The OC Mix Mart

The OC Mix Mart

by Jennifer Shaffer

 

The OC Mix Mart was created in 2010 by the Burnham Group USA. It is like a giant indoor bazaar of individual stores selling different wares. Andrea and Russell Young wanted to create an area that was more unique and they did just that with the giant warehouse building for just pennies on the dollar. My friend Sarah Dowdell was one of their first proprietors; I used to buy clothes from her out of their home. Back then her store was called Birdstreet. Her store at the OC Mix Mart is called Deer Lovely.

When you walk into “The Mix” you see that the floor is large, expansive polished concrete throughout.  Their main sitting area has two long grey fabric sofas facing one another and two large chair and a half’s flank either side of the sofas. It creates a very home-like environment.  Around the sofa sitting area there are smaller café tables with chairs and of course what hipster place doesn’t have a huge community table?  They have one!

The long rectangular coffee table looks like it is made from reclaimed wood that is pallet-like. There are several oversized chartreuse pendant lamps randomly hung from scaffolding directly above the living room-type area.  Everything about the warehouse is exposed. There are no areas that are dry walled except maybe between the shops.  The whole building is surrounded with large glass and aluminum windows.  There is a large glass garage door style opening off of the tea room, that opens to a partial wooden gazebo that makes the outdoor seating for the tea room private.  The cubicle-style stores are separated by thin walls that are paneled with what looks like reclaimed wood.  The fronts of the stores are large glass sliders.  I love how this looks, you can see products and the natural sunlight from the windows makes everything visible. There is another large sitting area on the other side of the warehouse with pleather sofas and more reclaimed coffee tables. The outside of the property is a sight to see.  It is landscaped with mostly drought tolerant succulents, but there is some tropical vegetation as well.  The walkways are gravel in some areas and concrete in others. They are juxtaposed and set in asymmetrical fashion which makes the landscaping so interesting.  Outside there is also a large sitting area with giant Adirondack chairs, stainless steel cage tables and a large fire pit filled with concrete balls.  The red umbrellas add a dash of color to the outdoor area without overwhelming it.  There are also long wooden benches for additional seating outside. 

The Portola Coffee has the most interesting lighting.  The antique style glass pendants compliment the antique coffee makers they use the brew the coffee.  The green accents of the coffee shop coordinate with the large chartreuse pendant lamps in the adjacent living room area.  The tea shop has a grouping of three lights that are created using top hats at their front counter.  The tea shop is also painted in a dark grey and Ferrari yellow.   It stands out in decorating as most of the “Mart Mix is neutral and natural in color.  It also has a long community table surrounded by the same Ferrari yellow chairs.  The cheese shop takes advantage of its large glass partitions and downplays interior by using mostly lighter recycled type woods to display their cheeses. 

I think the Burnham’s did an excellent job in turning a large dirty warehouse into a functional indoor mall.  I go there regularly for coffee, tea or a visit with my friend at her shop.  It feels welcoming, and not stuffy because the materials that are used are casual, and mostly reclaimed.  When it rains I know I’ll be comfortable inside. When it’s sunny I always know I can enjoy the outdoor area, have and iced tea and let the kiddos run around.