A shortcut to Mexico

Artesanos owners Jose and Callie Borraez were going to move to Mexico. Instead, they brought Mexico to them, building the furnishings store Artesanos on what had been a used-car lot in Burbank. Set up like a small hacienda, the store’s exposed beams, tiled floors and handmade glass hearts strung like Christmas lights add to the charm of the merchandise, which includes Mexican folk art, chandeliers, mirrors, Talavera pottery and handblown glass hurricanes. On the outdoor patio, you’ll find rustic furniture, chimineas and flower containers. You’ll also discover some cleverly repurposed goods: planters made of cattle troughs, antique sugar molds turned into a candleholder, and a table made from a recycled church door. Some items will look familiar to catalog shoppers, though the prices here tend to be lower. “We’re trying to be affordable,” Jose Borraez says. 1620 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, (818) 848-4824, www.artesanosla.com.

-- Lisa Boone