The owner Dione Carston says she has a potty mouth and she wished that Hillary Clinton were running the show, but politics aside, she has done some wonderful things in that barn next to the train tracks behind the auto body shop in St. Helena.
A vintage bit — Photo courtesy of Steed Fine Hoarding and Tack
Her taste is impeccable, and to say that her collection spans a wide variety of objects, wearable and not, is an understatement. She sells everything from vintage saddles, halters and bridles, to chairs constructed from stirrup leathers, to studded African stools, to sculptures made by local artists, jewelry picked up on global adventures, perfumes and boxes of locally made chocolate covered toffee. Carston's obsessions lead her to travel to various places to learn more about certain objects and to gather pieces that she sells at the store.
She describes the horse part of her life as her passion. The design? That just pays for the rest of it, according to the owner. The good news is that her shop draws all types--those who, like her, are equestrians in philosophy and practice, fashionistas from San Francisco and Los Angeles and designers who snap up her high quality pieces of furniture and room decor. How does Carson decide what to sell? She says her only guiding principle is excellent quality and something that she would want to live with for a while.
