Our Story
Palomas Home Furnishings was established in Carmel, California in May of 2001.
Translating from Spanish to English, Palomas means "dove" which symbolizes peace, love, and the Holy Spirit.
From the beginning, Palomas has kept in mind three key elements:
- Selecting unique items.
- Providing quality hand-made products.
- Offering excellent pricing for the quality and uniqueness.
Arnie Burttschell, the owner, travels abroad to find the unique treasures you find when you visit Palomas. He has traveled to Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, and Peru over the years.
While traveling in search of new products, he is buying directly from the artisans who create the products. All products are handmade, ensuring the quality of the product is unsurpassed. Having great, long term relationships with the artisans has provided Palomas the opportunity to provide our clients the ability to customize and design their own creations.
Palomas Home Furnishings prides itself in carrying items you would not normally see at other home furnishings galleries. We consider each item to be a functional piece of art.
Rest assured, each time you visit our gallery, you are bound to find something you have not seen before as our inventory is ever changing.
Please stop by and visit us next time you are in Carmel. We would love to see you.
Arnie Burttschell
In 1996, there was an unexpected opportunity that was offered to me. I was asked by a friend to help sell some accessories he purchased from Mexico on the side of the road in San Marcos, Texas. It was not until that day that I realized something…
The experience was inspiring. The idea came to me to wholesale to stores in Ruidoso, New Mexico. I took a drive and the day I visited Ruidoso, it had snowed three feet. After spending a few days, walking around, and checking out the quaint town, I decided to move from Texas to open my first retail store instead of wholesaling.
So, the adventure began. I sold my home in Texas, asked my friend who introduced me to selling on the side of the road to take me to Mexico, and I bought my first container.
In 1996, Imports, Etc. opened its doors. Working solo for the first six months, it was truly a one-man show. The next five years were exciting and rewarding. I continued to travel and purchase new items. My customers loved the uniqueness, quality and my prices.
In the year 2000, after having visited Carmel, California, it was decided that if the right location came available, Carmel-by-the-Sea would be a perfect new location.
On May 2, 2001, I took possession of the current location, formerly the Mediterranean Market. The Med Market was an iconic landmark and was run by an amazing family since around 1960. We love to hear the stories from our customers about their memories of the market.
In the beginning, I had opened the store with items from Mexico and Indonesia. After a while, I traveled to both Thailand and Peru on new adventures in search of new products.
Fast forward to 2021, Palomas Home Furnishings in Carmel-by-the-Sea is celebrating 20 years in business.
My passion has always been to have affordable home furnishings and ensure that there is something for everyone. You can count on unique, quality products with a lower-than-expected price each time you visit.
I owe the success of Palomas Home Furnishings to God above, my employees and every customer who has decorated their home with something from Palomas.
Looking forward to continuing this journey with Palomas and my wife Heather. Our new venture is India, and we hope to travel there soon.
Heather Burttschell
Heather started at Palomas Home Furnishings in June of 2010. Having many years in customer service fields and working with the public, her role at Palomas has evolved from just selling on the floor. In addition to sales, Heather has natural knack for interior design. She enjoys creating inviting displays in the store with our ever changing product, integrating different designs and textures.
After years of experience working alongside Arnie, Heather was eager to learn more about the business. Everything about the business was fascinating. After having the opportunity to travel with Arnie to Mexico and Indonesia, she quickly realized her potential to help make a difference.
Heather's contributions to the success of Palomas Home Furnishings comes from learning about the process of the business, meeting the chosen artists that produce our products selected and understanding the mission for Palomas as a business. She works closely with our artists and is responsible for ordering and receiving our many shipments and our customers special orders. With the help of our Palomas family members, she can assist our customers and provide excellent customer service along the way.
Heather loves working with clients from an interior design standpoint as well as designing custom furniture. She is meticulous with design projects and works closely with our clients to help them design exactly what they have envisioned.
Palomas Home Furnishings is a small business with a big heart and a desire to always do the best by their customers. This mission alone says a lot. Heather knew that working at Palomas Home Furnishings was her forever home. Her dedication, desire, and willingness to help carry on the traditions at Palomas Home Furnishings shows in all her accomplishments.
Jeremy Sanford
I have been employed at Palomas for the past 15 years. I work as a warehouse manager and handle the shipping and receiving.
I have been married to my wife, Stacy, for 12 years. We have two children that are 10 and 8 1/2 years old. I enjoy golfing going to concerts and working on my 53 Chevy.
In my spare time, I create mirrors which are sold at Palomas. The mirrors are named after my children, "Eastin" and "Emma".
There is something really special about Palomas and I enjoy working in a small, family owned business, who's main focus is to put our customers first.
