80 wonderful gift shops you can find only in L.A.
Shopping for gifts in person in Los Angeles can be overwhelming to think about in terms of options.
There are shopping malls, local craft fairs such as Renegade, In Todo and Unique L.A. and a surplus of independent stores where you can purchase one-of-a-kind gifts from independent brands.
After a slow summer and the Hollywood strikes, many small store owners have told us they are struggling. Several have lost leases and others have closed since last year’s roundup.
So why not purchase something from a small business that honors makers this year? Your giftee will get something unique, and you can support local artists and neighborhood bricks-and-mortar shops.
On top of that, shopping in person is much more fun — not to mention reliable — than shopping online or at a crowded mall, and you can explore L.A.’s diverse neighborhoods in the process.
Whether you’re looking for jewelry, clothing, pantry items or something more personal, we’ve rounded up the best places to shop for gifts in L.A.
Working on your holiday shopping? We’ve got you covered with recommendations for the best gifts to find in L.A.
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(Acorn)
Acorn Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock Gift Store
Packed with plants, candles, ceramics and casual apparel, Erin and Laura Tanaka’s Eagle Rock store features a refreshing variety of accessories that won’t break the bank: Maison Louis Marie candles, handmade ceramics by Elizabeth Benotti, Moroccan leather Babouche slippers. The store is focused on California indoor-outdoor living, with an outdoor space devoted to gardening and houseplants. The mother and daughter duo also offers personal shopping services and custom arrangements.
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(Ana Ross)
Alchemy Works
Playa Vista Gift Store
Several years after opening Alchemy Works in the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles (which has since closed), husband and wife Raan and Lindsay Parton added a showroom in Newport Beach and most recently the Free Market at Playa Vista. The stylish showrooms are designed to feel like a well-appointed home where vintage furnishings mix with handwoven linens by Heather Taylor Home, bedding by Morrow Soft Goods, market bags by Apolis and skincare by Noto Botanics. Creative director Raan Parton describes it as “a California edit on everything.”
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Belljar
Los Feliz Gift Store
Located along a bustling strip of Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz, this cozy shop backs up its motto of “good vibes” only. The store features new and vintage clothing for women, candles, locally sourced chocolate and coffee, ceramics and small batch apothecary goods.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Broome Street General Store
Silver Lake Gift Store
Designed like a corner bodega for one-stop shopping, this gift shop offers special pantry items for home chefs, candles, skincare products, sweets, books and toys. It’s a great place to shop for gift baskets with its surplus of olive oil, tinned fish and chocolates. Also at Platform, 8840 Washington Blvd., Suite 103, Culver City.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )
Burro
Venice Gift Store
Erinn Berkson’s lifestyle store radiates an independent spirit among the many brand-name retailers on trendy Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Perhaps it’s because Berkson opened Burro, which she says takes its name from the “hard-working, loyal burro pioneering across the desert landscape carrying goods from all over,” in 1999, long before Abbot Kinney became a tourist destination.
The sunny boutique is curated to suit everyone on your gift list: Cookbooks and pretty boxes of tinned fish for foodies, games and books for kids, jewelry, hats and casual clothing for women, home goods and ladybug gardens for gardeners and fabulous stationery and cards for everyone. The store features many local brands, including Flamingo Estate, Brightland, jewelery labels Chan Luu and Victoria Cunningham Jewelry, skin and hair-care brand Wonder Valley and P.F. Candle Co.
The sunny boutique is curated to suit everyone on your gift list: Cookbooks and pretty boxes of tinned fish for foodies, games and books for kids, jewelry, hats and casual clothing for women, home goods and ladybug gardens for gardeners and fabulous stationery and cards for everyone. The store features many local brands, including Flamingo Estate, Brightland, jewelery labels Chan Luu and Victoria Cunningham Jewelry, skin and hair-care brand Wonder Valley and P.F. Candle Co.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )
Cici ’n Tux
Glendale Gift Store
A few blocks from the Americana shopping mall in Glendale, Arax Hoonanian has opened a gift shop devoted to handmade products from around the world, including many female-owned businesses. Hoonanian stocks natural skincare lines such as Real Fruit Body, plus jewelry, soaps, candles that can be re-purposed as lotion, barware and insulated backpacks you can take to the Hollywood Bowl. Hoonanian’s bespoke inclinations don’t stop with her vendors. On a recent visit, she offered to create a custom gift box from any retail items in the store.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Clover
Silver Lake Gift Store
This longtime Silver Lake boutique offers clothing by local designers, a great assortment of cards, cookbooks, apothecary items, jewelry and specialty gift boxes.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Coop
Fairfax Gift Store
Jenna Cooper’s sunny space is inspired by her travels and offers a wide variety of gifts including cotton throws, pottery, socks, table books, candles, soaps, pillows and baskets.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Dekor
Atwater Village Gift Store
Swedish-born interior designer Isabelle Dahlin’s showrooms in Atwater Village and Ojai are filled with vintage furnishings, colorful Turkish kilims and pillows, candles, clothing and jewelry and her own line of custom furniture. Shop for gifts in Ojai at 105 S. Montgomery St.
