Design LA: A Few Days in Los Angeles

Notes from La Cienega, the PDC, and Highland Avenue

I hadn’t been to Legends—now Design LA—in quite a while. The last time was pre-COVID, and for a few years the dates overlapped with Proposte. This time, I was able to spend a few days in Los Angeles, moving between La Cienega, the PDC, and Highland Avenue.

It’s a fun event to attend—there’s a natural mix of seeing old friends and making new ones, with a steady rhythm of panels, showroom visits, and informal moments in between. Under the direction of Becky Birdwell, the programming felt well curated, with an emphasis on process and perspective rather than promotion.

Much of the activity centers on La Cienega, specifically Chief, a women’s club organized around a breezy courtyard. The weather was ideal, and the courtyard became a natural place to land between appointments. A collaboration between Sunbrella and CW Stockwell extended the brand’s familiar print language into woven indoor-outdoor applications, shown through a series of upholstered furniture, pillows, and relaxed cabana-like structures.

The opening evening was well attended and very crowded, and the energy carried through the week.

My first stop the following morning was Hollywood at Home, which felt like the right way to begin the week. The showroom has expanded since my last visit and is beautifully curated, with Peter Dunham’s own collection anchoring a broader mix of largely print-driven lines that carry an easy Southern California attitude. The space itself unfolds as a long central passage flanked by a series of open, semi-enclosed rooms, leading back to a small courtyard where outdoor fabrics are shown. It’s a place you can spend time in, taking in how everything is put together. I ran into Rebecca Rueth there, creative director at Advanced Screen Graphics, the print house behind many of the collections shown up and down the street.

Allison Kettlewell and SB at Hollywood at Home

The main stage was set in a large space at the back of Chief, with plenty of seating for the crowds that gathered throughout the day. The backdrop behind the speakers was changed out between each session by Kravet in a playful activation, resetting the space as the conversations shifted.

The programming was woven throughout the day rather than set apart from it. At Harbinger, a panel moderated by Alex K. Mason brought together artists including Lulu DK, Kelly Ventura, Caitlin McGauley, and Chloe Redmond Warner, speaking about the process of translating artwork into textile and wallpaper collections. I arrived as Lulu DK was creating one of her shell artworks in the window, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the painstaking process. Harbinger is a powerhouse when it comes to boutique collections, and I always enjoy spending time discovering the breadth of lines they represent.

Later, at Nathan Turner, Serena Dugan was joined by Blythe Harris in a conversation moderated by Eugenia Santiesteban Soto, touching on creativity, collaboration, and building enduring brands.

At Nathan Turner, the Flintwood and Walter G collections feature printed linens and wallcoverings produced in Los Angeles.

At Pat McGann Gallery, antique textiles are reworked into pillows, with the source material itself—truly stunning—very much on display, alongside fabrics by Neeru Kumar and a recently introduced wallcovering range. At Farrow & Ball, Sean Yashar’s installation offered an uplifting take on color with a European attitude. Christopher Farr’s two-level showroom presents their rugs in a composed setting that highlights their unique character. Una Malan remains a consistent stop for elegant, modern, and understated collections, with a strong European point of view.

One of the brightest moments of the day happened on the sidewalk. Outside PSMADE / Philip Stites, Luis Luna of David S. Gibson, a Los Angeles–based boutique weaving facility, had set up a loom to highlight the David Crowder handwoven collection. It was fun to sit in the bright sun and throw the shuttle—something I’ve barely done since my years at FIT. Inside, the showroom mixes textiles with antiques, stacked and layered to create a rich tableau of texture, pattern, and color.

I made a quick visit to the PDC as well. It’s noticeably quieter than it once was, but there are still strong moments. At the Thomas Lavin showroom, I saw a limited edition Jiun Ho piece I had worked on—a sequined double embroidery that I hadn’t seen since Paris, which felt a bit like seeing an old friend. Kneedler Fauchère continues to anchor the PDC with a substantial multiline showroom, bringing together a wide range of European and luxury textile lines. Holland & Sherry showed a new collection called Harwood House by Cortney Bishop, and Jasper, which carries many of the pattern-driven English collections I had seen in London in January, was an enjoyable warren of beautiful fabrics.

A short walk from there, I stopped at Urth Caffé for their farmer’s salad—artichokes included—which has become something of a ritual when I’m in Los Angeles. A small pause in the day, but one I look forward to.

One of the highlights of the trip was a breakfast at the home of Sean Leffers, who is featured in our current report. Set in the Hollywood Hills, the house is filled with his own textiles, antique pieces, and collected objects, all brought together with a relaxed but considered hand. The event itself carried a distinctly California sensibility, with guests moving easily between indoor and outdoor spaces as he introduced his new collection. Case in point: a juice bar featuring alchemical tinctures from Mysticopia, encouraging guests to activate intentions—from dreaming to manifesting.

On my last day, I spent time on Highland, which has developed into a dense cluster of showrooms that feel more like complete environments than traditional retail spaces. I lived in Los Angeles in the late 90s and early 2000s while working for Barbara Barry, and it’s always interesting to return and see how these pockets have evolved.

Joel Chen, a long-established Los Angeles shop known for its eclectic mix of vintage and antique furniture, remains one of the most compelling spaces in the city. It spans multiple buildings and feels deeply collected—furniture layered with objects that range from refined to idiosyncratic. There’s a small bonsai garden in the back, and the mix of old and modern, opulent and rustic, is handled with an intuitive precision that rewards time spent wandering.

The Apparatus showroom unfolds as a moody, almost grotto-like sequence of rooms, each one carefully staged, with a strong sense of verticality and procession. Rock-aggregate walls frame individual pieces, while materials such as marble, suede, bespoke rugs, intricate jacquards, and brass elements catch the eye. It feels theatrical and intentional—almost a temple to fine design.

BDDW offers a different cadence—lighter, more relaxed, and distinctly individual. Tyler Hays’s approach combines finely made pieces with a sense of informality, set within a large space that feels expressive and fun, with a strong emphasis on art, play, and experimentation. A sound room at the far end, anchored by a huge wooden gramophone, adds an unexpected, almost surreal note.

Boundary is a multi-line showroom bringing together a number of European brands—Cogolin, Dimore Milano, and Delcourt Textiles among them—along with selected furniture and lighting. The overall effect is composed and textile-forward, with a point of view that feels closely aligned with what is on show in Milan and Paris.

On the way out of town, I stopped at Diamond Foam and Fabric, which has moved since my last visit. Jason Asch and I go back many years—he was one of the first people I met in the industry—and the shop remains an excellent source for well-priced linens and unexpected finds. Jason’s daughter Aliyah Asch and longtime manager Gabrielle Moser have organized his finds into a shoppable trove of high-end European fabrics at remarkable prices. Some pieces are exclusive to the shop, while others are overstock from some of the best mills and editors. A fitting way to cap the visit!