overhead and says she passes the savings on to customers. Most items fall within the $25-$35 price range.

"There's a time and place for things, and now is not the time to be spending a ton on fancy costume jewelry," Van Rensselaer-Kunkle said.

Van Rensselaer-Kunkle said her husband encouraged her to start her own business.

"Three years ago, when I came back from France, my husband told me 'if you want to continue your habits of horseback riding, buying shoes, buying handbags then you better start designing them,' " Van Rensselaer-Kunkle said.

Most of the jewelry in her shop is of her own creation.

MerMade Designs: Owner Merideth Fleener was one of the first to snatch up a space at The Cove. Her boutique is made up of beach-inspired items. Everything from shells to coral made into designer pieces for the home. Fleener started to design driftwood crosses and coral votives. She considers her boutique the go-to shop for coral and seashell pieces and can custom design pretty much anything to a client's taste. She also features local artists who design related sea-inspired gifts and decor for the home.

Blend: A boutique for the casual yet chic. Owner Beth Zehnder, originally from Los Angeles, made a living as a wardrobe stylist and professional closet organizer. Now living in the O.C. she fills her boutique with various fashions from New York and L.A., but also carries brands from local designers, such as Pulp tees from Costa Mesa. Zehnder still does closet consultations for her clients and will help them fill in the necessary pieces needed to make a complete and workable wardrobe. 

Little Stylings: A high-end kids consignment boutique that makes shopping for kids easy and more affordable. Owner Melinda Houvee-Harlan sets herself apart from the other consignment boutiques in the area. No appointment is necessary to bring in clothes for consignment. She will automatically send out checks every month, and all clothes consigned will be on the floor within five days. On Mondays she makes house calls to client's closets to purge what they don't need. She will make custom photo books of 40 outfits in your child's closet, making it easy and fun to get ready for school in the morning.

Laura Matthews Designs: A wonderland of accessories, Laura Matthews' boutique sells stylish handbags, jewelry, belts and other items which are mostly one-of-a-kind.

"I design and make everything in here," Matthews said.

Once in technology sales, then a stay-at-home mom, Matthews' new endeavor gets her in touch with her creative side.  She donates $1 of every item sold to Africa to build fresh water wells.  

Studio Fringe: An interior designer of 25 years, Pam Terry's studio is filled with designer pillows, ottomans and more.

"I collect coffee bean sacks and have them upholstered into cubed ottomans," Terry said. 

Relics Design Studio: What is unique about Relics is not only the one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, but the fact that owner Caitlin Whelan just turned 20. Oh, and she started her business at 15. Whelan was interested in antique pieces early on—old rosaries and bracelets.  She spends her time at estate sales, flea markets and with antiques dealers buying items for her store.

"A lot of the work that goes into my business is finding the pieces, sorting through boxes of relics and random pieces," Whelan said.

"I want to make everything really different to reflect creativity and artistry," she said. "Everyone has what everyone else has and it's nice to have something that has a history to it."

Her prices range from $65 to $565. 

The Hat Loft: Owner Amy Rosten has a knack for hats. She has hosted hat parties at friend's houses and recently opened her boutique at The Cove to share her collection with you. She has everything from casual everyday hats to more fashionable ones you might see at the Del Mar races.

"I just got some lines in for spring I'm really excited about," said Rosten. She specializes in sun protection with canvas hats that feature ultraviolet protection. 

Clarity Rx: A skin-wellness boutique opened by appointment only. Owner Karla Keene has her own line of patented skin care products that give a youthful appearance.

All women have had success by word of mouth, email marketing and posting events and just-in merchandise on Facebook. The first Thursday of every month the businesses at The Cove host a themed night, open to the public until 8pm. Shops are closed Sunday and Monday; most are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.