Lily Serratos came to Ramona looking for a slower pace of life when she moved her Lily’s Pottery business from Chula Vista.
She opened her new venue at 1645 Warnock Drive on May 30 and isn’t looking back. Here she’s found a country lifestyle in a relaxed atmosphere and a way to escape her empty nest syndrome, she said.
“I only have words of gratitude for the people of Ramona,” said Serratos, who runs the family business with her son, Max. “They have been amazing.”
Courtesy Susan White
Lily’s Pottery opened at 1645 Warnock Drive in Ramona on May 30. (Courtesy Susan White)
Serratos said it took her two years to finalize the relocation of Lily’s Pottery after having sold pottery in Chula Vista for 11 years.
Her search for the right property took awhile because she said she was looking for “something special,” and a place where she can grow her business. Eventually she may want to expand with a casual coffee shop, she said.
“The property has a lot of possibilities – we’ll explore them and see what happens,” she said. “My passion is pottery and we’ll see what life will bring.”
Most of her pottery is made at a small factory she owns in Ensenada, Mexico.
“The bigger pottery is more difficult to make so we have molds for them,” she said. “We have different styles, colors and sizes.”
So far, terra cotta planters have been the most popular pottery with her customers. This style is more durable in extreme weather, she said.
Some of her products can be purchased online at lilyspottery.shop, although the website is being updated.
For now, Lily’s Pottery is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but the hours may be extended to 6 p.m.
“We’ll see what sells the most in this region so we can add the appropriate inventory for this location,” Serratos said.
Courtesy Susan White
Lily Serratos moved her pottery business to Ramona after selling pottery in Chula Vista for 11 years. (Courtesy Susan White)
Casper Pailette offers custom upholstery work at his new Ramona shop
Casper’s Upholstery owner Casper Pailette has been offering custom upholstery work to customers since opening his Ramona shop in mid-May.
Pailette, 33, says he can upholster all types of furniture, and even the interior of vehicles such as classic cars, RVs, and boats.
“Anything that needs fabric,” said the proprietor of the one-man shop at 738 Main St. “It’s not always just stitching. Sometimes it’s gluing or coming up with something else.”
Courtesy Casper Pailette
Casper Pailette can do stylish upholstery work on furniture such as this chair. (Courtesy Casper Pailette)
Some of his more creative projects have included upholstering airplane seats, gym equipment and gluing vinyl to speaker boxes.
He once made a cover for pole vaulting equipment with a foam pit.
“So I was moving 200 pounds of vinyl around my sewing machine,” he said. “I can do completely custom with any stitching, any patterns and any colors.”
Since classic cars are popular in Ramona, Pailette said he’s attracted a lot of customers who are into restoring cars.
“I’m trying to sharpen my skills with cars,” he said. “Every car is different.”
Pailette has been a Ramona resident since leaving the U.S. Air Force as a meteorologist in 2018. At about the same time, he said he was going to school and started working as a delivery driver for an upholstery company.
That business taught him the upholstery trade.
Courtesy Casper Pailette
Casper’s Upholstery at 738 Main St. offers custom upholstery for furniture and the interior of vehicles. (Courtesy Casper Pailette)
On a whim, he decided he wanted to go into business for himself. But when he checked real estate prices down the hill he said he was surprised at the high rents, anywhere from $1 per square foot inland to $6 to $8 per square foot along the coast.
That’s when he decided to stay close to home where the costs were more reasonable, competition was scarce and the demand for his work has already been steady, he said.
Pailette said the turnaround time for his jobs is roughly two weeks, although he also sells just fabric for people who want to do their own upholstery projects. The store’s hours are usually 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.
“We Americans are used to furniture being disposable … but I can offer completely custom upholstery from start to finish,” he said. “I saw an opening up the hill as far as nobody offering the service.”