944’s Choice: Cotton Idea Studio

In a world ruled by e-mail and online chatting, an emoticon smiley face is sometimes as personal as it gets. Cotton Idea Studio in Laguna Beach offers a chic solution to bland communication. The boutique design business opened its doors in July 2007 and provides a charming array
of letterpress paper goods such as greeting cards, note sets and desk accessories, as well as specialty giftwrap and ribbons. Wrapping gifts
is about as fun as a Monday morning sans coffee, but Cotton Idea Studio offers a convenient gift-wrapping service to help sidestep post-holiday stress. Owner Mindy Gayer has had a passion for paper and design all her life. Originally starting her career in advertising, she finally decided
to pursue her dream of opening a design studio and paper boutique.
She says her favorite parts of the business are “meeting so many new
and lovely customers, being surrounded by design on a daily basis, discovering new designers and helping to preserve the charm of handwritten correspondence.” Cotton Idea Studio’s products come from a variety of boutique designers such as DeLuce Design, Egg Press, Hable Construction, Mr. Boddington, Night Owl and Snow & Graham.
The store’s walls are a clean shade of white, allowing the colorful stationery to speak for itself. Personal appointments are available for paper amateurs who may not know where to start or for meticulous aficionados who want to discuss custom paper products.