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(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
DEN Los Angeles
East Hollywood Vintage store
Jason Potter’s East Hollywood showroom, which offers high-end vintage goods from around the world, is a feast for the eyes, from the art and pottery-filled shelves to the enticing seating arrangements.
“For me, Midcentury Modern is more of a catch-all term for intentional designs and quality made furniture that focuses on form and function,” says Potter. “I focus on vintage pieces as I love the sustainability factor. As long as I stick to the parameters, our inventory will stay timeless and will integrate well with any home.”
On a recent visit, one-of-a-kind standouts included a two-piece sectional sofa in velvet by Edward Wormley ($48,000), a pair of leather Otto Zapf lounge chairs for Knoll ($8,000) and Architectural Pottery and David Cressy ceramic lamps.
For those not prepared to drop $30,000 on a George Nakashima dining table, Potter also offers some smaller, lower price point items as well as occasional sales on surplus goods.
“For me, Midcentury Modern is more of a catch-all term for intentional designs and quality made furniture that focuses on form and function,” says Potter. “I focus on vintage pieces as I love the sustainability factor. As long as I stick to the parameters, our inventory will stay timeless and will integrate well with any home.”
On a recent visit, one-of-a-kind standouts included a two-piece sectional sofa in velvet by Edward Wormley ($48,000), a pair of leather Otto Zapf lounge chairs for Knoll ($8,000) and Architectural Pottery and David Cressy ceramic lamps.
For those not prepared to drop $30,000 on a George Nakashima dining table, Potter also offers some smaller, lower price point items as well as occasional sales on surplus goods.
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(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
D.L. Rhein
Palms Gift Store
D.L. Rhein, which opened in 2006, is the brainchild of Deborah Rhein, who began by crafting unique accessories at home. She expanded over the years into full-scale design and retail. “I love collecting and hunting for beautiful objects,” Rhein says, “old, new, antique and vintage.” For more than 10 years the store has been stocked with a varied mix of hostess gifts, jewelry and furniture, with a special focus now on serving ware and home products. During the holidays, the store features a wide variety of fun ornaments, from RBG to AOC and David Bowie.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Dotter Store
Highland Park Gift Store
Mother-and-daughter duo Susanne McLean and Annika Huston’s eclectic selection includes American-made women’s clothing, handmade jewelry, shoes, housewares and a wide selection of children’s clothing, games and books.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Earthing Earth
Long Beach Thrift store
Located on Retro Row in Long Beach, Earthing Earth is a mix of old and new: selected vintage home decor along with plants, baskets and low-waste sustainable home products.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Espionage
Fairfax Gift Store
Pasadena native Taylor King’s ties to the Rose Bowl Swap Meet are evident as you stroll through her delightful gift shop. Next to vintage clothing and barware, you’ll find crystals, candles, presidential portraits, Richer Poorer socks, antique globes and notepads. The store also offers custom curated gift packages.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Esqueleto
Los Feliz Gift Store
Inside her tiny sun-drenched showrooms in Los Feliz and Echo Park, Oakland-based jewelry designer Lauren Wolf has assembled an eye-catching array of distinctive handcrafted items including custom fine jewelry, art, decorative objects and colorful kilims, hand-painted ceramic bells and dishes by the Brooklyn-based MQuan and ceramics by Los Angeles artist Heather Levine. Echo Park: 1298 W. Sunset Blvd., (213) 947-3508.
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(Danae Horst)
Folia Collective
Eagle Rock Plant Shop
Every plant at Folia Collective, from Peperomia ferreyrae to staghorn ferns, comes with a care card written by owner Danae Horst, author of “Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home With Happy Plants,” detailing its specific needs. Staff will ask you questions to help you pick the perfect plant and offer tips on how to care for your plant at home. Additionally, Horst stocks houseplant accessories and gifts and hosts monthly workshops and quarterly plant swaps.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Flowerboy Project
Santa Monica Gift Store
With Flowerboy Project, which is equal parts coffee house, florist and gift shop, partners Sean Knibb and Stella Shirinda have created an intriguing space that offers a feel-good mix for all the senses. On Lincoln Boulevard in Venice, the concept cafe and flower shop offers apparel, jewelry, Venice Organics chocolate, home decor and apothecary items alongside fresh-cut and dried floral arrangements, and a cafe serving specialty coffees and local pastries. In addition to custom flower arrangements, the store offers one-of-a-kind, limited-edition digital bouquets, priced from $47 to $275.
