No place like home -- Karen Wight

How many words begin with “Q”?

The answer is 1,120, according to the World Book dictionary (can you

believe I counted?), and I was generous and included initials, prefixes

and a few Latin words.

So what are Qs good for? They are killer for Scrabble: If you get a

“u” and a triple letter square, you’ve got the game locked up.

Qs jump start some of my favorite words: queen, questionable,

quicksand and quiet.

Lately, the favorite Q word in my lexicon is Quonset. As in hut. Like

those funky structures on West 17th Street next to Trader Joe’s.

What started as an area full of storage units and industrial tenants

has become the new, chic place to shop. Quirky. Quixotic. Quaint.

One of the stores located in the Q-huts is Nikki Twigs. A quetzal of a

boutique that offers a variety of artwork, accessories, furniture, light

fixtures and one of a kind tchotchkes. The proprietors are an artistic

bunch and even offer custom pet portraits, hand-painted tiles, and they

will gladly search for just the right knickknack for your home as they

roam and rove their secret nooks and crannies.

The “Nikki” in Nikki Twigs is actually a pet pug dog, so if you call

and ask for her, you may not get many questions answered. But if you

treat yourself to a stroll through Q-world, you’ll be pleasantly

surprised.

Last week I quested among the huts and got into a fair amount of

trouble. Not only did they have a great selection of unusual items, they

had several pieces of furniture and artwork on consignment.

I left with a painting, 1930-ish, and a black and white ceramic pooch

(ceramic pets can be great accessories, too). Both pieces have a

dirty-aqua theme, which gives my family room a quantum lift. They’re

weird; it works; why quarrel?

The Quonset huts have been around for a long time and Nikki Twigs is

sprouting permanent molars instead of baby teeth, but for me, finding new

places is like finding buried treasure.

So next time you’re heading over to Trader Joe’s (don’t pass up TJ’s

fresh flowers), give yourself a little extra time to cruise the huts.

There’s something for everyone.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs Sundays.