SANCTUARIES LA EXPLORES THE QUIETER SIDE OF LOS ANGELES THROUGH DESIGN.
ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT SANCTUARY EXISTS EVERYWHERE, OFTEN HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.
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Daniela Araya and I have been friends for a decade. We met when my former design partner, Tron Le, and I gutted a three-story, nine-bedroom Bushwick loft and transformed it into a five-bedroom space spanning two stories and a mezzanine. We called it The Boswijk and rented it out for short stays, film shoots, and events. Daniela moved in as our only permanent tenant.
We immediately bonded over design and got into plenty of trouble. Ten years later, we’re still close, and it’s been a joy to watch her build a colorful design career of her own. She came out to stay with me for a week and explore Los Angeles Design Week/end. Here’s what caught her eye.
-Shelby Nico Diamond
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHELBY NICO DIAMOND
Hi! I’m Daniela Araya, an interior designer and color consultant based in Hudson, NY. As the guest editor of today’s Sanctuaries LA guide, I’m embarrassed to admit I used to identify as an “LA is not for me” person (and when I say used to, I mean as of approximately one week ago).
But leave it to Shelby to convince me to fly across the country for LAD/W and finally experience the magic LA has to offer. I’m so grateful they did; the week was exhilarating. I spent most of my days soaking up design inspiration, discovering new artists and friends, and drinking as many cold beverages as possible to survive the 100-degree-plus heat.
Shelby has mentioned LAD/W to me enough times over the years that I started to wonder what exactly I was missing. It’s hard for me to gauge which events are actually worth going to and which just look like they are (the internet can be deceiving). I experience this sometimes in New York City, where there’s no shortage of design events. You have the massive trade shows like ICFF and BDNY, which are held in convention centers and feel very corporate. Then there are events more up my alley, like NYCxDESIGN, which spreads programming across the city, or WNWN at the New York Design Center, which I love for its specificity and panel discussions.
LAD/W felt different in a good way; it was intimate and incredibly well curated without feeling exclusive. I met other designers, makers, and people who simply really love design. The whole thing felt less like networking and more like spending a week with a bunch of very interesting and creative people, each with something unique to share. Even in the heat, we rallied.
So, please consider this my official retraction of all previous LA slander. Here’s what caught my eye at LAD/W, through my very colorful lens.
THE HAAS BROTHERS
My week of festivities kicked off with a friends-and-family opening party at the Haas Brothers studio, a (somehow) new-to-me design duo whose work is wonderfully weird and whimsical.
I was especially obsessed with the oversized, Dr. Seuss-esque lighting in the main room, but I’d be remiss not to mention the glass and marble snails. This place was a little world of its own and it all made me stop and smile, which is what good design should do.
DESIGN PROPER HOTEL
The Downtown LA Proper has been on my must-see list for a while, so you bet I was excited to learn the official LAD/W party was happening on the rooftop. The views! The vibes! The Kelly Wearstler of it all!
There is so much happening in this hotel. Pattern, color, texture, vintage objects everywhere you look. I left the party feeling like I hadn’t gotten nearly enough time to take it all in, so I did the only reasonable thing and spontaneously booked myself a couple of nights there at the end of my trip. For research, obviously.
SERPENTINE
I had no idea what to expect when I walked into Serpentine. I was given the context of plants and Eric Wareheim, and what I stepped into was about as weird as you’d expect: part plant and furniture archive, part haunted house, the whole thing felt like walking into an outdoor work of art.
I chickened out of the actual haunted house in the back, but something tells me I missed a good time. I look to nature for color palette inspiration all the time, but Serpentine had me paying more attention to shape and form, like the strange, sculptural things nature comes up with all on its own.
THIS MUST BE THE VASE
One of the highlights of my trip was finally meeting internet friends from afar that I’d never met IRL, and Abby Pendergrast was one of them. This Must Be the Vase, hosted by Danielle Armstrong, brought together nine LA-based interior stylists, each pulling a vase from their own collection and creating a floral arrangement around it.
I loved seeing how differently everyone interpreted the assignment, but even more than that, I loved the idea of treating something as simple as arranging flowers as a creative exercise. Play with your flowers, people!
