The Westside’s ginormous furniture mecca offers acres of retail space featuring every style, shape and price point. Designed to bring the decorator’s lot to the masses, HD Buttercup is a diverse collection of independent retail stores all under one roof. Whether you’re just narrowing down your room ideas or on the hunt for a serious purchase, chances are you’ll find it here. Featuring guest pop-up rooms, curated by the likes of Thom Felicia and Suzanne Kasler, you’ll no doubt narrow down where your preferences lie. Located in the heart of the Culver City Arts District, you can spend the rest of the day perusing galleries, or grabbing a brew and a burger at the uber-popular nearby Father’s Office or mouth-watering Italian dishes from Bucato. Thrive is your best bet for a living room that captures ’60s retro cool with a modern spin. Its entire line of seating, sofas and storage is named after former presidents, so pick up a slice of history with its expertly angled Kennedy chair or a low-slung Eisenhower sofa—all of it handmade with quality fabrics by the craftsmen in the DTLA warehouse.
A store salesman even delivers items to your house to make sure you’re satisfied with your purchase. This spring the Art’s District shopping landscape got a whole lot more rustically rugged with the addition of Hammer and Spear. A vintage compilation of leather, wool and wood—Hammer and Spear is a place that feels half hunting lodge, half southern estate sale, and all completely original. HGTV’s “Design on a Dime” host Kristen Cunningham and her husband Scott Jarrell have curated finds from their own travels and also support local artists as well as those from their home state of West Virginia. And given that they are actually on site most of the time, they can give you a history of the product—perfect for the conversation that each piece will be starting. Be transported to a lush English garden—a touch of formality on bohemian Abbot Kinney. Sue Balmsforth, an antique dealer and lifestyle expert, has filled her shop with no shortage of frills and floral touches for the bed and bath, as well as a bevy of chandeliers that could rival any European collection.
She’s a believer in the small indulgences that feel like big extravagances and an afternoon in her treasure-hunting shop will have you dreaming of Downton Abbey. A classic for more than 10 years, Weego home is an alternative to the stark and minimalist designers that often dominate the LA landscape. Full of comfort, bright color and graphic patterns, the offerings are laid-back luxe, while still feeling modern and fresh. The Main Street store carries everything from large furniture to smaller accessories and textiles, many of which are locally made and eco-friendly. The pros at Weego are top-notch, and they offer a full interior design service at three different price points and a line of custom furniture for those who just can’t find what they want in retail. Whether you’re tricking out your Malibu beach house or your Ojai ranch, Nathan Turner’s Melrose Avenue outpost is a destination for all things luxurious comfort. Plush throw pillows and exotic ottomans are mixed in with new and vintage items from all over the globe.
A fourth generation Californian, Turner is firmly rooted in a Southern California look and feel and has designed for some of the biggest names in town. He’s also an avid foodie and cook, hosting lavish dinner parties right in his shop for his clients and friends. In 2005, artsy power couple Andy Griffith and Rose Apocada made their design dreams a reality with their global marketplace A+R. Launched in a tiny shop in Silver Lake, the duo quickly outgrew the space as their collection of quirky, innovative, and international finds multiplied. They are true design curators who hand-pick every piece and they don't let customs or distance stand in the way. Go here to score a three-dimensional folded fortune cookie stool, a battery operated copper beer foamer, or a whimsical swallow deconstructed wall clock. They now have two cavernous warehouses on both sides of town (on Abbot Kinney and S La Brea) so you double your chances of finding something you don’t really need but is just way too fun to live without.
Over on Highland Park’s funky York Boulevard, you’ll find Platform—part retail, part gallery, part consultancy service. It’s a place that is unique as its neighborhood. The shop is a fusion of affordable international finds for everything from bamboo tableware to uncommon storage—each one a conversation piece in its own right. On HP’s Second Saturday Gallery Nights, the owners feature new up-and-coming artists, who are on hand and socializing with the locals. In addition, their prolific home staging business is booming. No LA list is complete without resident design goddess, Kelly Wearstler. With her loyal fans following her every high glam move, she is much more a global brand than a retail emporium. If you’ve been to any Viceroy from Anguilla to Santa Monica, you understand the scope and pageantry of her signature style, and the flagship never disappoints to be a museum of drama. She even brought back wallpaper—with her 2013 wallpaper launch, she has brought the medium back into the high-end forefront.