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(General Store)
General Store
Venice Gift Store
Serena Mitnik-Miller and Mason St. Peter’s Venice boutique places the spotlight on Los Angeles artists, including ceramics by Victoria Morris, Heather Levine and Humble Ceramics; jewelry by Kristen Elspeth; skincare by Fat and the Moon; as well as vintage goods and an assortment of gifts for kids.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Gibson
Fairfax Gift Store
It’s easy to get lost in the details of designer Gary Gibson’s showroom. The homey-yet-edgy environment is a good example of what you can’t experience online. See original artworks hung salon style, sink into contemporary furnishings and be amused by the quirky found objects, such as bundles of twine and baseballs. Gibson has a great eye for what makes a statement and knows how to craft high design that feels like it belongs in a home, not a museum.
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(The Give Store)
The Give Store
Hollywood Gift Store
The Give Store is an indie boutique that offers handmade goods by Ojai-based Bandits Bandanas, Gina DeSantis Ceramics, candles by L.A. brand Boy Smells as well as fragrances and incense from France, Japan and Mexico. In addition to housewares and gifts, the store stocks a variety of houseplants, succulents and planters.
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(Justin Harrison)
Gold Bug Pasadena
Pasadena Gift Store
Shop for quirky one-of-a-kind collectibles — fossils, trilobite specimens, framed preserved squid — at this family-run store inspired by the Edgar Allen Poe short story “The Gold Bug,” in which an enchanted gold scarab beetle leads the way to buried pirates’ treasure. Located down an alley in Pasadena, Gold Bug features works by more than 100 artists, including art, decor and odd collectibles.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Goodee
Culver City Gift Store
Founded in 2019 by twin brothers Byron and Dexter Peart, Goodee is a curated online marketplace focused on responsible brands. At its first pop-up at Platform in Culver City, running through January, Goodee offers handcrafted goods from around the world, including super-soft mohair pillowcases and throws from Spain, colorful baskets from Ghana and wooden doorstops from Canada’s Fogo Island Workshops. The store also has a variety of gardening supplies, housewares and apothecary goods.
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(Jamie Curtis)
Greenwood Shop
Studio City Plant Shop
In addition to houseplants, Jaime Curtis stocks ceramics, candles, home decor and apothecary items in her Studio City shop. For the holidays, Curtis will have pots from Front Range Terracotta, custom stained glass by Debbie Bean, Mar Mar candles and Boy Smells (both made in L.A.) and her own line of Greenwood candles. Curtis also offers design services to help you transform your space according to light, environment and maintenance needs.
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Grow Venice
Venice Gift Store
Housed in a series of shipping containers, this longtime indoor-outdoor gift shop on Abbot Kinney Boulevard specializes in gifts inspired by California living — plants, home goods, T-shirts, beachwear and a terrific assortment of cards. Jam-packed with California-inspired stickers, magnets, socks, tarot decks and candles, it’s also a great place to find stocking stuffers. And as a bonus, the store gift-wraps your purchases.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Haley Solar
Eagle Rock Gift Store
Warm, colorful and inviting, Haley Solar’s Eagle Rock showroom below her studio on the second floor offers something for everyone on your gift list: locally sourced small-batch clothing, nail polish, plants, makeup and jewelry. Just outside the shop’s backdoor, visitors can step outside and enjoy the pet-friendly patio of next-door neighbor Muddy Paw Coffee. Also in Silver Lake: 3318 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
The Hangout
Long Beach Gift Store
Housed inside a 4,000-square-foot former grocery store, this collection of small businesses includes Bel Canto Books, House of Rituals and the Golden Garden. The Hangout also features works by more than 50 small makers and recently added a cafe serving beer, wine and snacks.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Heath Ceramics
Fairfax Gift Store
In addition to its noted line of handmade ceramics and tile, the longtime Beverly store is a safe bet for grab-and-go gifts spanning ceramic bud vases ($32) in a variety of colors to fun tea towels, olive oils, candle holders, teas, soaps and books.
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(Michelle Shiers)
Homage Pasadena
Pasadena Gift Store
Owner Jill Pearson highlights unique gifts by emerging artists in her Pasadena shop along with ceramics, candles and incense and handmade jewelry.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
House of Intuition
Echo Park Gift Store
You can’t help but smile when you walk into Marlene Vargas and Alex Naranjo’s longtime metaphysical store and are greeted by a sign that reads, “Your Intuition Led You Here.” Even the most cynical gift recipient will find it hard to resist a manifestation candle or a specialized energy box for their zodiac sign. You’ll also find organic essential oil kits, crystals and candles.
There are additional locations in L.A. County:
5148 York Blvd., Highland Park, (323) 739-0074
7449 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (323) 424-3421
14520 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 386-8949
5018 E. 2nd St., Long Beach, (562) 588-9032
5223 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 643-3475
22 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, (626) 421-6190
There are additional locations in L.A. County:
5148 York Blvd., Highland Park, (323) 739-0074
7449 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (323) 424-3421
14520 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 386-8949
5018 E. 2nd St., Long Beach, (562) 588-9032
5223 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 643-3475
22 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, (626) 421-6190
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Household by Nickey Kehoe
Fairfax Gift Store
Interior designers Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe’s newly expanded Household showroom, located next door to their home furnishings store, offers pottery, candles, plants, locally made apothecary items, towels, books and more. Los Angeles-based brands include Bernard Perfume oils, Alix Soubiran scalloped jewelry dish, Jenna Katz jewelry and Todd Magill Totes.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angles Times)
Huset
Venice Gift Store
With an emphasis on Scandinavian design, Huset stocks colorful textiles from tea towels to throw blankets, home decor including glassware and cutting boards, jewelry, clothing and kids’ items by more than 60 designers.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, there’s always the self-serve Swedish candy and savory snacks.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, there’s always the self-serve Swedish candy and savory snacks.
