NORTH BEND – Good taste runs in the family at Sandellas Fine Home.

Owners Sandy Dochnahl and Tracy Peck are a mother and daughter team with style to spare. They opened the home furnishings shop last August in North Bend and have acquired a dedicated following of furnishings fashionistas since.

Opening a specialty shop has a been a dream for the women who have a knack for entertaining and decorating.

“It’s something we’ve always wanted to do together, also we really felt North Bend needed it. It’s nice we’re not the only ones who felt this way,” Peck said. “Customers tell us North Bend needed it, too.”

Sandellas carries unique dinnerware and serving dishes, fine linens, luxurious bath products, candles, wine, art and silk flowers. Both obscure items and popular basics await inside the cozy house Peck and Dochnahl converted into a store.

“[Decorating] is something we really enjoy. It almost comes naturally because we have an appreciation for it,” Peck said.

The name of the quaint shop was inspired by a friend’s nickname for Dochnahl – a cross between Sandy and Cinderella. The name suits the store fit for a princess quite well.

Sandellas’ wine collection includes Washington, California and French varieties. Sandellas hosts public wine tasting events several times a month. Customers can sign up to be on Sandellas’ mailing list for notices of upcoming events. Often when a particular wine sells, out the ladies replace it with a different one to introduce to their clientele. “We’re always changing. We’d rather try a bunch of different ones and let our customers try new ones too,” Dochnahl said.

Sandellas also fulfills customer wine requests. A calendar of their upcoming wine tasting events can be seen on the Web at www.sandellasfinehome.com.

Sandellas is the perfect spot for small, intimate parties featuring wine and hors d’oeuvres – something Peck and Dochnahl are always looking for an excuse to serve.

“We really wanted a house with a kitchen [for the shop] so we could have hors d’oeuvres for events,” Peck said.

Sandellas’ next event will be a cake and champagne party on May 14 to promote their facility as a great bridal party venue. “To give people a feel for what it’s like. We’ll also have fun new displays and products,” Dochnahl said. A garden cabin in the backyard is also available for outside events.

Sandellas’ merchandise is a mix of metropolitan and classic pieces including many wine oriented items and spa essentials such as The Thymes bath products, a popular and hard to find brand that has already tapped a loyal North Bend following.

“We have a good variety of rustic and metropolitan, it depends a lot on what we’re trying to feature in the front of the store,” Dochnahl said. “When people come in they say it’s warm and relaxing in here, it just feels very comfortable.”

Peck is hoping to start an in-home service to help customers choose the right items for their home by bringing the Sandellas’ merchandise they like into their home before buying it “to see what works and they can buy what they want and I’ll take back what doesn’t work,” Peck said. Sandellas also does custom silk flower arrangements to accent any home.

Though the women don’t have professional interior decorating experience, they both have worked in retail and possess an eye for the artful living space. Peck is a photographer, whose photos have sold well at Sandellas.

“People like what we do in here and don’t always know how to do it in their own homes,” Peck said. “People don’t need a designer, just ideas.”

* Sandellas, located at 219 Ballarat Ave. N. in North Bend, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from Noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Parking is located behind the store on Second Street. For more information, call (425) 888-7300 or visit www.sandellasfinehome.com.