MIKEL ADAIR

Visionary owner Mikel Adair brings decades of creativity, design, and retail success to his latest endeavor, Temple, an upscale but accessible home goods boutique where local artists' handcrafted jewelry, fine art, crafts, and ceramics sit alongside exotic global finds from 17 countries.

"I'm constantly striving to create that perfect mix – where visitors to Santa Fe find special souvenirs and locals discover their new favorite piece. We have every price point represented in the store, something everybody can afford,” says Mikel, who sees Temple filling a niche (or perhaps unscratched itch) in Northern New Mexico's home décor market. From mid-century chairs to hand-beaded purses and scented candles, Temple honors Santa Fe-style from a fresh perspective.

Creating Distinctive Spaces

Mikel’s calling was evident at a young age. As a teenager in Houston, he painted his bedroom black (thanks to his creative and nurturing mom), attended a performing arts high school, studied design at the Art Institute of Houston, and opened a vegetarian restaurant in his 20s where the décor rivaled the menu.

Houston diners noticed and quickly became clients who sought out Mikel to design interiors for restaurants, retail, and hospitality spaces, first locally and then globally, from Mexico to Tunisia.

After many years running his own interior design practice in Houston, he relocated to Oregon, operating an international furniture and fabric showroom in Portland for 17 years before selling in 2022.

Bringing the World to Santa Fe

At that time, Mikel relocated to the different city to "retire", a short-lived decision that quickly turned to volunteering for and then managing Kitchen Angels' retail space, Kitchenality. Realizing he's "allergic to not working," late in 2024, in collaboration with friends Sarah and Preston Stone, he launched Temple, his seventh and most personal shop.

Mikel continues a lifetime habit of traveling the world for business and pleasure, visiting Paris annually and always looking for intriguing new pieces to keep his home decor boutique vibrant and exciting. And with a potential Albuquerque location on the horizon, Temple’s story is just beginning.