There are some things we do not cut corners on if we can avoid it. One of them is our children.
Whether you’re having your first child or are well past that, the birth of a baby is always an experience that cannot be taken lightly.
So when it comes to bedding and cribs and furniture for your kids’ room, it makes sense to get the best. And customers agree that the best is at Newport Cottages in Fashion Island, which manufactures and distributes a high end line of baby and kids furniture nationwide through specialty shops, boutiques and interior designers.
Owners Cristy & Pockets Alvarez have a wonderful tale of success that started when they met, fell in love, got married, and went to Mexico (Cristy’s home country) on their honeymoon.
They returned with homemade furniture for their new love nest. Their friends all offered positive comments, so the Alvarezes purchased more furniture to bring back and sell through a friend’s store.
At the time neither of them had experience in the furniture industry. Pockets’ family had a grocery store, so they sold furniture in the back of the store. The concept worked, so they made the decision to sell the grocery store and start making and selling furniture. They launched the business in their garage in 2000 with a line of adult furniture, and added children’s furniture two years later. Once the children’s lines outsold the adult lines, they knew where to put their focus.
Now, Newport Cottages is sold in more than 150 distributors nationwide, primarily on the East coast, and at their 3,000 square foot flagship store in Newport Beach.
When asked how they dealt with the challenging economic years we’ve just been through, Pockets said, “We ran a lean and mean operation and read many books and had a consultant teach us about lean manufacturing. By keeping our overheard low we were able to make it through the tough years.”
They did indeed make it through—they have a beautiful 3,000 square foot shop in one of the most fashionable places in the country.
In addition to furniture, Newport Cottages also offers other baby products including Lolla Sippy Cups made by entrepreneurs from the Shark Tank TV show.
Their store has an intentional East Coast feel since they offer a Cape Cod look, which is why they named their store Newport Cottages.
Cristy and Pockets have forged personal relationships with their clients; many have been with them though an entire generation of kids and are now moving up to full size furniture.
They also offer something unusual—they will take furniture back, sand it down, and refinish it with different colors or stains. You won’t get that kind of service at conventional retailers.
By the way, numerous celebrities have bought furniture here, including Emily Blunt of “The Devil Wears Prada” fame and her husband John Krasinski from “The Office,” plus Halle Berry, Tori Spelling, and even a Saudi Arabian princess.
Check out their Fashion Island store just to the left of the Atrium, visit NewportCottages.com, or call (949) 644-4122.
