A Guide to the Best of Southern California : SHOPTALK : Cozy British Isles Imports

TO APPRECIATE Ireland Pays, one should treat the tiny shop the way it was conceived: as a comfy room in an English cottage. The tasteful clutter can be inspected from the comfort of an English-chintz slip-covered chair (for sale au natural or covered in a choice of imported fabrics, $1,250 to $2,200).

Kathryn Ireland and her partner, actress Amanda Pays, enlist friends and family in England in their search for unusual household items. On any given day, the imported finds can range from caddy lamps to 19th-Century English handmade quilts. Walls, shelves and all the nooks and crannies are filled with delightful oddities, such as an English ice bucket hidden inside what appears to be a stack of leather-bound books ($645). Among the less expensive items are a creamware jug for $21 and lovely picture frames for $15 to $40.

Ireland Pays, 2428 Main St., Santa Monica; (213) 396-5035.