LA Interior Design Guide Part I: Pacific Design Center

In a city that celebrates all that glitters (in the shop window anyway), it’s hard to tell whether something is really all that shiny when you bring it home. That’s why the help of a good interior designer, or a great home furnishings store is of the essence when you want to update the look of your home.

Los Angeles is home to a burgeoning design community, with its stronghold being the heart of West Hollywood–and the centralized showroom megaplex at the Pacific Design Center. PDC is home to more than  one hundred of the best domestic and international luxury home furnishings brands. Designed by world renowned archiect Cesar Pelli, the complex boasts three buildings– green, blue and red. The green building houses all of the showrooms that you will want to visit on your home decorating spree. It is the one-stop shopping destination for all interior designers whose clients demand the top names in home furnishings. PDC is also home to MoCA Pacific Design Center.

It can be a bit daunting to navigate through the multi-leveled PDC alone. In fact, it’s not recommended that you attempt to visit the showrooms on your own. For one thing, it will be very near impossible, or at least difficult, to command the attention of the showroom staff, as most or all of these cater to trade only interior design professionals. PDC does offer a free interior designer referral program to assist you in your decorating endeavors. So after you have selected an interior designer, feel free to browse to your heart’s content. A few of my go-to places when working in interior design were:

Brunschwig & Fils – for exquisite textiles in classic patterns

Farrow & Ball – traditional paint and wallpaper

J.F. Chen Antiques – for that unique ‘piece de resistance’ to finish off your room

Kravet – from fabrics and trims to bedding and accessories

Rocky Mountain – for the perfect egg shaped door knobs in brushed nickel

Vicente Wolf – interior design’s prince of cool

Stay tuned for Part II later this week – featuring a bakery-turned-manutailer and the best local retailers of furnishings, antiques and decor.

The Pacific Design Center is located at 8687 Melrose Ave., 310.657.0800.

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