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(Joanna Williams)
Kneeland Co. Rarities
West Adams Gift Store
Joanna Williams, a longtime vintage textile consultant, expanded her company to include a bricks-and-mortar store in West Adams specializing in one-of-a-kind, globally sourced and handmade home goods and jewelry including floral candles from Oaxaca, Gregory Parkinson textiles and ceramics made by artisans in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
LA Home Farm
Glassell Park Gift Store
At their Glassell Park neighborhood grocery and farmer’s market called LA Homefarm, Lauri Kranz and Dean Kuipers offer everything from high-end gifts to produce.
Shopping is fun here, whether you’re looking for art, truffle oil or handcrafted ceramics by local potters. If you can’t decide on a gift, Kranz and the staff are incredibly helpful at creating custom gift baskets that will leave their recipients swooning or, in my friend’s case, with happy tears.
Shopping is fun here, whether you’re looking for art, truffle oil or handcrafted ceramics by local potters. If you can’t decide on a gift, Kranz and the staff are incredibly helpful at creating custom gift baskets that will leave their recipients swooning or, in my friend’s case, with happy tears.
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(Thomas Brodahl)
Late Sunday Afternoon
Venice Gift Store
All the scarves, ascots, pocket squares, and bandanas in this Venice store are handcrafted from locally sourced dead-stock fabrics and are knotted and blessed. The store also offers home goods, books, hats and hoodies, baby blankets, candles, jewelry and custom requests.
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(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Lawson-Fenning
Hancock Park Gift Store
On the second floor of Glenn Lawson and Grant Fenning’s Melrose furniture showroom, the designers have a shop within a shop, where the shelves and tables are artfully stocked with functional and decorative accessories, the vast majority of which are made in L.A. The showroom features limited-release ceramics by locals Victoria Morris, Heather Rosenman and BZippy as well as tabletop items and gifts.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Leanna Lin's Wonderland
Eagle Rock Gift Store
Walking into Leanna Lin Fong’s gift shop and art gallery is like walking into a colorful birthday party. Established in 2010, the store focuses on brands that will make you smile, including art, accessories, jewelry, collectible toys, stationery, books and home goods by Miss Mindy, Genevieve Santos, Horrible Adorables, Kidrobot, Meri Meri, Momiji, Naoshi, Paddywax, Studio Ghibli, Tokidoki and more.
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(Lost & Found)
Lost & Found
Hollywood Gift Store
Owner Jamie Rosenthal opened Lost & Found in 2000 as a single storefront on Yucca Street in Hollywood. Now she has six storefronts and a Santa Monica showroom that offers men’s and women’s clothing, home goods, leather accessories and children’s clothes and furniture from around the world. The Santa Monica showroom is at 2230 Main St., (310) 450-9565 for clothing, (310) 450-9782 for home goods.
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(Tracy Levy)
Luca
Highland Park Gift Store
In an effort to create a nontoxic, sustainable alternative to commercial drugstores, Judith Goldstein offers nontoxic nail polish, skincare, pet goods, house cleaning products and gifts. Many of the low-waste brands are based in L.A. and California.
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(Made by DWC)
Made by DWC Cafe and Gift Shop
Downtown L.A. Gift Store
Made by DWC, the Skid Row gift shop launched by the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles in 2011, offers handmade gifts — soaps, bath salts, soy candles and greeting cards — crafted by women on L.A.’s skid row as part of a vocational training program.
All profits from the Made store and cafe, which sells organic coffee, smoothies, salads and pastries from Homeboy Industries, help fund the center’s career training and mentorship programs. Note: The gift shop is not open on weekends.
All profits from the Made store and cafe, which sells organic coffee, smoothies, salads and pastries from Homeboy Industries, help fund the center’s career training and mentorship programs. Note: The gift shop is not open on weekends.
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(Jamie Chapman)
Marz
South Pasadena Gift Store
Owner Marcia Ellinger and her daughter Jasa Cocke stock their South Pasadena gift shop with unusual items including books, candles, papers, hand-milled French soaps, textiles from India, baby accessories, games, toys and vintage finds.
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(Dan Arnold)
Maude Woods
Pasadena Gift Store
Carrie Davich’s Pasadena store is divided into rooms that display furnishings, as well as unique home decor, pillows and throws, apothecary items and vintage goods.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Merchant
Santa Monica Vintage store
Walking into Merchant in Santa Monica is like walking into an artist’s enclave packed with vintage furniture, antiques, contemporary ceramics and art.
