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(k) Bourgeois Bohème is known among collectors
for its
quirky
displays. (l) Call it a stationery store if you
like, but Pulp is
more
of a paean to paper.
Last-minute shoppers love
the selection of gift
wrap by the
sheet.
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Since the 1980s, this artsy enclave has been in the throes of a rebirth, with
renegade shops springing off of the more well-known, trendy Melrose Avenue.
Golyester, the vintage fashion stalwart owned by Esther Ginsberg, is one such
transplant, having relocated from Melrose to La Brea a decade ago. “La Brea has
become a big deal,” Esther says. “While other areas specialize in shops for
tourists, this street is about provenance. A large part of my business is the
designers who come through: costume designers for films, as well as fashion
designers from the East Coast, Italy, and France. They’re all looking for
inspiration, and they find it on La Brea.”In a neighborhood filled with Art Deco and Spanish Revival buildings, it’s only
natural that home furnishings and antiques shops should flourish. “We have our
own style, such as taking a daybed, upholstering it in linen, then adding a back
to create a sofa,” says Lewis Keister of East Meets West. “Our clients comment
that innovative displays show them how to see old things in new ways.”
At East Meets West, the “Eastern” reference is to Pennsylvania, New England, and
New York, where owner Lewis Keister looks for American folk art and furnishings.
(a) A wall of vintage pillows dominates the mind-boggling mix. (b) Centuries’ old gin bottles with a folksy old dollhouse.(c) Get pleasantly lost in the vast aisles of Diamond Foam & Fabric.
You’ll find interior designers, film set decorators, and do-it-yourselfers
prowling for textiles. Many are reproduced from vintage upholstery, drapery
panels, and scarves. (d) Golyester stocks vintage and couture clothing, not to mention
museum-quality textiles. (e) Standing over 10 feet high, a French 1920s Eiffel Tower
is among the mix at Little Paris Antiques, a favorite prop source for the film
industry. (f) La Brea Antique Collection has a stunning cache of mid-20th-century
glassware. (g) European treasures on view at Eccola, where a chalkboard
explains the
inventory. Renovators adore Liz’s Antique Hardware for its selection of period-perfect
switchplates, hinges, mail slots, and other functional doo-dads. (h) Founder
Liz Gordon among the doorplates. (i) Vintage plastic pulls and
knobs. (j) Lighting becomes functional sculpture at Bourgeois Bohème.
Teardrop-shaped pendants, sconces, and multibranched chandeliers are among the
offerings.
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