Home-Décor Store Boosting Charities

"" is a Santa Monica Patch series that spotlights new businesses in our city. In the latest edition, we focus on , a home-décor that opened on Montana Avenue early last month. The store features unique items that sisters Jenny Best and Katharina Tagliaferro find during their adventures around the world. 

We interviewed Best and Tagliaferro about why they picked Santa Monica to open up shop, how charities benefit from sales at the store and how they hope to bring Montana Avenue back to its "glory days."

Santa Monica Patch: Why did you decide to open your business in Santa Monica in particular?

Jenny Best and Katharina Tagliaferro: Jenny has lived between Santa Monica and Malibu for the last 12 years. When Katharina comes to visit, we socialize, exercise and shop in Santa Monica, so it was never a question of where we wanted to be. And also, we feel that SM residents are aware, responsible and have a strong sense of community.

Patch: Please provide a brief history of your business.

Best and Tagliaferro: For years, we have been brainstorming to come up with a business we could do together, so we came up with a plan about two years ago, and started traveling to collect products and find sources all over the world. We decided on the Santa Monica location earlier this year and finally opened our doors October 3.

Patch: What makes your business unique?

Best and Tagliaferro: What makes us unique is the merchandise, a mix of home furnishings, accessories, baby clothes, bath products, art, jewelry and the feeling you get walking in to our shop. But what's even more unique is that we donate 3 percent of all sales to charity, no exceptions. And the customer gets to choose from a list of six varied charities where they want their proceeds to go.

Patch: What contribution(s) do you believe your business will make to the city?

Best and Tagliaferro: Besides being one of our top-picked charities, we are hoping to help bring Montana Avenue back to its glory days of one of the hippest, boutiquey, high-end shopping streets in Los Angeles.

Patch: Why should Santa Monicans frequent your business?

Best and Tagliaferro: Supporting local, privately owned businesses is a great way to make your community flourish, no matter where you live. We hope our customers will keep coming back for more, since there will be new one-of-a-kind products coming in frequently, and they will not be likely to find something they buy from us at their neighbors' house!

Do you plan to check out Zouk? Tell us in the comments box below.

Check out these past installments of "Open for Business":

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• Beauty Store Has Alternatives to 'Toxic Perfumes'

• Hotel Aims to Alleviate Parking Woes on Ocean Ave.

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Correction: Only one of the charities, OPCC, is local.