Some stores sell products. Others sell a persuasive little fantasy in which your bedroom is calmer, your closet is breezier, and you somehow remember to serve breakfast on cloth napkins. Lala, the Kerry Cassill flagship store in Laguna Beach, belongs firmly in the second category.
Located at 1145 South Coast Highway, the boutique brings together Kerry Cassill bedding, hand-block-printed textiles, relaxed apparel, towels, table linens, decorative pillows, and gifts. The result feels less like a conventional home store and more like the beach house of a well-traveled friendone who knows how to mix paisley, stripes, florals, and faded colors without making the room look as though the patterns have filed a noise complaint against one another.
This shopper’s diary explores what makes Kerry Cassill in Laguna Beach worth visiting, what to look for inside, how the textiles are made, and how to shop the collection without losing your head among the quilts.
Meet Kerry Cassill and the Lala Boutique
Kerry Cassill’s design story began long before the Laguna Beach boutique became a destination for colorful bedding and coastal clothing. Raised around antiques, fashion, and the natural scenery of the Pacific Northwest, Cassill studied design and initially experimented with hatmaking. A trip to Paris later introduced her to Indian textiles, sparking an interest that would shape her career.
She eventually traveled to India, developed early apparel designs with local makers, and returned to the United States with pieces that quickly found buyers in independent boutiques. Her first collections established the relaxed, handcrafted vocabulary still associated with the Kerry Cassill brand: soft cotton, uncomplicated silhouettes, expressive prints, and clothing designed to look better when worn rather than merely admired on a hanger.
After building the business, Cassill settled in Laguna Beach and opened Lala in 1998. The playful name matched the store’s personalitycasual, memorable, slightly French-sounding, and comfortably at home in a Southern California beach town.
A Lifestyle Brand Rather Than a Single Product Line
Although many shoppers first discover Kerry Cassill through bedding, the label has grown into a broader lifestyle collection. The official assortment includes quilts, duvet covers, sheets, pillowcases, decorative pillows, table linens, towels, accessories, dresses, shirts, robes, kaftans, and other easygoing apparel.
Cassill develops seasonal color stories containing dozens of prints and multiple clothing silhouettes. That breadth makes the store unusually cohesive. A floral seen on a pillowcase may reappear on a dress, while a stripe used on a duvet can turn up on a towel or napkin. The coordination is intentional, but it never feels like a furniture showroom where every object has been ordered to stand at attention.
Why Laguna Beach Is the Right Setting
Laguna Beach has a long-standing preference for independent businesses, artist-led shops, galleries, surf culture, and small-scale design. Along Coast Highway, shoppers can move between clothing boutiques, home stores, coffee shops, galleries, and beaches without entering the fluorescent wilderness of a traditional mall.
Lala fits naturally into this environment. The boutique is close to the ocean and surrounded by the kind of coastal scenery that makes lightweight cotton suddenly seem like a basic human necessity. Sunlight, salt air, whitewashed interiors, faded indigo, and loose clothing all speak the same visual language.
The setting also helps explain the brand’s balance of polish and informality. Kerry Cassill bedding can feel luxurious, but it is not stiff. The apparel is distinctive, but it is designed for movement. Colors may be sophisticated, yet they often arrive softened, sun-washed, or slightly irregular. Nothing looks frightened of a sandy foot.
Inside the Kerry Cassill Laguna Beach Store
Walking into Lala is an invitation to slow down and look closely. Instead of presenting home textiles in rigid, perfectly matched sets, the store encourages layering. Quilts, sheets, pillowcases, throws, and cushions are combined through color families rather than identical patterns.
A bed might feature a large paisley duvet, striped sheets, a floral pillowcase, and a solid quilt. On paper, that sounds like four strangers assigned the same vacation rental. In practice, the shared palette pulls everything together.
The Color Story
Color is central to the Kerry Cassill aesthetic. Expect variations of indigo, pale blue, warm sand, chalky white, faded cranberry, sage, olive, coral, and sun-softened yellow. Darker prints provide contrast, while lighter patterns keep the overall effect airy.
The colors rarely feel aggressively new. They often have the mellowed appearance of textiles that have already lived through several excellent summers. This makes them easier to integrate into existing rooms, especially spaces with natural wood, woven rugs, vintage furniture, plaster walls, or neutral upholstery.
Patterns That Prefer to Mingle
Paisley, botanical motifs, small repeating “booti” prints, stars, abstract swirls, animal-inspired patterns, and simple stripes are recurring elements. The secret is scale. A broad floral can sit comfortably beside a narrow stripe because the two patterns are not competing at the same volume.