“I wanted it to look like a house,” says co-owner Denise Portmans, who runs the store, along with an Atwater Village location, with her artist daughter Sara Marlowe. “I like things that are a little unusual.”
The stores are a homage to Portmans’ mother, an artist and ceramicist, and they are stocked with Midcentury Modern furniture, vintage Moroccan rugs, contemporary ceramics from Paris and Italy, and goods by local artists such as Heather Rosenman and All Roads Studio. On a recent visit to the Santa Monica store, prices ranged from $120 for a wooden wine rack to $2,500 for a vintage leather safari chair. Portmans also is open to making deals. (The second showroom, Merchant Modern East, is at 3127 Glendale Blvd. in Atwater Village. The phone number is (310) 266-0572.)
The Santa Monica showroom is open Monday to Wednesday by appointment; noon to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Atwater showroom hours are Monday and Tuesday by appointment; noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“I wanted it to look like a house,” says co-owner Denise Portmans, who runs the store, along with an Atwater Village location, with her artist daughter Sara Marlowe. “I like things that are a little unusual.”
The stores are a homage to Portmans’ mother, an artist and ceramicist, and they are stocked with Midcentury Modern furniture, vintage Moroccan rugs, contemporary ceramics from Paris and Italy, and goods by local artists such as Heather Rosenman and All Roads Studio. On a recent visit to the Santa Monica store, prices ranged from $120 for a wooden wine rack to $2,500 for a vintage leather safari chair. Portmans also is open to making deals. (The second showroom, Merchant Modern East, is at 3127 Glendale Blvd. in Atwater Village. The phone number is (310) 266-0572.)
The Santa Monica showroom is open Monday to Wednesday by appointment; noon to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Atwater showroom hours are Monday and Tuesday by appointment; noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Midland Shop
Culver City Gift Store
Paige Appel and Kelly Harris’ boutique spotlights local designers including bags by Agnes Baddoo, casual clothes by Rachel Craven, jewelry by Maya Brenner, organic skincare products by Salt and Stone and hair products by La Tierra Sagrada. There is also a dedicated kids’ section.
Look for a second location in Larchmont Village, 138 N. Larchmont Blvd. (323) 378-6999
Look for a second location in Larchmont Village, 138 N. Larchmont Blvd. (323) 378-6999
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Mojave Flea Trading Post at Platform
Culver City Shop
Fans of Mojave Flea Trading Post will be happy to learn that they don’t have to drive to Palm Springs or Joshua Tree to shop for interesting gifts from local artists.
In its first pop-up in L.A. at Platform in Culver City, the Flea offers the same individualistic goods but without the long drive. You can expect one-of-a-kind vintage clothing, home goods, jewelry and a fun assortment of artist-designed cards and art by San Francisco-based Open Editions.
On Nov. 11, the store will host a one-day event in the park outside the showroom, featuring a desert makers market, DJ sets, art, bar and food, and dyeing and jewelry workshops. Free but reservations are required.
Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through December 2023.
In its first pop-up in L.A. at Platform in Culver City, the Flea offers the same individualistic goods but without the long drive. You can expect one-of-a-kind vintage clothing, home goods, jewelry and a fun assortment of artist-designed cards and art by San Francisco-based Open Editions.
On Nov. 11, the store will host a one-day event in the park outside the showroom, featuring a desert makers market, DJ sets, art, bar and food, and dyeing and jewelry workshops. Free but reservations are required.
Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through December 2023.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Müsh
Silver Lake Gift Store
Owner Michelle van der Heijden’s tiny storefront is jam-packed with eclectic gift ideas, from the latest cookbooks to vintage jewelry, crystals and ceramics. She also sells vintage furniture online.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Native Sol
Long Beach Thrift store
This Retro Row store is an eco-friendly lifestyle store offering handmade clothing and jewelry by May Salem as well as selected vintage clothing and apothecary items by local makers.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Now Voyager
Silver Lake Gift Store
At her cozy Silver Lake store, Now Voyager, Los Angeles interior designer Wendy Haworth offers pillows, vintage ceramics, home decor and ceramics that she and her boyfriend Michael Towey throw in a ceramics studio behind the shop. Haworth plans to use her Silver Lake Boulevard space as a design studio and gift shop, with an ever-changing inventory of vintage pieces, art and accessories. It’s open by appointment.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
NicSon Mercantile
Highland Park Gift Store
In York Boulevard’s hip shopping district, NicSon Mercantile is part retail store, part design studio built on the Sonny Boy brand. It’s a great place to pick up limited-edition merchandise for the creative soul in your life, including the recent collab with Strawberry Shortcake. The store stocks art, clothing, jewelry, home goods and greeting cards by local brands Estevan Oriol, Mike Giant, Tristan Eaton, Risk Rock, Gustavo Rimada, Lizz Lopez, Spitfire Girl, Bandits and P.F. Candle Co.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
OK
West Hollywood Gift Store
Larry Schaffer’s lifestyle store, now in three locations, offers a wide range of gifts spanning handmade jewelry and books to ceramics, barware and decorative housewares. Other locations are at 1716 Silver Lake Blvd. in Silver Lake, (323) 666-1868, and 2413 Main St. in Santa Monica, (310) 392-2999.
