Crevette Design Studio Finds a Home for Its Playful Jewelry

By Karen Dybis | March 17, 2025

The new Crevette Design Studio in San Diego is a place where creativity is celebrated, clients can gather for any occasion, and jewelry is the ultimate platform for self-expression, according to Crevette founders Victoria Schulte and Charlotte Zappulla.

The studio, at 985 W. Lauren St., is open by appointment or by chance, Schulte says, but there are regularly scheduled studio days for people to come by and hang out.

“We have heard from clients time and time again that jewelry stores and brand themselves can feel intimidating and unapproachable. We wanted to create the opposite of that,” says Schulte, who debuted Crevette with Zappulla in 2023.

“We wanted this space to feel like your cool older sister’s apartment—bright colors, warm decor, a little edge, and unexpected softness in a modern, more industrial setting. Very different from a lot of jewelry stores out there.”

Crevette studio — *Bright, bold colors make Crevette Design Studio a homey space where people want to stay and visit, says brand cofounder Victoria Schulte.*

Prior to the studio’s opening in February, Schulte and Zappulla would have to meet with clients virtually or at various coffee shops or hotels around San Diego. They’d had a weekly pop-up for several months but outgrew it from an aesthetic and flexibility standpoint, says Schulte.

“We knew we didn’t want to open a traditional retail space, as we didn’t want to commit to that large of an undertaking—we just wanted a space that felt like us where we could work and meet privately with clients,” she says.

“We were on the hunt for four months. We found some amazing potential places, but then we found this beauty of a space on Craigslist that had all of our design-checklist dreams,” Schulte explains. “The light is amazing due to windows on both sides of the space.”

Crevette cases — *The Crevette owners wanted their studio to feel approachable, so simple cases for the jewelry felt like the right approach, Schulte says.*

Crevette’s studio is located at busy cross streets in San Diego, across from the world-famous Casbah music venue and on the edge of the city’s Little Italy area. The building has the strong, straight lines of industrial architecture. But inside, Crevette welcomes you with a home-like setting of color and playfulness. A large orange curtain separates the front showroom from the back workshop.

“We love our curtain—it’s a fun way to break up the space and create some privacy while still being design-forward,” Schulte says.

Playfulness comes mostly from the jewelry, and from shrimp-themed objects. Lots of shrimp—which is what crevette means in French. It’s also a term of endearment akin to “my little one,” Schulte says, noting that clients and friends gift them shrimp items—vases, paintings, ornaments, and espresso cups, for example—and they add other hints of shrimp here and there, too.

As the brand grows into the space, Schulte and Zappulla plan to host dinner parties, workshops with local makers, a “Golden Hour” summer series, and other events. They also want to expand into the attached garage with a jewelry bench, stained glass studio, and photography space.

“Big dreams, but all in due time,” Schulte says.

Top: Crevette founders Victoria Schulte and Charlotte Zappulla held the grand opening of their San Diego studio last month. (Photos courtesy of Crevette)