Shoppers who normally avoid print may find pillowcases, guest towels, or table napkins to be an easier starting point. Pattern enthusiasts can go directly to a reversible duvet and begin reorganizing the bedroom before leaving the parking space.
What Makes Kerry Cassill Bedding Distinctive?
Kerry Cassill bedding is known for Indian cotton, hand-block printing, softness, and a deliberately relaxed finish. Hand-block printing involves applying color to fabric with carved blocks. Because the process is completed by hand, minor differences in placement and color are natural.
Those variations are not defects. They are evidence that the textile did not emerge from a machine determined to make every flower behave identically. Slight irregularities add rhythm and character, particularly when the fabric is used across a large surface such as a duvet cover or quilt.
Lightweight Cotton Duvet Covers
Many Kerry Cassill duvet covers use layers of lightweight cotton voile. The fabric feels soft and breathable, making it especially appealing in warm climates or for sleepers who dislike heavy bedding. Reversible designs provide two coordinated looks, and shell-button closures add a subtle decorative detail.
A reversible duvet is also a practical choice for people whose decorating style changes before their laundry cycle is complete. Turn it over, rearrange the pillows, and the room has a fresh personality without requiring paint, contractors, or an emotional conversation with a wallpaper sample.
Soft, Layerable Quilts
The quilts combine cotton fabric with cotton batting and hand-quilted construction. They can serve as the main bed covering, a folded layer at the foot of the bed, or an oversized throw in a living room.
Personal-size quilts are particularly versatile. They can be used for reading, travel, guest rooms, naps, or outdoor seating. Full-size versions create more impact, especially when paired with contrasting sheets and patterned pillowcases.
Sheets and Pillowcases for a Collected Look
Rather than buying a completely matching set, consider choosing sheets and pillowcases individually. A restrained stripe can act as the base, while a floral or paisley introduces movement. Solid white or muted bedding gives the eye a resting place.
This mix-and-match approach is one of the most useful lessons to take from the Lala store. A bedroom looks more personal when the pieces appear to have been gathered over timeeven when they were gathered during one enthusiastic afternoon.
Beyond the Bed: Apparel, Bath, Table, and Gifts
Relaxed Kerry Cassill Apparel
The clothing carries the same visual identity as the home collection. Shoppers may find cotton dresses, loose shirts, robes, kaftans, beachwear, and lounge pieces in hand-block-printed fabrics. Shapes tend to be forgiving rather than sharply tailored, which suits the resort-oriented character of the brand.
These are clothes for coffee on the patio, a weekend market, a beach walk, or dinner somewhere that claims to be casual but charges seventeen dollars for olives. Their appeal comes from color, fabric, and movement rather than complicated construction.
When trying on apparel, pay attention to fabric weight and transparency. Fine cottons may be intentionally airy, so some garments work best over a swimsuit, slip, tank, or lightweight base layer.
Bath Towels and Guest Towels
Kerry Cassill towels extend the hand-printed aesthetic into the bathroom. Bath sheets can function as oversized towels or beach companions, while smaller guest towels bring pattern to a powder room, kitchen, or bar cart.
A single printed towel is also a lower-commitment way to introduce the brand into a home. It delivers color without requiring a full bedding renovation or a diplomatic meeting with a pattern-averse partner.
Table Linens and Decorative Accessories
Tablecloths and napkins work especially well in informal dining spaces. Their patterns hide the minor evidence of an enjoyable meal and make an ordinary table feel prepared for company. Decorative pillows can connect a patterned bedroom to the rest of the house or add a softer layer to a neutral sofa.
For gifts, consider pillowcases, guest towels, cosmetic bags, napkins, or smaller accessories. They are useful, easy to transport, and less dependent on knowing the recipient’s mattress dimensionsa subject that can make casual friendship unexpectedly awkward.
How to Shop the Collection Without Becoming Overwhelmed
Begin With One Anchor Piece
Choose the item that will carry the most visual weight. In a bedroom, that may be a quilt or duvet. In a living room, it may be a large pillow or throw. Once the anchor is selected, use its quieter colors to guide the supporting pieces.
Mix Scale, Not Every Color in the Building
Successful pattern mixing usually combines one large motif, one smaller print, and one simple stripe or solid. Repeating two or three colors across the pieces creates unity. Repeating nine colors creates a committee.
Touch the Fabric
Online photographs communicate pattern, but they cannot fully explain voile, quilting, softness, or weight. The Laguna Beach store provides the advantage of handling the textiles before purchasing. Fold a quilt, compare cottons, and examine the reverse side of a duvet.
Ask About Care and Availability
The brand generally recommends washing its luxury textiles in cold water on a delicate cycle, followed by low-temperature drying or line drying. Instructions can vary by product, so check the label before washing.
