The Interview: Kathryn Coker, Owner of Esters Wine Shop & Bar
The Interview is a monthly post that explores serene spaces and the people who create them.
This is just such a treat for me, friends. Kathryn Coker is my best friend. We have been at each other's side for every twist and turn since age 18, from fellow aspiring actresses to each other's maid/matron of honors, and all the years of questioning in between. Together we wandered through our twenties, searching for what to do with our lives, respectively. And Lord, did Mrs. Coker emerge from that muck with flying colors. After getting her sommelier license and becoming the wine director at several of the Rustic Canyon Family of Restaurants in Santa Monica, California, Katie (I call her Katie, always and forever) opened Esters Wine Shop & Bar in July. Her taste in impeccable, but not only for wine and cheese. She has an eye for the gorgeous, and the space she has created is nothing short of serene. So when work took me out to her neck of the woods in August, I simply had to document her space and share it with you all. I hope you enjoy, and the next time you're in Santa Monica, be sure to stop by!
Describe your shop's style.
Esters (my home away from home) is an airy yet cozy, elegant and eclectic wine bar. I think of it as if Audrey Hepburn visited a Parisian Flea Market and collected a library of wine. When we met our architect/designer Oonagh Ryan, I explained my love for vintage and found pieces, but also the importance of usefulness and organization for our new business. We are a small restaurant/shop, so every single inch of space must be pracitcal.
What is serene about your space?
Rows and rows and rows of wine - now that's calming! But truthfully, in a shop, shelves that are filled, maxed out, are more serene than empty shelves. An empty store looks sad. Also, the tall ceilings and big windows give the space an airy feel. I hate the "traditional" dark cramped wine bar.
Share with us one tip on how you keep your shop serene.
I know this might sound antithetical - but adding and changing. To me what is serene is constantly in motion. Changing the flower arrangement, adding art, rearranging the wine bottles - to me movement in a space is what makes it feel beautiful.
Tell us about your favorite possession. How did you acquire it? What makes it so special?
Our giant chandelier. Maura was with me when we found it at this AMAZING antique store in Culver City called Big Daddy's Antiques. The buyer there travels the world looking for unique pieces and he rescued this from an old hotel in Argentina. It's the show stopper.
What influences your personal sense of style?
Color, Jackie O, flea markets & Salvation Army finds/inspiration and joy in the opposite/unexpected.
List your five favorite websites and/ blogs.
Whitney A. - written by my friend Whitney, this is a delightful culinary/wine/lifestyle blog.
A Cozy Kitchen - great recipes and photos. everything here drool-worthy.
Wine. All the Time. - Marissa A. Ross is hilarious and takes all the stuffiness out of wine-talk. I love it.
Guild Somm - the Guild of Sommeliers: most comprehensive wine site for research/study
A Serene Space - duh!
Favorite Santa Monica local.
Esters is the newest member of the Rustic Canyon Family of Restaurants - so my homes away from home are all the sister spots:
