Messermeister magnetic knife block PHOTO: COURTESY OF MESSERMEISTER

Forget Paris and New York. L.A., O.C., San Diego and even Ojai is where it’s at when it comes to innovative in-person design destinations.

Sisters Kristen Dressler Wilson and Chelcea Dressler-Crowley run Messermeister together. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ARMADILLO

SHARP OBJECTS

Known for its stunning “pink moment” sunsets and powerful spiritual vortexes, the artsy spa town of Ojai is welcoming the very first Messermeister showroom. Run by sisters Kirsten Dressler Wilson and Chelcea Dressler- Crowley—whose parents started the high-end, premium handcrafted chef’s knives and culinary tools brand in the 1980s—the showroom is bringing Messermeister to life in a fresh new way. “We wanted a place to bring the community together,” says Dressler-Crowley. “Our vision is to have knife skill classes, cooking classes and a place to educate people about knives. The bright, inviting space is equipped with a test kitchen by Viking, a handforged light fixture by Paul Ferrante and, of course, “a lot of fun sharp objects to play with,” says Dressler Wilson. Standout items include the popular Mediterranean olive wood-handled Oliva Elite; the Adventure Chef folding knife; and the Custom Collection, a semi-modular knife line where users can change out their handles and hardware. Clients can look forward to the limited edition of 50 Azul line, launching soon. “[It’s] an extremely small-batch limited-edition line... where each knife will have a unique, handmade handle,” says Dressler-Crowley.” Cutting edge, indeed. messermeister.com–Laura Eckstein Jones

PHOTO: BY ASHLEY RANDALL PHOTOGRAPHY

WOVEN WONDERS

When Australian rug company Armadillo opened its Beverly Hills showroom in 2017, it brought with it a selection of sustainably made, handcrafted carpets made from gorgeous natural materials. Now, a new year has ushered in a fresh showroom design. “[It] brings the aesthetic of the space in line with our Sydney flagship store in Australia, as well as our New York City trade showroom, so that in each location you receive a truly cohesive Armadillo brand experience,” says co-founder Jodie Fried. Light, airy and architectural, the redesign allows more space to showcase the brand’s full range. “We want the new showroom to be a hub for designers and their clients to meet and peruse our rugs up close, and the new layout is conducive to that visual and tactile experience in a calm yet creative setting,” Fried explains. New for 2022 is an expanded custom color range for trade clients, and additions to the brand’s Classic and Heirloom collections. As well, a new showroom is set to open in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights neighborhood this spring. usa.armadillo-co.com–LEJ

ASH Staging transformed a 1930s Hollywood mansion with pool into the ASH Staging Concept House PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS

IN THE HOUSE

The dining room and interiors feature custom contemporary furniture and storied antiques that marry old Hollywood with modern-day SoCal. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS

A few years ago, ASH Staging—ASH NYC’s white-glove commercial and residential staging and interior design service—expanded to Los Angeles. Now, the AD100 firm is giving Angelenos a firsthand look at its luxury furnishing work with the ASH Staging Concept House, a 1930s Hollywood mansion transformed into an immersive showroom for entertaining clients and hosting high-end events. “Typically, the projects we stage for marketing purposes or furnish for end users either sell so quickly or are moved into right away, so our ability to show others what we do is limited,” says partner and head of ASH Staging Andrew Bowen. The brand’s first-ever concept house welcomes guests with a custom playlist, a scent program and hors d’oeuvres into a nearly 100-year-old property with a scenic pool in the foothills of Outpost Estates. The historic home with soulful archways, columns and handpainted wooden ceilings now boasts storied antiques and custom contemporary finds from brands including Bradley Duncan Studio, Giancarlo Piretti, Isamu Noguchi and ASH NYC’s private furnishings collection. Says Bowen, “I would describe the finished design as a worldly, authentic and locally inspired collection that bridges the history of old Hollywood with the boldness, warmth and experimentation of Southern California today.” ashstaging.com–Jasmin Rosemberg

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS

GET HAPPY

Joybird’s comfy Holt sectional in Milo French Blue PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS

With headquarters in El Segundo, it was a natural choice for direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand Joybird to open its fourth showroom—this time in Los Angeles. “L.A. is our home market and one of our top markets in online sales,” says Joybird director of retail Philip Wolff of the custom-made midcentury modern furniture offered at reasonable prices. “The Lewis sectional and sofa are two of our most popular products overall and in California.” Joining locations in Brooklyn, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, the engaging new 5,000-square-foot Melrose Avenue space—formerly the Rebecca Minkoff boutique—is one of the brand’s largest and will serve as a model for future showrooms. Neutral enough to elevate the products, but warm, lively and inviting, the immersive showroom offers a mix of national bestsellers and L.A. favorites, including one-of-a-kind sofas and sectionals, dining tables, beds, decor items and more. Says Wolff, “We are here to help customers bring their own personal style to their spaces with a mix of retro and modern designs and a plethora of customization options.” joybird.com–JR

Cerno’s scenic new showroom at its factory in Aliso Viejo features popular items like the Volo LED pendant. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CERNO

BRIGHT SOLUTIONS“Cerno means ‘to resolve’ in Latin,” says Cerno co-founder and director of business development Bret Englander, who teamed up with childhood friends Nick Sheridan and Dan Wacholder to channel their passion for design, nature and problem-solving into a lighting business. “We love the process of dreaming up an idea, figuring out how to build it and then sharing our creation with others.” Cerno’s scenic new showroom at its factory in Aliso Viejo—near Laguna Beach, where the trio grew up—now enables consumers to see the decorative, architectural and custom lighting built on-site. “Orange County is not [necessarily] a hub for modern design, but so many people appreciate good design here,” says Englander, who plans to host events at the creative hub complete with bar, guitars, pingpong table and mountain views. The founders’ California DNA is at the core of their clean, contemporary aesthetic—which reflects the latest in incandescent and LED lighting technology. Ceramic shades accentuate the red earth color of terra cotta, and an architectural line features lighting named after SoCal beaches. “California is so rich in natural beauty,” says Englander. “Our tendency to celebrate natural materials is directly related to our appreciation for them.” cernogroup.com–JR

PHOTO: BY JON KEISER

IN THE MIX

After six years on Pico Boulevard in L.A.’s Mid City neighborhood, Martin & Brockett has a new home—right down the street. “The other one was so small,” says interior designer and founder Jason Martin. “Everything was shoulder to shoulder and we wanted it to feel more like a gallery space.” Located in a former artist studio, the new 2,000-square-foot showroom contains a carefully curated mix of his locally made M&B furniture line (modernized classic pieces with unexpected details), antiques and vintage items, plus art and interesting accessories Martin has discovered over the years, like concrete lamps by artist James Haywood. “I like to call our stu avant-classical,” says Martin, who before opening his own design firm worked on Anthropologie’s creative team. M&B pieces like the Roman-inspired Arcade console—available in bold colors like Ember, a bright orange—or the Lupa ottoman, adorned with handcarved oak feet, o er a balanced sense of whimsy. Martin and team plan to rework the showroom’s design several times a year, ensuring a fresh sense of discovery prevails with each visit. martinandbrockett.com–LEJ

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TIMOTHY OULTON

GROUNDED DESIGN

The name Timothy Oulton may conjure visions of handsome Chesterfield sofas and glamorous mirrored trunks, but his new line Noble Souls—that just debuted a Malibu showroom—has a totally different look and feel. “Malibu is the perfect place as Noble Souls is centered around wellness and reconnecting with the senses,” says Oulton. “The collection aims to create a reconnection in the home through the use of completely natural materials and ancient craftsmanship techniques.” Standouts—like sofas covered in 100% vegetable-dyed fabrics, the sheepskin Bergere chair, dining tables made from reclaimed timber with vegetable-dyed leather dining chairs, and handblown glass lighting—all look great, but, more importantly, feel wonderful. Says Oulton: “I think the appeal of things that are natural, simple, trustworthy, extremely comfortable and beautiful are the things people want to fill their homes with at the moment.” noblesouls.com–LEJ

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KALON

CREATIVE SPACE“The showroom is 14 years in the making, and finding the right space was really a rare silver lining during the pandemic,” says Michaele Simmering, who runs Kalon Studios with partner Johann Pauwen. The L.A.-based duo recently debuted the brand’s first showroom in Atwater Village and it’s a stunner. Complete with a first-floor showroom with a kitchen, an office space on the second floor and a landscaped roof deck, the 2,000-square-foot space is not only a place to display the brand’s chic, sustainable furniture—including the newly expanded Rugoso collection, updated upholstery options and one-of-a-kind stone pieces—but it is meant to be a place to gather and discover other L.A. brands. “We’re part of a growing community of creatives in Atwater that includes Terremoto, Block Shop Textiles, Louise Bonnet, Adam Silverman, Brandon Ravenhill and more,” says Pauwen. “On that note, we intentionally designed the showroom to be not just a place to discover our work, but Kalon’s local community of friends, artists and makers. We envisioned the space as [a place] where we will open our doors to community events, art shows, visiting creatives from other cities, workshops and more. For how creative a city L.A. is, there are not many mixed-use spaces engaging with the wider community in this way and serving as a place for conversation and exchange.” kalonstudios.com–LEJ

Kalon Studios co-founders Johann Pauwen and Michaele Simmering PHOTO: BY KATRINA DICKSON

LUXE LIGHTING

After realizing how overwhelming shopping for lighting could be, Gale Singer founded Circa Lighting in Savannah, Ga., in 1998 so interior designers, architects and builders alike could find decorative and architectural pieces in a boutiquelike environment. Joining the Laguna Niguel, West Hollywood and San Francisco outposts of the retailer—which has since expanded to 30 cities—is a new 4,700-square-foot showroom opening this March in Miramar, San Diego. The premier reseller for Visual Comfort & Co.—the designer lighting provider founded by Singer’s brother—Circa Lighting also carries luxury collections from brands including AERIN, Julie Neill, Ralph Lauren and Kelly Wearstler. In addition to the fixtures with integrated LED that are popular in California, the airy San Diego showroom will have a state-of-the-art architectural lighting lab, showcasing the latest in recessed lighting technology. “Our architectural lighting labs let customers experience options in downlighting, cove lighting and all other layers of light that will illuminate a design story,” says Singer. “We have professional lighting designers and ALA-certified lighting specialists standing by to help customers develop the perfect solution for each and every project.” circalighting.com–JR

Champalimaud’s geometric Lomme XL chandelier from Circa Lighting PHOTO: COURTESY OF CIRCA LIGHTING