Owners and co-founders Aaron and Lauren Crossland and their partners shared the vision of a wine bar and bottle shop that they dreamt of while cohabitating in a quarantine bubble. Yearning for creating a thriving colorful wine bar in South Oceanside that one would stumble across in Spain or Italy.

Merenda Wine Bar and Retail Shop’s namesake was the launching point for our studio to envision a space that told a story inspired by the book Honey From a Weed, by Patience Gray, a collection of observations, recipes, and biography. While traveling through the Mediterranean with her sculptor husband Norman Mommens, Patience writes about “merenda”, a snack shared amongst friends. A petite space packed full of design, color, patterns and texture, our studio drew from a rich and exciting tapestry of stories, personalities and dreams conveyed to them by the owners and their travels.
Passing a small seated patio, customers are greeted by floor to ceiling, handmade wine shelves that sit softly on a custom mosaic tile floor. A European kitchen that juts out of the wall is surrounded in a custom tile mural by artist Benoit Tardif. It tells the founders’ story and was hand painted by New Terracotta in Portugal. Rustic plaster walls by artist Sasha Seyb add patina and character while a swirling scarlet marble bar sits stoically on a terracotta and white checkered floor. The private dining room’s arched openings reveal a hand painted mural by local artist Peggy Night. The shapes, colors and movement of Night’s work electrify the space. A collection of eclectic vintage furnishings, lighting and the owners’ artwork make the space feel like home away from home.