Although it’s worth heading down Melrose for that alone, the jewelry, lighting, furniture and art, offer oh-so-much more to experience. Housed in a 1930s auto garage, the heart of Rolling Greens lies past the exposed brick walls lined with bed and bath comforts, epicurean items (including a wide selection of gorgeous cookbooks), and home décor. That's all before you get to the plants. With indoor and outdoor spaces filled with countless things botanical, you could spend hours perusing every orchid, vine, and rosebud—real and artificial. Bring your own vase to the Flower Bar and they will help you create a one of a kind arrangement, and possibly one that even that black thumb of yours can’t kill.Editor's Note: This is one of the most-read leadership articles of 2014. Click here to see the full list. It all started with a bet. I came into the Fast Company office one April morning last year and crafted a makeshift platform for my laptop and secondary monitor from discarded Ikea side tables so I could try standing while I worked.
People were naturally curious when they saw my new setup and started to bet that I wouldn't last at my new standing desk for more than three months. Trash-talking ensued and money and offers for dinner were promised.I had to stay standing just to prove everyone wrong. I was first introduced to the idea of standing desks months earlier when visiting a friend in Los Angeles and saw her husband's standing desk setup in his home office. He stood at his desk all day, doing the yoga tree pose in between to give one of his legs a break. He loved it and told me that his posture had improved.My lower back and my shoulders always felt tight at the end of the day and I usually felt fatigued on my way home from the office even though I eat fairly well and exercise regularly. Turns out there is research to back up my feelings—in fact sitting for a long period of time is so bad for you that some have called sitting the new smoking. On the first day, I definitely felt that my body was protesting from standing for several hours.
My legs felt numb and my lower back felt tired. It was so bad that on my way home during rush hour, I pushed an elderly woman out of the way so I could get a seat in the subway.I thought of the ceviche and the cash at the end of the line. After a week, executive editor Noah Robischon took pity on me and bought a chef's mat to provide relief to my feet. The cushion definitely helped but at times I found myself marching in place to keep my blood flowing. Our office manager soon followed with a crank to attach my monitor to my cube's wall that allowed me to adjust its height, and a desk tray to put my laptop and mouse high enough to keep my arms at a 90-degree angle. With standing came the natural inclination to avoid slouching. I kept reminding myself to march in place, do side bends and stretches and sometimes even squats. Since I was already standing I found that I walked around the office more, taking more frequent, short breaks. Soon, I was okay skipping my monthly lower back massages.
Sure, I still wanted to sit during meetings and when commuting to and from work, but I started to prefer standing eight hours during the day. Before when I was sitting at my desk, it would be hours until I realized I had been hunched over, or what my colleague Jason Feifer calls "Thrillering" or "T-Rexing." My shoulders would always feel tense because I tended to scrunch them up towards my ears. When I stood to take a break, my legs would feel numb for a few seconds because I have not shifted from my sitting position in hours. Fast-forward to June, three months after I made the bet—I was still standing. I pocketed the $40 wagered against me and was rewarded with an expensive dinner. No one has made a bet against me in the office ever since. But even after the bet ended I kept standing. Then recently I discovered a new approach to my standing desk. One day, while making coffee in our office kitchen, I noticed Mark of the New York Focal Furniture showroom packing away the Locus Seat.
He was in the office for another appointment but I convinced him to check out my standing desk setup. To my delight, he agreed to leave the Locus Seat for me to try for two weeks. It only took him a few minutes to teach me how to adjust it properly and how to stand and lean on it correctly. The first day required my body to readjust. My feet no longer carried my entire body weight. My weight was distributed from my lower back down to my thighs, my calves, and my feet. I was leaning back rather than standing, forcing my spine to be in a neutral position. It seemed unsteady at first, but once it was adjusted to my height, I was able to sway side to side without worrying about stability; the pivoting seat actually helped me adjust and encouraged me to move. It was like getting a core workout with going to the gym. When I was just standing, I always removed my shoes so as not to stand on my mat with shoes on. With the Locus Seat—though still not ideal—I was able to keep my shoes on since my feet were just pushing and resting on a mat, rather than standing directly on it.
Two weeks of leaning on the Locus Seat made me realize that, even though I loved standing at my desk, my feet liked the relief. Because I don't have to adjust the height of my desk, I could switch from standing and leaning throughout the day. The side bends I was doing while leaning were also refreshing; it was like stretching without interrupting my workflow.The Locus Seat isn't cheap—it's about $650 retail. My standing setup didn't cost me anything, and anyone can craft a similar one very easily without spending too much money—just buy an inexpensive side table (similar Ikea tables to the one I use are under $20) and adjust the legs for the right height. Put two side-by-side and you'll have plenty of room for your keyboard and mouse and they're more stable than a desk tray. One thing I've decided for sure after a year of standing—I'll never go back to sitting. I would bet you on that. Never miss a story. I'd also like to receive special Fast Company offers