South Coast Collection becoming home-design magnet of diverse shops

Forget color swatches, at Peinture, the chalk paint color examples are demonstrated on chairs mounted to the wall so customers can see how the color hues will look on their own furniture. A quart retails for $38.95. A 4-ounce sample is $12.95. Soft wax is $28.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Peinture, which opened last year, also sells Shabby Chic-style antiques and other vintage finds such as luggage, toolboxes and an antique bindery cart ($895).   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Peinture is one of the many stores at SoCo to host regular workshops (in the back room shown here).   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Vintage finds at Peinture in Costa Mesa. The piano has been painted with chalk paint too.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The South Coast Collection in Costa Mesa is inhabited by an eclectic crowd -- young hipsters sipping lattes at Portola Coffee Lab, professionals in business suits nibbling on carnitas de pato at Taco Maria, moms pushing strollers and employees from nearby businesses simply enjoying the open-air courtyards.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

At the Brown Jordan showroom at SoCo, a moveable concrete cast fire pit ($2,700) augments a contemporary outdoor sectional ($9,500). Many of the furnishings come in a large variety of finishes and fabrics.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Brown Jordan, which manufactures such products as fire pits, elegant chaise longues and umbrellas, opened its first direct-to-consumer showroom at SoCo a year ago. The showroom also features accessories such as outdoor pillows, jars, bowls and hurricanes.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Mod Shop by Room Service, which transferred to SoCo from Fashion Island in September, sells colorful, affordably priced contemporary designs such as this peace sign dining chair ($695).   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A green lacquered dresser and accessories at Mod Shop by Room Service. All furnishings can be modified in terms of types of wood, feet and legs.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Pod and ball chairs ($995 and $1,095) at Mod Shop by Room Service.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Colorful accessories and toys at Mod Shop by Room Service. Design associates specialize in maximizing small spaces.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Fiona Hutcheson enjoys one of the outdoor areas at SoCo during her lunch break.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Design Within Reach, which sells iconic midcentury furnishings alongside the latest designs, has its largest U.S. showroom at SoCo.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A selection of pendants by George Nelson, Bertjan Pot for Moooi and Jeremy Pyles for Niche Modern at Design Within Reach at SoCo.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Newly released molded fiberglass chairs by Charles and Ray Eames add a splash of color to the Design Within Reach showroom.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A hands-on Dining Test Lab at Design Within Reach allows customers to mix and match dining chairs with the table of their choice.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Restaurant supplies, kitchen tools and gourmet foods can be found at Surfas Culinary District at the South Coast Collection. Surfas also hosts weekly cooking classes and a popular cafe.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Mixologist Gabrielle Dion’s the Mixing Glass, featuring vintage barware, cocktail supplies and rare bitters, opened in February. Dion also will be hosting hands-on classes on how to make seasonal cocktails.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Mixing Glass, inside the OC Mix, sells everything you need to make your own cocktails at home.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Curious about solar shades and what to do with that NanaWall? Look no further than the Shade Store, open just a few weeks, which offers a wealth of options (more than 600 fabrics) for American-made custom shades and drapes.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

An American walnut cabinet at Organic Modernism features five walnut and maple drawers, two sliding powder-coated doors and metal and brass legs. ($2,695).   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Oil paintings by Guangzhou artist Hidir Jiang Tapanoglu at Organic Modernism ($290).   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Handcrafted wood furnishings are reflected in a solid black walnut framed mirror with leather hanger ($165 to $265) at Brooklyn-based Organic Modernism.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Quirky furnishings, accessories, books and plants can be found at Uni Home at SoCo.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Uni Home offers a plant bar where customers can plant their own arrangements. Uni Home also offers workshops on terrarium making and other planting projects.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

SoCo wraps around the OC Mix, an indoor marketplace of independent stalls with an emphasis on artisanal goods.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Recent additions to the OC Mix include hand-made chocolates by former pastry chefs Michelle Pontius and Kimi Nash for Michelle Haute Chocolat.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Whole crystallized pansy flowers layered in pure Belgian chocolate ($12 a piece) at Michelle Haute Chocolat are handcrafted daily in Laguna Beach.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Whimsical wall coverings and chalkboard details enliven the interiors of Seventh Tea Bar at the OC Mix. Recent culinary options include chef Noah Blom’s Arc Food and Libations, Shuck Oyster Bar, Greenleaf Gourmet Chop Shop and Michelin-starred chef Carlos Salgado’s gourmet food truck-turned-restaurant Taco Maria.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Sustainable furnishings showroom Environment moved to SoCo from South Coast Plaza in February.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Pacfica Bed at Environment ($2,995) is made with a reclaimed army tent from the Korean War.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)