HOME BASE

BY AMANDA EBERSTEIN

West Hollywood has long been known as one of L.A.’s top design destinations, and with good reason. Home to the Design District, as well as the iconic Pacific Design Center, the neighborhood is filled with a seemingly ever-evolving number of shops, showrooms, galleries, and more, devoted to furnishings, art, and decor. One of the most ambitious recent openings is Coup D’Etat, an L.A. outpost of the esteemed San Francisco showroom of the same name. Situated on a prime corner spot on Robertson Boulevard, the light-filled, gallery-like space offers an expertly curated selection of high-end pieces from contemporary makers such as Edwin Maldonado, Linda Fahey, Brent Warr, and Natasha Baradaran, alongside one-ofa-kind vintage finds and exclusive collaborations.

Meanwhile, popular online art platform Tappan —devoted to connecting new and seasoned collectors with emerging artists—has chosen Melrose Avenue for the location of its first brick-and-mortar. The sprawling 6,000-square-foot flagship was conceived by founder Chelsea Neman Nassib to resemble a deconstructed living room, allowing clients to experience what it feels like to live with the artwork in their own homes. In addition to the main gallery, the headquarters—created by architect Marco Marraccini of Abramson Architects and interior designer Brandi Howe—houses an office, conference room, high-level storage facility, and a retail space for L.A.-based furniture brand House of Léon, known for minimalistic modern pieces handcrafted in a family-owned atelier in Istanbul, Turkey. West Hollywood is also the location of a new satellite spot for Hauser & Wirth, the powerhouse contemporary art gallery with locations in major international destinations such as Hong Kong, London, Zurich, New York, and Los Angeles’ downtown Arts District. Originally built in 1931, the 11,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial Revival building formerly served as vintage automobile showroom and has been masterly transformed by legendary architect Annabelle Selldorff. The gallery launched with a buzzy George Condo exhibit this February, with a Frank Bowling show debuting May 26. And jewelry aficionados should be sure to visit Maria Tash, which recently opened its first L.A. location on Melrose Place. Although not a design store per se, this two-level studio is filled with creative touches, such as a striking 9.5-foot-tall sculpture resembling the cult jeweler’s iconic triple-spike hoop earring and six suites devoted to Tash’s signature piercing style, which is customized based on the shape of an individual’s face—an artform unto itself.