L'Ambiente offers unique high quality gifts. There is beauty, and whimsy in the seasonal gifts. It is a pleasure to shop there. The owner curates items beautifully. The service is exceptional. read more

I hardly ever leave reviews on here, let alone negative ones, but the owner of this place is pretty rude and snobby. Her store has nice stuff, but how she speaks to certain customers is condescending. Close to 2 years ago I came in to return/exchange a gift I got from the store, and she seemed disappointed/irritated that I would want to return or exchange something from her store. I also didn't realize it was an hour till closing and as I was browsing she was following me around the store impatiently (I didn't ask her to help me pick out anything) and just responding shortly to anything I glanced at or picked up. After maybe 10 minutes of that she finally said "sorry we are closing in a hour, so unless you plan on buying something I can give u a gift receipt." She then created the gift receipt manually on some receipt form and the whole time is condescendingly telling me that they have NO digital records of any store transactions so i better not lose this receipt, okay? And I better come back in soon to buy something and not wait forever. The entire interaction just made me feel small for no reason at all. read more

Very cute little shop. Wandered in looking for candle for a gift. They had a great selection of fragrances. Also lots of jewelry and housewares and fun gifts. The shopkeeper was very friendly. Nice dog too! read more

What a treasure trove! Within a relatively small space this shop has hundreds of delightful items for your home, your friends, and yourself. Lovely scarves, unique jewelry, clever housewares, and art by local artists. Picked up a charming, one of a kind vase by a local artist, very reasonably priced; had a nice conversation with the proprietor. Will definitely return, and can whole-heartedly recommend this "hidden treasure." read more

This is in response to Sharon R. and her rambling on about L'ambiente. The "clerk" is the owner of this store and is well known for her kindness in Larkspur. Your tone is rather rude my dear, calling her "the clerk-an elderly woman with her arm in a sling"! I have learned in life that one should never judge another for you never know what that person has endured. I have known Margaret for years since her opening day. Locals and others from afar come in just to visit her for her very wise and kind advise. The local priest, who you obviously saw that day, is also her good friend. She is known at our local church in town. While I wasn't privy to what occureda , I can guaranty you that what you claim to have experienced is being taken a bit out of context with a bit of drama thrown in. Lighten up! read more

Shopping at this store is such a treat! The owner, Margaret, perfectly curates unique items from afar and brings them to the charming Larkspur town. Her window displays are gorgeous and such a sight for the eyes! If you're looking for beautiful, high-quality gifts and home decor this is the place. read more

After looking at a home in Larkspur, I set out to explore the downtown area with my 2 dogs. Everyone was welcome and friendly, truly making me feel welcome at home UNTIL I went into this store. The clerk - an elderly woman with her arm in a sling - was engaged in a conversation with a priest and ignored me as I walked in to ask the price on tote bags hanging outside the store. She reluctantly came out without a hello or gesture, looked at the bag, told me the price and went back to her conversation inside. Another shopper and I got into a conversation outside of the store while the shop dog (and elderly black lab) roamed in and out meeting and greeting people. It had been such a magical day I decided to purchase the bag as sort of momentum. The bags were tangled and the other shopper and I spent about 10 minutes getting the one I wanted out while the clerk continued in her conversation. Excited for my purchase I walked in with my 2 very small, very well behaved dogs who had been engaging with her dog for the past 15+ minutes. As I approached the counter there was no "hello", no "can I help you" just "are they male or female?". I assume she was asking because her dog might not be friendly towards one gender or the other so I told her they had all been outside together and she went off on the tirade about my male dog lifting his leg and peeing. First of all, my rescue dog was so badly abused before I found him that he doesn't even know how to lift his left and because he was crated for 3 years of his life he only pees 2xs a day. She went on to say that it had happened before and told me to take him out. It was very insulting, rude and completely uncalled for. I have worked in retail and owned an art gallery and I understand that accidents happen but to greet someone with such aggression was completely uncalled for and yes, I said some unkind words and left without making my purchase. I see now that it says no dogs but if there is a dog roaming in and out on the street and no signage I would assume - like EVERY OTHER store in Larkspur that greeted me and my pets with warmth and welcoming - that this one would as well and we didn't even shop in the store but only went in to ask for help and make a purchase. I won't let her ruin an otherwise lovely day but I certainly will never give them my business or visit again and I would encourage other shoppers to give their business to the other merchants who actually speak to you, greet you, offer help and treat you and your pets with respect. This person - who it seems others have complained about as well - needs to either be fired or retired! There's no excuse for rudeness. Well, unless you are mean to my dogs then the gloves come off. read more

