Owners Aaron and Lauren Crossland and their partners shared the vision of a wine bar and bottle shop that they dreamt of while cohabitating in a quarantine bubble. Yearning for creating a thriving colorful wine bar in South Oceanside that one would stumble across in Spain or Italy.
Merenda Wine Bar and Retail Shop’s namesake was the launching point for Bells + Whistles Studio to envision a space that told a story inspired by the book Honey from a weed, by Patience Gray, a collection of observations, recipes, and biography. While traveling through the Mediterranean with her sculptor husband Norman Mommens, Patience writes about “merenda”, a snack shared amongst friends. A petite space packed full of design, color, patterns and texture, Bells + Whistles studio drew from a rich and exciting tapestry of stories, personalities and dreams conveyed to them by the owners and their travels.
Passing a small seated patio, customers are greeted by floor to ceiling, handmade wine shelves that sit softly on a custom mosaic tile carpet. A European kitchen that juts out of the wall is surrounded in a custom tile mural by artist Benoit Tardif and hand painted by New Terracotta in Portugal. The back bar and bar lights conjure a warm neighborhood bar to make new friends and wind down from a long day. The rustic plaster walls throughout are done by artist Sasha Seyb. The private dining room’s arched walls reveal a hand painted mural by local artist Peggy Night. The shapes, colors and movement of Night’s work electrify the space. A collection of eclectic vintage furnishings, lighting and artwork make the space feel like home, a swirling scarlet marble bar that inspires conversation sits stoically on a terracotta and white checkered floor. With details for days, Merenda is like a home away from home.