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(Max Hardman)
Pergolina Shop
Toluca Lake Gift Store
Paulanna Cuccinello’s longtime Toluca Lake gift shop offers gifts from around the world including European soaps, handwoven throws from Scotland, room diffusers from Italy and masks handmade in Venice.
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(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Pippi + Lola
Long Beach Plant Shop
Populated with wreaths, one-of-a-kind planters, horticulture books and, of course, plants, Pippi + Lola strives to highlight a diverse group of makers, including women and people of color. “There are all these talented women out here,” owner Dynelly del Valle says. “Why not show their work?”
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(Phoebe Peacock)
Phoebe Peacock
Burbank Gift Store
Jennifer Hardaway’s charming Burbank shop offers a wide variety of goods including her own line of KleanSpa perfume and body products (you can even book a session and create your own custom scent based on your personal selections), vintage glassware and home decor.
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(DGA)
Poketo
Santa Monica Gift Store
Founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife team Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung, the design accessories and housewares brand has grown from a small startup into a mainstay of the Los Angeles creative community. Shop for colorful paper planners and notebooks, clothes and housewares, jewelry and desk accessories.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Lake
Silver Lake Gift Store
This high-end clothing store offers beautiful bohemian pieces by independent brands such as Trovata, Apiece Apart and Toit Volant, and many gift items are available on shelves and tables throughout the space. In addition to jewelry, be sure to check out the back room where the store stocks apothecary goods, home decor and gifts for kids by local brands such as Noto Botanics and Block Shop Textiles.
It’s easy to make a day of it on this stretch of Silver Lake Boulevard, with Now Voyager and Müsh across the street, OK down the block and Botanica Restaurant and Market next door.
It’s easy to make a day of it on this stretch of Silver Lake Boulevard, with Now Voyager and Müsh across the street, OK down the block and Botanica Restaurant and Market next door.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Pop Up Home
East Hollywood Vintage store
In May, Tricia Benitez Beanum relocated her luxury vintage showroom on Western Avenue to a three-story space across the street. Beanum’s new flagship offers goods from the ’50s through the ’80s, with new inventory arriving every week, largely from Europe.
“I wanted it to feel like New York,” Beanum says of the airy third floor, which is filled with curvaceous furnishings in leather, velvet and corduroy. “Everyone is interested in postmodern furnishings right now.” In addition to furniture and accessories, including a wide variety of ceramics, artwork is mixed in with the furniture and decor as part of UNREPD, a gallery devoted to emerging and mid-career artists of color as well as women artists and LGBTQIA+ artists.
“I wanted it to feel like New York,” Beanum says of the airy third floor, which is filled with curvaceous furnishings in leather, velvet and corduroy. “Everyone is interested in postmodern furnishings right now.” In addition to furniture and accessories, including a wide variety of ceramics, artwork is mixed in with the furniture and decor as part of UNREPD, a gallery devoted to emerging and mid-career artists of color as well as women artists and LGBTQIA+ artists.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
The Pot Shop gallery and store
Elysian Valley Gift Store
This charming ceramics studio and gift shop offers a variety of goods by local makers, including ceramics, candles and apothecary items. It is open only from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and by appointment during the week. In an inviting touch, it also offers beverages, popsicles and coffee drinks on the patio courtesy of the mobile coffee cart Howdy Coffee Frogtown.
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(Alison Ables)
Prelude & Dawn
Highland Park Gift Store
Alison Ables’ Highland Park boutique includes unique handmade candles by Esh, Via Wax and Le Feu de L’Eau, fanny packs and towels by local brand Baggu and vintage and modern clothing.
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(Prism)
Prism Boutique
Long Beach Gift Store
Dayna Mance has been highlighting small, independently owned brands since opening her boutique in the heart of Long Beach’s historic Belmont Heights in 2013. Expect vintage and modern clothing, home goods by local designers like P.F. Candle Co., Baggu and Claystreet pottery. Mance also offers “Prism Take Care” specialty gift sets.
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(Nathan Cabrera)
Pygmy Hippo Shoppe
Fairfax Gift Store
Founded in 2010, Pygmy Hippo is an irreverent boutique where you can shop for “Nude and Naughty” gift sets, Zodiac and magic-minded items, vintage collectibles and rare books and zines.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Restrained Whimsy
Studio City Gift Store
Scott Marshall-Miller and Brian Miller opened their Studio City gift shop “to empower local artists, when possible, in support of their dreams. Moreover, we wanted gifts that also give back to the community and causes we believe in together.” Their gift shop, located inside Studio Plaza, offers goods by artisans like Ojai Olive Oil, Joshua Tree Candle Co. and Laguna Salt Company along with fine jewelry, crystals, books and chocolate. On a recent visit, they offered cookies with purchase. Nice.