ORCA X MARLEIGH CULVER
ORCA’s indoor-outdoor studio and garden got my wheels turning for future projects, especially in the way art, furniture, and landscape all seemed to live together instead of competing for attention. I just wish it hadn’t been approximately one million degrees outside so I could have stayed longer.
I was also pleasantly surprised to spot work by Marleigh Culver, an artist I first discovered years ago while I was painting a mural for Indeed’s offices. One of her murals was in the building, and I immediately fell in love with her use of color. It was so cool to see how her work has evolved since then, and I think this was my sign that I might finally need an original of my own.
POGANY STUDIO
Two things immediately caught my attention when I walked into Pogany Studio: the color-block painted walls and a table full of food that looked like art.
Andrei Pogany is the architect behind the studio, while his partner, chef Deborah Gorman, is responsible for the edible side of things. I loved seeing their two creative worlds come together in one space. The food was just as considered in its color, shape, and presentation as the architecture surrounding it.
RAD FURNITURE
RAD Fest Rodeo felt more like a big, hot, sweaty party than a traditional design event. There was a mechanical bull, after all. But lest we forget about the furniture! I’m big on soft edges when it comes to design, so naturally I gravitate toward a lot of what RAD does. A new favorite is their Little Dot Lamp, made in collaboration with Gantri, which was on display at the show.
GRENADA X CERAMICAH
I was very happy with the amount of good lighting I saw all week in LA, and the Granada x Ceramicah collaboration was no exception. The two California studios teamed up on a series of cast aluminum fixtures made from hand-thrown forms, but naturally I was most drawn to the brightest little blue number; I’d take her home immediately.
The collection was displayed throughout Granada’s Echo Park home alongside a gorgeous tablescape that was giving the lighting some competition. Apparently beautiful lamps and beautiful snacks are my LAD/W love language.
ADI GOODRICH
I’d never seen Adi Goodrich’s furniture line, Sing-Thing, in person before, but you better believe I have saved many photos of it on my Pinterest boards. It did not disappoint. I love her ability to make everyday things like a lamp or dining chair feel like an opportunity to evolve and play. Her work just makes me feel good.
After doing a little more investigating into the collection’s color palette, I was delighted to learn that it was pulled straight from her childhood, with each color representing a different memory or feeling. As someone who is constantly preaching that our relationship to color is personal, I ate this up.
DANNY D’S MUD SHOP
There is nothing cooler to me than getting to see someone in their actual studio space (part of why I enjoyed LAD/W so much). At Danny D’s Mud Shop, you could literally see the team in action, working to sgraffito pieces in the back while we wandered around the shop.
You can see the hand behind his ceramics, which makes each one feel incredibly personal. So personal, in fact, that I ended up bringing one home for my husband as a birthday gift.
BLOCK SHOP
I’m a big fan of Block Shop and recently used their fabric in one of my projects in Brooklyn, so getting to see all of the colors and textiles in person was a dream. I felt like an overstimulated kid running from corner to corner wanting to touch everything.
The retail space was basically an Eye Spy of colorful textiles and small goods, but for LAD/W, they also opened up their back office, which felt like getting a peek behind the curtain at what they’ve been working on.
Upstairs, the fabric and wallpaper library was tucked away like a little design treasure trove. Design is so tactile, and there’s just no substitute for getting up close and personal with materials like this.
RAVENHILL STUDIOS
I had multiple people enthusiastically run up to me throughout the week to tell me I couldn’t miss Ravenhill Studio, and they were totally right. It was my final stop of LAD/W and wow, way to end on a high note.
Their Los Angeles Sets a Table installation brought together table settings made from the work of dozens of local artists, designers, and makers. I loved seeing all these completely different pieces put into conversation with one another. A table setting is basically a tiny room when you think about it (color, texture, objects, composition) and each one had its own little personality.
Our final stop at Ravenhill Studio summed up what I loved about LAD/W: creative people making cool things, and even better things happening when you bring them all together.
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I’d say ten years later, you two are still trouble… good trouble 😉
Love knowing what you both saw that week!