A vintage nautical shop occupies 150 sqft footprint in Montecito, California. The petite space means that the stock at Mate Gallery is constantly changing. The tiny shop is chock-a-block with nautical and seafaring goods. Flags, shells, art, books, clothing, and maritime bric-a-brac delightfully jostle for space on tables, shelves and walls.

Established in 2013 by Ron Brand and Matt Albiani share a love for coastal living. Popular items include OP shorts, vintage indigo, and Hardy Boys novels. It’s also the perfect setting and outlet for photographer Matt’s stunning beach themed photographs, including seascapes and portraits of sailboats, lifeguards and surfers.

Mate Gallery attracts a diverse range of shoppers, from pro-surfers to Montecito housewives. The Instagram account has proven to be an invaluable tool, allowing non-local customers to shop, by sharing highlights of all the latest stock.

Matt Albiani & Ron Brand, shopkeepers at Mate Gallery

Ron Brand and Matt Albiani dreamt up the idea of Mate Gallery over a lobster dinner in Montauk. New York based fashion photographer Matt had a virtual vintage shop on One King’s Lane and Ron, a real estate broker in Montecito, suggested they evolve the virtual concept into a physical shop during that fateful dinner.

Ron and Matt scour East Coast yard and estate sales in search of product. They admire John Derian’s style, both his Provincetown house and East Village shops. The vintage horseshoe that hangs over the Montecito doorway, a gift from Matt’s mother, has brought the partners tons of luck. They have had two Mate Gallery outposts in the wheelhouse of Grand Banks, a schooner-turned-oyster bar anchored on the Hudson River in Tribeca, at the Surf Lodge in Montauk, and the Faraway Hotel, Nantucket.