DESIGN THE
AVA N T
The Canon chair, $14,480, mimics the braille letter B.
GARDE
“If we aren’t freethinkers here in the Wild West, where else is it going to happen?” asks Azadeh Shladovsky with a laugh. Los Angeles provides this Tehran-born interior designer, artist and motorcyclist the space to pursue her
creative truth. Through her high-concept furniture and object collections, Shladovsky has always challenged people to see differently. The themes of vision and perception are recurring ones for her, since a brain tumor tragically stole her daughter’s vision, and ultimately her life, almost a decade ago. Shladovsky’s latest collection, Qualia, directly engages the braille alphabet—the silhouettes of her pieces mimic the symbols for specific letters. (For instance, a blue Dedar velvet chaise with a rolled backrest “reads” as the letter I.) The designer enlists talented local artisans to execute every detail—including hand-turning brass and casting acrylic, and color-matching paint to a range of jewel-tone fabrics. “If you know my work, you know me. It’s always a reflection of where I am in my life.” It’s clear that Shladovsky is in a beautiful place. By appointment only. 3645 10th Ave., L.A., 310-454-7139; azadehshladovsky.com. • A LLISON BE R G
The ALMOND & CO. booth at the 2018 FOG Design + Art Fair, San Francisco.
ON POINT C checks in with two galleries changing California’s design landscape: ALMOND & CO. “Our clients want rare vintage items and one-of-a-kind artisanal pieces—the stories behind each become an important aspect of the provenance. It is a new generation searching for sophisticated and unexpected design.” —Michael Burg, creative director 1920 Ingalls St., S.F., 415-355-1200; almondgallery.com.
SHELF Please Do Not Touch (Rizzoli New York, $55)
LOS ANGELES
In Residence “It’s been refreshing to see the work in a new context,” says David Alhadeff, founder of the 15-year-old design brand The Future Perfect, a cult-adored platform for unconventional contemporary design. With a San Francisco showroom under his belt, Alhadeff expanded his West Coast presence in 2017 by opening Casa Perfect, a design-gallery that recently relocated from the Hollywood Hills to the former residence of Elvis Presley, a 1958 Trousdale Estates house designed by architect Rex Lotery. Original Hollywood Regency-style details mix with works by lighting designer Lindsey Adelman, contemporary furniture designer Piet Hein Eek, artist and furniture maker Chris Wolston and ceramic artist Reinaldo Sanguino. “Californians are so open to the new ideas we represent,” Alhadeff observes. “And there’s something special about the light.” By appointment only. 323-202-2025; thefutureperfect.com. J.R.
The pool house, with KELLY LAMB lamps and a STICKBULB pendant. Above: CASA PERFECT’s outdoor area.
Inside OBSOLETE, Culver City.
OBSOLETE “The past decade in California has seen a major shift away from midcentury design. The landscape has evolved into a complex mixture of styles with projects that balance important 20th-century design with more primitive and classical pieces. This evolution would not have been possible without the artistic industries that thrive in Los Angeles. I expect design in California to continuously evolve and become even more complex.” —Ray Azoulay, owner 11270 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310399-0024; obsoleteinc.com. A . S .
CASA PERFECT: PIA RIVEROLA. ALMOND + CO.: DUSTIN SORIANO. OBSOLETE: JESSE STONE.
Design AvantTOP Garde
