Los Gatos Weekly-Times Photograph by Jeff Kearns Kirk Mehus opened Kirklund so he could combine many of the things he loves in life. Yards, lighting are focus Miss Tiffany is a happy cat--especially when sharing her opinions on aesthetics and pointing out her favorite merchandise to customers browsing at Kirklund & Company. Sometimes, though, the white-furred, blue-eyed greeter defers to store owner Kirk Mehus' better judgment. Mehus, whose full first name is Kirklund, moved his store to its present location in October, after about a year of doing business at the intersection of Andrews Street and N. Santa Cruz Avenue. A Bay Area native and longtime Los Gatan, Mehus opened up shop so he could do what he loves. "It's combining several interests that I have. I'm interested in design, lighting and good living. Gardening and the outdoors are also things I enjoy," he explains. "Our philosophy is to find out what our customers' needs and desires are, educate them about their options and work with them to put together what they want," Mehus adds. Concentrating on fine lighting and products for the back yard and patio, Kirklund & Company's merchandise hails from around the world. It includes topiaries, chandeliers, candles, custom lighting fixtures, ceramic pots and vases, iron urns, vases and grates, statuary, garden art, planter boxes and outdoor grills fired by propane or natural gas. Complementing the grills is a wide variety of accouterments for outdoor eating. In addition to plates, cutlery, napkin rings and pitchers, the store stocks patio heaters for the cold, umbrellas for the sun, and lampposts and landscape lighting for the dark. There's also vintage and new patio furniture made of iron, aluminum or wood, as well as cushions, limestone fountains and terra cotta firepots. Kirklund & Company, 145 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Hours are Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday noon-5 p.m. 354-4997. [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, January 20, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.