Artifacts in Oakwood Village is a small space with big personality

Visitors to Oakwood Village will note a new shop at the very end of the parking area, the tiny building that is home to Jeffrey Parish’s “Artifacts.” He calls the place “my personality in a box,” and the carefully curated mix of curiosities from around the world and his own creations is the fruit of over 20 years in retail. It is all “merchandise that I love, use, and believe in, (and) gives me great joy to share with others.”

Parish makes soaps and candles, as well as jewelry and ceramics. The soaps address a variety of specific needs, from moisturizing for everyday use to exfoliating or activated charcoal for occasional treatments. He is “very picky” about the candles; expect fragrances, but he doesn’t like “candles that smell like food.”

The shop is something of a curiosity cabinet, even offering a book on starting your own curiosity cabinet. Parish loves the opportunities the changing seasons bring to reimagine the shop, so expect frequent makeovers, with the constant being a mix of the spiritual and humorous.

In Idyllwild, Parish became part of the community of ceramic artists using the studio space at Mountain Pottery, a place “that nurtures my creative soul… creating pottery, and to my surprise, selling as fast as I produce.” Some of his jewelry designs include ceramic elements, semi-precious stones, and even squirrel paws.

Parish just turned 59 and moved here this year after a long stay in San Diego. He calls himself the quintessential stereotype: “I have done hair, had a flower shop, done interior design, and up until 2019 designed clothing and shoes. In 1998 I opened a shop in San Diego with a run of 21 years. It was the absolute love of my life. So, for me, it was a natural decision to open a shop in my new home of Idyllwild.”

Parish said he knew Idyllwild was his home the first time he visited, last year, but he is no stranger to mountain life. “I grew up in the mountains of Colorado and, in my opinion, that connection never truly leaves us… I decided in January 2024 that Idyllwild was the change I needed. I bought a house, packed up my San Diego life and made the change this past March. It has proven to be the best thing for me. This place has an indescribable magic. The people and community are like nowhere else.”