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(Diane Staples)
Retreat
South Pasadena Gift Store
At Diane Staples’ South Pasadena boutique, visitors are encouraged to pick up and play the handcrafted ukuleles or try on all the jewelry they’d like with no obligation or pressure. Her specialty store includes unique table-size clocks, candles, bath and body products as well as hand-drawn cards, journals, pottery, books and barware.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Rolling Greens
Culver City Drought-tolerant plants
The garden and home design flagship in Culver City, which rests on 2 acres, offers indoor and outdoor plants, succulents, planters and home decor. Owners Greg Salmeri and Laurie Resnick travel the world to shop for home and garden goods. Customers can create their own arrangement at the store’s Arrangement Bar. Also at 7505 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 934-4500.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Rustic Charm & Petals
San Pedro Gift Store
Sandy DeJesus’ charming boutique in downtown San Pedro is inspired by the family-owned flea markets and boutiques she frequented as a youth in El Paso and Juárez, Mexico, with her grandmother.
DeJesus offers a fine selection of jewelry and home goods alongside ceramics, apparel, candles and San Pedro-themed merchandise. In addition to floral arrangements, she also offers a three-month-long flower subscription.
DeJesus offers a fine selection of jewelry and home goods alongside ceramics, apparel, candles and San Pedro-themed merchandise. In addition to floral arrangements, she also offers a three-month-long flower subscription.
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(Tamara Houghten)
Shout and About
Echo Park Gift Store
This tiny Echo Park store is an urban oasis jam-packed with gifts by local brands and independent makers as well as Compartes chocolates, kids goods and jewelry. Always a reliable source for terrific greeting cards, the store also stocks a selection of stunning potted plants that will catch your eye.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Soap Plant/Wacko
Los Feliz Gift Store
Billy Shire’s irreverent gift shop offers an eclectic range of pop-culture ephemera (Iggy Pop action figures), novelties (beetles in resin), housewares (colorful oil cloth) and gifts (hedgehog nail brushes).
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(Spitfire Girl)
Spitfire Girl
Los Feliz Gift Store
Kristin Scott’s longtime store offers unusual gifts such as mystical ritual kits and handcrafted fragrances, and home goods with a humorous edge (heart lamps and turn-of-the-century-inspired embroidered pillows). Scott also offers custom gift boxes ranging from the Great Outdoors to the Witches’ Spell. Also at 7401 Melrose Ave., (323) 424-7340.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Stay Home Friend
Burbank Gift Store
Stay Home Friend, formerly Mindfulnest, in Burbank was designed to be a mindful way to shop. “We support local artists and small American companies,” says owner Amanda Vernon. “We buy directly from artists who speak to us.” The sunny store features works by more than 100 artists who hand-make jewelry, pottery and prints, including many irreverent candles, stickers, tea towels and cards for a dose of humor during the holidays.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )
Stark Studio
Silver Lake Gift Store
Stark Studio, a Silver Lake place specializing in face and body services, has a delightful gift shop in front that offers goods from mostly local makers. The selection of apothecary items, jewelry, kids’ items and accessories includes Los Angeles-based brands Wild Yonder Botanicals, Maya Brenner, Carrie Hoffman, Kin & Kind. and Maptote.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Suay Sew Shop
Elysian Valley Gift Store
This sewing and production shop manufactures home goods and clothing from a “combination of post-consumer waste, deadstock and domestically, organically grown fibers” that are gathered from community donations and corporate recycling. You can drop clothing and sheets off at the monthly community dyes, or shop the sales racks, which often include free items to keep clothing out of landfills.
When it comes to gifts, the shop offers one-of-a-kind clothing made from repurposed fabrics, napkins, pillows and other home goods. A Suay Sew Shop gift card can be used to repair and alter cherished items.
Note: After six years in Frogtown, Suay Shop will be relocating to the Arts District in DTLA in January.
When it comes to gifts, the shop offers one-of-a-kind clothing made from repurposed fabrics, napkins, pillows and other home goods. A Suay Sew Shop gift card can be used to repair and alter cherished items.
Note: After six years in Frogtown, Suay Shop will be relocating to the Arts District in DTLA in January.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Sumi's
Los Feliz Gift Store
Store owner Sumi Siegel’s warm and inviting gift shop, in Los Feliz Village since 2014, specializes in handmade and small-production goods that are ethically made. Stop by Sumi’s after a movie at the Los Feliz 3 or shopping at Skylight Books or one of Vermont Avenue’s many independent stores, and you’ll find jewelry, cards, ceramics and original artworks.
