Saddles — new and used sold on consignment — are arranged for close inspection. Some of them sit on colorful, 100 percent wool saddle blankets, also for sale. But it is the custom-made saddles of which Lea is especially pleased.

“My premiere artist and saddle-builder is Wayne Hape,” said Lea of Hape, whom locals recognize as the mandolin player for Three-Legged Mule. “He specializes in custom leather work. I really lucked out because he’s literally one of the best. He handles custom special orders, gifts, repairs and belts, and is really very enthused about saddles.”

A selection of beautifully crafted boots and shoes is among Sterling Rose’s inventory. If a customer needs a size or specific design not carried, Lea will be happy to order it.

Photographer Tim Steinberg’s framed pictures of Alaska hang on the walls, with smaller unframed versions of his work also available.

Oil paintings by Joan Brown Dodd of Homer are arranged around the room. Dodd is a former owner of the building in which Sterling Rose is now located.

“This building has a historic significance,” Lea said. “It was originally a school in Diamond Ridge.”

Handmade quilt table runners by Linda Tennison and Wilma Gregor of Anchor Point add to the shop’s unique atmosphere, as does the carefully selected jewelry Lea carries — Native American silver work, chokers and necklaces by Harley Stephenson of Anchor Point and beaded jewelry by Lea.

Carol Washek’s birdhouses, no two alike, command attention from the center of the room. And Beth Carroll’s knitted creations — scarves, hats, sweaters and bags — offer a soft touch to the collection of sundries.

Lea grew up on a small farm in Indiana and has been riding horses since she was 12 years old. She eventually relocated to Colorado, but Alaska’s beauty and wildness finally drew her and her horse, Sapphire, to Alaska in 2003.

“I sold everything I had and came here to start a new life,” she said.

Recognizing a need for a saddle shop, she made up her mind last winter to open her own business and sealed the decision by ordering her first four saddles.

“The local horse association estimates there are 300 horses in the area, but I think that number is conservative,” Lea said. “I think there’s more like 600.”

Since opening in June, Sterling Rose has continued to build a customer base mostly from peninsula residents.

“That’s what I’m targeting,” Lea said.

She also has her eye set on goals for the business.

“I want to serve the horse community by selling anything they might need — saddles, tack, repair work, nutritional supplements — and be an information hub,” she said. “And I want to serve the greater community with locally made gifts, rugged wilderness clothing, boots and gear.”

The building in which the business is located has an upstairs area that could accommodate future expansion. The work area offers an on-site space for Lea to create her jewelry and complete leather repairs.