Showroom

>>> Moss Outdoor, Santa Fe, New Mexico | Photography by Theodore Bott

Above: Contemporary outdoor furnishings and accessories in bold forms and colors are displayed on the floor of Moss Outdoor. Below: Chairs and lounges are displayed on shelves along a wall.

Not long after her husband’s career moved them to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Gloria Moss was working a few days a week at a local linen shop and filling her spare time with equestrian pursuits.

“One day I was looking at all these lovely, large Santa Fe houses with huge portales that, basically, had nothing on them,” she recalls, “but I knew that the interiors of these houses were filled with major art and beautiful furniture. A light bulb went off in my head.”

A short time later, she opened Moss Outdoor, a showroom dedicated to high-style, contemporary outdoor furniture and accessories, which counts members of the design community, as well as homeowners, as clients. “A lot of people think that Santa Fe is only about pueblo style, but there’s a lot of contemporary architecture here.”

Moss has a long history with high style. She spent some 20 years in New York working for Cassina and Knoll, calling on design giants such as John Saladino, Gensler and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Moss also worked in the design industry in South Africa and Saudi Arabia, following her husband’s career.

Once she decided to open an outdoor furnishings showroom, Moss began looking for a space. “Many retail spaces in Santa Fe are either in historic buildings with small, choppy rooms or in new buildings without a lot of character,” she explains. Moss found the perfect 1800-square-foot space in the newly restored Railyard district, not far from downtown Santa Fe’s plaza. “Our building dates to 1913,” Moss notes, ”and has brick walls and a rustic look that addresses outdoor furniture.” She opened Moss Outdoor in summer 2007, showcasing furnishings in a two-tier display, illuminated from above and below.

Seeking out products not seen before in Santa Fe, Moss carries lines such as Sutherland teak, Sifas, Blomus, Janus et Cie and Kenneth Cobonpue. She also carries handmade quilts by artist Denyse Schmidt and sculptural bird baths and feeders by Eva Solo.

Moss stays connected to the local design community by offering courtesy to the trade, as well as participating in home tours and the annual Design Santa Fe, a series of panel discussions and tours. Her sales aren’t limited to New Mexico. Moss has worked on projects in Colorado, California, Florida and other states.

After a little more than two years in business in Santa Fe, Moss has quickly learned to read her clientele. “There’s a big artists’ community here,” says Moss, “so I find that clients don’t always want to play it safe and conservative. They like great design and aren’t afraid of using color in their outdoor spaces. They also insist on comfort.

“That was the whole point of opening Moss Outdoor,” summarizes Moss. “I wanted to bring something fresh and wonderful to Santa Fe.”

Moss Outdoor, 530 S. Guadalupe, Santa Fe, NM 87501;
(505) 989-7300 or www.mossoutdoor.com.