Custom-building their shop

Alicia Robinson

A custom furniture shop specializing in children’s items has carved a

niche with local shoppers on East 17th Street in Costa Mesa.

At the store, Little Valentina, the business is all in the family

for husband and wife Jim and Lisa Delozier and Lisa’s mother, Linda

Catterlin. Lisa and Linda run the store and buy the merchandise, and

Jim oversees construction of the custom furniture.

The store’s name is a reference to the Deloziers’ 2 1/2 -year-old

daughter, Michele, born on Valentine’s Day. The couple got into the

furniture business after Jim Delozier saw how his wife and

mother-in-law used their experience in the retail industry to revive

another ailing company.

“They turned it around and made it very successful, and I thought,

I should benefit from this somehow,” he said, laughing. “What we

didn’t have was furniture that would be at the level of quality that

we wanted.”

Jim Delozier wrote a business plan, drummed up financing and found

a local craftsman to build the custom furniture, and Lisa Delozier

had heard about the store space on 17th Street near Plum’s Cafe. She

and her mother pooled their experience in retail and furniture to

select unique fabric combinations for child-sized armchairs, fanciful

wall hangings by artists and other pieces for the store.

The spot in a strip mall on 17th Street was perfect because the

mall includes other furniture stores and a baby merchandise shop, and

it draws locals looking for quality products, Lisa Delozier said.

“This one gets a lot of foot traffic,” she said. “I used to come

over here and walk around.”

As if to prove her right, two customers stopped in and immediately

began pointing out things they liked in the store.

“It’s my first time in here, and I just think it’s great

furniture,” said Mary Fuller, who was shopping with her daughter,

Rebecca Summers, both of Newport Beach. “Look at this cute chair!”

The two often shop on 17th Street, Fuller said.

“We’re in the market, always, for whatever’s cute,” Summers said.

Little Valentina opened in March, but the Deloziers have now built

up enough inventory to hold a grand opening of sorts later this

month. Born and raised locally, the Deloziers said they are devoted

to helping local schools and already have donated furniture to

schools for raffles and other fundraisers.

“Ultimately, that’s what fuels our community -- the kids,” Jim

Delozier said.

Little Valentina is at 369 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa. The store is

open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30

p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.