Hand-printed colors and patterns may differ slightly from website images. Inventory also changes with seasonal collections. Anyone visiting for a specific size or print should contact the store before making a special trip.
Who Will Love the Kerry Cassill Style?
The collection is a strong match for shoppers who appreciate artisanal textiles, relaxed luxury, bohemian interiors, coastal decorating, Indian block printing, vintage-inspired color, and rooms that feel assembled rather than installed.
It also works surprisingly well in minimalist homes. One printed quilt against plain walls can provide all the pattern a simple room needs. Conversely, maximalists can layer multiple prints while using repeated blues, greens, or earth tones to prevent visual chaos.
The aesthetic may be less suitable for someone seeking glossy hotel bedding, strict geometric symmetry, or fabrics that look identical from several yards away. Kerry Cassill textiles celebrate evidence of the hand. Their charm lies partly in softness, variation, and the sense that the material will improve as it becomes part of daily life.
A Sample Shopper’s Diary: An Afternoon at Lala
The following is an editorial shopping scenario designed to help visitors plan a realistic Laguna Beach experience.
10:30 a.m.: Arrive Before the Day Gets Busy
Begin the morning along South Coast Highway, ideally before midday traffic and beach crowds gather momentum. Parking in Laguna Beach can require patience, particularly during summer weekends, so consider using a public lot or the city’s Coast Highway trolley when seasonal service is available.
Approach the store without a rigid shopping list but with a rough mission. “Find bedding” is useful. “Transform my entire identity through pillowcases” may be emotionally accurate, but it is harder to budget.
10:45 a.m.: Start With the Bedding
Inside Lala, head first toward the quilts and duvets. Take note of the combinations used in the displays rather than looking at each item in isolation. A pattern that seems too bold when folded may feel balanced when spread across a bed and paired with quieter sheets.
Select two possible anchor pieces and compare them from several feet away. One may lean cool and coastal, with indigo or pale blue. The other may use warmer shades such as coral, cranberry, sand, or olive. Think about the light in your bedroom. Bright California sunlight can handle strong color, while a darker room may benefit from a lighter ground.
11:20 a.m.: Build the Supporting Layers
Once the anchor is chosen, look for pillowcases and sheets that repeat a secondary color. Resist the urge to match everything exactly. The store’s greatest decorating lesson is that coordination should feel conversational, not compulsory.
Try a small floral beside a broad paisley. Add a narrow stripe. Place a solid quilt underneath. Suddenly the bed feels layered and personal rather than packaged. Take photographs of the combinations, especially if you need to measure the room or consult another household decision-maker who claims not to care but will develop powerful opinions later.
Noon: Visit the Apparel Section
Move from bedding to clothing while your eyes are already adjusted to print. A pattern that felt dramatic on a king-size duvet may appear surprisingly subtle on a loose cotton shirt. Try on at least one shape outside your usual routine; the flowing silhouettes often make more sense on the body than on the hanger.
Check sleeve length, opacity, and movement. Sit down, reach forward, and imagine wearing the garment for several hours. Resort clothing should survive lunch, walking, and an unexpected breeze without requiring constant negotiations.
12:40 p.m.: Choose a Small Souvenir
Before checking out, add one practical piece that captures the store’s personality: a guest towel, pair of pillowcases, printed napkins, or a small accessory. These items make excellent reminders of Laguna Beach without relying on seashells, refrigerator magnets, or anything bearing the phrase “beach vibes.”
1:00 p.m.: Take the Color Story Outside
After leaving Lala, walk the South Coast Highway shopping corridor or head toward the beach. In natural light, the brand’s palette makes even more sense. Faded blues echo the ocean, sandy neutrals connect with the shoreline, and botanical prints suit the gardens and hillsides surrounding town.
Stop for lunch or coffee before continuing through nearby boutiques and galleries. Carrying the new textile purchase around town may create a strong desire to redecorate immediately. This is normal. Do not attempt to move the bed until returning home.
Final Thoughts: A Store With a Point of View
Kerry Cassill in Laguna Beach offers more than attractive bedding. Lala presents a coherent way of living with textiles: choose natural cotton, accept small variations, mix patterns with confidence, and allow useful objects to be beautiful.
The store’s appeal comes from contrast. The fabrics are luxurious but relaxed. The prints are detailed but easy to layer. The clothing feels special without demanding a special occasion. Even the most decorative pieces remain practical enough for everyday beds, bathrooms, tables, and beach bags.
For design-minded visitors, the boutique is an excellent stop on a Laguna Beach shopping itinerary. For anyone planning a bedroom refresh, it is also a warning: one innocent pillowcase can lead to a quilt, a reversible duvet, four napkins, and a renewed suspicion that every room needs more indigo.