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(Julia Carmel / Los Angeles Times)
Tac-Tile Mountain
Pasadena Gift Store
From Fat and the Moon deodorant cream to Siesta Mussels in pickled oil, you’ll never know what comforting thing you’ll find at Scarlett Patterson and Nico Yaryan’s Pasadena boutique. Wedged between Millie’s Cafe and Octavia’s Bookshelf, the tiny lifestyle store is filled with a selection of “beautiful, well made, functional, tasty and sometimes unnecessary things” says Yaryan. That means everything from cooking tools, apothecary goods and pantry items like specialty sea salt to fun stuff for kids.
The couple is also trying to offer regular programming in the space, including classes on pickling, incense-making and book-binding. They recently had programming about death meditation.
The couple is also trying to offer regular programming in the space, including classes on pickling, incense-making and book-binding. They recently had programming about death meditation.
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(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Tansy
Burbank Home goods
There’s one word to describe this store: sublime. Part plant store and part gift shop, it’s a visually stunning collection of dissonant colorful things you don’t need but can’t live without. That bare ceiling spot in your baby’s room could definitely use a hanging papier-mâché sloth. And isn’t there always room in the kitchen for s’mores-shaped salt and pepper shakers? Shawna Christian, Tansy’s owner, says yes. She handpicks all items in the store.
And the plants! The pandemic launched a lot of fads, including the houseplant life, which can be sustained here, especially if you’re still working from home. A vibrant monstera can brighten the worst of days, and Tansy experts will help with instructions on how to keep the newest member of your cluttercore family alive.
And the plants! The pandemic launched a lot of fads, including the houseplant life, which can be sustained here, especially if you’re still working from home. A vibrant monstera can brighten the worst of days, and Tansy experts will help with instructions on how to keep the newest member of your cluttercore family alive.
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(Tesoro)
Tesoro
Beverly Hills Gift Store
Replete with artist-made decor objects, hand-crafted bath essentials, and out-of-the-box gift ideas for the person who has everything. Tara Riceberg’s shop also offers gifts for babies, kids, and pets and in-house, hand-painted wrapping paper.
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(Amelie Emi Uchiike)
Tortoise General Store
Venice Gift Store
Keiko and Taku Shinomoto opened Tortoise General Store in 2003 with the concept of “slow and steady” design. The Mar Vista showroom offers a curated selection of timeless Japanese home goods such as Tajika kitchen scissors, ceramic Japan Infinity bowls, colorful 100% cotton Tenugui cloths and Summer Studio wood serving boards.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
The House of Woo
Downtown L.A. Retail
In the Arts District around the corner from Hauser & Wirth art gallery, Staci Woo and Mike Badt’s gift shop and studio offers clothing and home goods produced in their workroom in the back. The husband-and-wife’s Uplifters Ranch, a California lifestyle clothing line that includes baseball caps, cozy sweats and T-shirts, has a California beach vibe. Additionally, the designers stock napkins, funky long wrap skirts and other clothing items. On a recent visit to the downtown L.A. shop, gifts by local makers filled the storefront, including holiday ornaments, crystals, apothecary goods and jewelry. Whether you are looking for stocking stuffers or a special gift, the House of Woo will likely cover all your holiday needs.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Treehaus
Atwater Village Gift Store
Michelle Pedersen and Saralynne Precht started Treehaus as a pop-up in a vintage VW bus and now highlight local independent makers, with a focus on socially conscious and female designers, on a permanent basis.
Their lifestyle boutique covers a wide range of goods, including clothing and jewelry, toys, books and games for kids, L.A.-centric tea towels, unique cards and small-batch leather goods.
Their lifestyle boutique covers a wide range of goods, including clothing and jewelry, toys, books and games for kids, L.A.-centric tea towels, unique cards and small-batch leather goods.
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(Kelsey Vaughn)
Twig and Willow
Long Beach Gift Store
Karen Quimby Lobo opened Twig & Willow in 2009 in the Belmont Heights neighborhood of Long Beach and later opened a second location in Bixby Knolls. Expect boho apparel, rare bath and body products, cult fragrances, home decor, handmade leather, accessories, baby items, and handmade jewelry by more than 60 local artists. Also at 4130 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, (562) 424-8944.
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Village Heights
Windsor Square Gift Store
From crystal barware to tea towels and jewelry, Louis Eafalla’s gift shop in Larchmont Village has something for nearly everyone on your list. In addition to gifts, the store is known for its seasonal items and festive window displays, including tea towels, decor, gift wrap, ornaments and cards.
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(Sarah Zing)
Wildflora
Studio City Plant Shop
This full-service florist shop also offers houseplants, succulents, tillandsia, airiums, home decor such as pillows and candles, and gifts.There is also a location at the Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. 3rd St. Stall No. 708. (323) 452-9339).
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
Yolk
Silver Lake Gift Store
This tiny independent design store in the heart of Silver Lake’s Sunset Junction specializes in home decor, toys and fashion for kids, and gifts by local brands including candles, books and apothecary items.
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