If you like the simplicity of Asian decor, you're in for a treat at the Red Lantern in downtown Santa Fe.

You won't find any Southwestern items here. The owners of the store are from China, and the keep the store tastefully decorated with Asian furnishings.

"We specialize in silk comforters that are hypoallergenic and mold- resistant," said Mimi Chan, the 21-year-old daughter of co-owner Maggie Qiu. "They're made with a silk batting and come from a small woman-run factory in China."

Chan added that the owners of Red Lantern try to carry items from China that support small cottage industries rather than large factories, and they have done extensive research to locate the women who make many of the items sold in the store.

"Each product has a wealth of history, and people leave our store with a sense of who made the item and where it came from," said Chan, who made several journeys to China before the store opened in August.

The store's history goes back more than 20 years, when Qiu and her brother, Ronald, decided to leave China for a better life. At first, they moved to New York City and later settled in Seattle, where they worked at and managed retail stores.

"When I moved to Santa Fe to attend St. John's College, my mother was managing a store in Seattle," she said. "Then she and her brother decided to pool all their resources to open the Red Lantern in Santa Fe.

"It was kind of scary," she said. "Everything they have went into the store."

Besides bedroom accessories such as pillows, naturally dyed cotton sheets and colorful duvets, the store also carries nightgowns and shawls, lamps and home furnishings.

Deb Holloway, whose husband directs the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, said she loves the store because it's not something you usually see in Santa Fe.

"It's very unique," said Holloway from her winter home in Chicago. "I bought one of the raw silk duvets, and it's extremely light and warm. I also bought some really nice old pieces of jade."

Red Lantern also carries a number of gift items, including teapots and cups, tissue-box covers, jewelry, fans, lanterns, wooden trays and bowls.

"We want to expose Santa Fe to true, authentic Asian culture," Chan said.

Chan said the hardest part of owning the store is the stress of never knowing if her mother and uncle will make enough money each day to remain open, but in China, the red lantern is a symbol of good luck.

The store's name alone could give its owners the upper hand.It seems these entrepreneurs picked a good name for their unique downtown store.

Owners: Maggie Qiu, Ronald Qiu
Address: 131 W. Water St.
Employees: none
Phone: 466-3793
E-mail: redlanternsf@gmail.com