L'ambiente is a charming shop with a myriad of home decor, bags, candles, jewelry (the list goes on) in a range of prices. For such a small shop they have a bit of everything. I found a lovely olive wood cutting board for $24! Margaret, the owner has an eye for the unique and is a sweetheart. She is always ready to help but if you just want to browse she doesn't hover -- which is a delicate balance. I go to Marin every couple of weeks and my trip would not be complete without a stop at L'ambiente. read more

WAY overpriced. Soaps and lotions were in the $40 price range...napkins were at least $12 each...it's a very random selection that's got crazy pricing. On one table were a bunch of necklaces, all with (at the very best) chips of semi-precious stones...these necklaces were priced around $100. Crazy. There was a ceramic, hand painted bowl for nearly $200...again, ridiculous. This is CERAMIC. And we're not talking about a bowl covered in beautiful detailed art, this was a very simplistic piece. The knick knacks were very random to the point of uselessness. There were a few cute products, but many tacky ones. Worst of all was the service. My mother and I walked in and were ignored by the shop keeper. She never said hello to us or acknowledged our existence in the entire time we were in the store. She was too busy bragging about her "vintage shelving" to a couple of women (the shelving was not for sale). While looking at some of her products, we overheard her discussing the internet with the women she was talking with. One asked if she had a website, she said no because "that's just for, ugh, YOUNG people" and "I don't have time to deal with all of that nonsense". It was just a little odd because I'm a "young people" and I was standing maybe 10 feet away...so, definitely a bit rude. When we left, she again didn't acknowledge our existence. All in all, dull, overpriced products, bad service, cramped. Not really worth your time. read more

This afternoon my friend and I happen to be visiting the area and we decided to go inside the store and browse. We came in and the lady at the register didn't bother to great us or to ask anything. Any way I notice it but didn't want to pay attention to it. So we continued to look around and I decided to buy a couple of greeting cards, then came to the register to pay for the cards and also asked the woman how much a pair of earrings cost and she was hesitant to answer. So I decided not to buy them. She was very unpleasant and unwelcoming ( for her sake I hope that's her business!!) And she looked at us in a very discriminative way like we didn't belong there. After the horrifying experienced I had by going in there I will never again patronize that store .... read more

I have never been treated so poorly in my life by, I later learned, the owner of "L'Ambiente", on Magnolia the Main Street of historic Larkspur, which carries the most beautiful, tastful and elegant merchandise. I walked into the shop and as I shopped, answered texts on my cell phone that required immediate attention. At one point, I asked the owner about some beautiful jewelry that I saw displayed which interested me. I never spoke on my cell phone. I was in the shop for a total of 10 minutes at which point, the owner, approached me and asked me to leave her shop saying that I was completely rude in working on my cell phone while in her shop and claiming that I had been in her shop for a half hour, which was not true. I told her that although I love her merchandise and could have been interested in making purchases there, that now I would not, as I found her behavior completely rude in her treatment of me. Upon crossing the street to Coquelicot, I learned from one of the people there, that the owner of L'Ambiente has a history of treating many, many people so inconsiderately, including a former friend of hers and fellow local Board member whom she had known for years. I was told that that former friend never shopped in L'Ambiente again. I feel so sorry for you. read more

LOVE THIS STORE!!! Has so many cool little and big things. Every time I go I find something new. Don't be in a hurry becasue you will get overwhelmed. Margret has it packed full of great stuff. And the prices are good! Especially for Marin. I order a lot of stuff on-line but nothing compares to being able to see it and touch it in the flesh. I just bought her out of big Pots. Can't wait to see what she orders to replace them :) read more

Great gift store. Great gift ideas from shopkeeper. Ignore Lost B review. That person has this store confused with a food store. Lost B should correct the error. read more

I have been shopping at this store for years. They carry unique assortments of candles, jewelry, ceramics ,glassware, linens and more. If you have to purchase a gift - this is the store to visit. If you need help deciding on a gift, the owner gives great suggestions. They have always been super helpful. read more

We are so lucky to have such a beautiful gift store as L'ambiente in Larkspur. The owner, who is so courteous and helpful, provides a stellar array of items that appeal to all tastes. On a recent visit, I found a beautiful piece of handcrafted jewelry, gorgeous linen table napkins, two lovely serving dishes, and topped my shopping off with an exquisite Asian style ginger jar. The shop is my first stop shopping for all sorts of Christmas items (the store is so beautiful at Christmas!) and is a great place to find one-of-a-kind gifts you simply won't find anywhere else. Another thing I enjoy is that each time I visit the store, there are always other customers there who are interesting and fun to chat with. Margaret, the owner, is a like a magnet in this town, loved for her charm and friendliness combined with her fabulous taste and diversity of gift items that have made her shop a popular Marin destination for many years. read more