If you’re a design freak like I am, you can take advantage of a treasure trove of design expos held year-round in the City of Angels, which is considered one of the leading design hubs in the U.S.
Although Los Angeles is best known for being a creative center for modern design and contemporary art, you can find all kinds of styles at the various expos. The following is a brief primer on several of these wonderful trade shows.
• Coming up June 20-22 at the L.A. Convention Center is Dwell on Design 2014. Sponsored by Dwell Magazine, Dwell on Design LA is America’s largest design event. You can walk into models of pre-fab homes, get ideas from various interior and product booths, tour cutting-edge homes throughout the city, and learn from onstage programs and a wide variety of speakers. The aesthetic is modern and “green.”
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• The “grand dame” of design expos on the West Coast is WestWeek at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. Held every year in March, WestWeek bills itself as “the definitive showcase for global design” – and it lives up to that. I have a particular fondness for Rocky La Fleur and his fabulous showroom Kneedler Fauchère in the PDC. Rocky, the self-proclaimed “Yenta of the Center” has held court for many, many years and is a treasure trove of knowledge about the design industry. He is one of the most supportive of the industry experts of my beautiful students at the UCLA Extension Arc_ID Program.
• If WestWeek is the “grand dame” of L.A. design expos, the La Cienega Design Quarter’s annual Legends event is the “rising debutante.” Although, alas, the 6th annual Legends just ended, it showcases a destination for sophisticated shoppers looking for top quality design for the home. Stretching along La Cienega Avenue between Melrose and Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood – and also including some showrooms along Melrose west of La Cienega – this district is known for its romantic courtyards, alluring windows and a feast of all kinds of high-end furnishings, rugs, accessories and art. Mark your calendars for next May!
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• This one is outside L.A., but it’s definitely worth a special trip: Palm Springs Modernism Week. Held every year in February, this extravaganza celebrating Mid-Century Modernism has its unique desert flavor. Whereas Modernism in L.A. has a broader range of styles, Palm Springs’ version is mostly 50s-Rat Pack-Movie Star. It’s a little bit of a time warp, but it’s a fun time warp.
• Finally, the Beverly Art and Design District (BADD) doesn’t yet have its own expo, but it should. Located along Beverly Boulevard from La Cienega to Fairfax, this design district is a little quirkier and less traditional than the PDC or the La Cienega Design Quarter. You don’t have to wait for an expo to visit the showrooms in BADD. When you do, be sure to drop into Gary Gibson Design, Furniture & Art – you’ll be delighted with his modern approach to traditional design.
Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning architectural and interior design historian, professor and consultant who lectures worldwide on the history of architecture, interiors, furniture, and decorative arts. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
