Design Miami/ brings lectures to Los Angeles
Presented by AD, the Design Miami.LA Design Talks began May 16 within a special theater commission created by USM and Ojas. The programming was curated by Ashlee Harrison and spotlit both local and international thought leaders. Topics ranged from Authenticity: Image & Identity to The Smart Set, which was conducted by AD’s West Coast editor Mayer Rus and Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Murphy. Attendees had opportunities for domestic and international education alike: Whether hearing about the architectural legacy of American icons such as Paul Williams or understanding what it means to be a “new creative world-maker” in the Confluence of Cultures discussion, each panel brought new ideas to the table.
Project Spotlight
Studio Ahead brings a wine bar to life in Brooklyn’s South Williamsburg neighborhood
Northern California native Shanna Nasiri wanted With Others, her new wine bar in South Williamsburg, to be driven by her relationships with small-batch, passionate producers who have countless stories to tell. To conjure an equally soulful interior, she called upon AD PRO Directory member Studio Ahead in San Francisco, knowing that founders Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia sought the same values when partnering with artists, artisans, and fabricators. As a nod to Nasiri’s West Coast roots, Studio Ahead tapped Marin County artists Ido Yoshimoto and John Gnorski to make a striking wooden vase and washi paper lanterns, respectively. They matched these creations with fabricated pieces from Gwylim Johnstone and ceramics by Katie Coughlin, two Brooklynites. “That’s New York City, a coming together of mixed realities through its people, ideas, and makers,” Rajai says. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Williamsburg was a hot spot rife with sprawling loft parties and bohemian bars, and Studio Ahead drew from that indie energy. The weathered façade paves the way to a monochromatic space, starring a custom metal back bar complemented by dark walnut, Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm’s pillow-topped stools for Fritz Hansen, and Nico Corona’s chain-link candleholders.
AD PRO Hears…
…It’s been 150 years since French car manufacturer Peugeot invented the tabletop pepper mill. Today the company is synonymous with timeless automobiles, but its knack for engineering dates to the 19th century, when it turned out humble household items like saws and coffee grinders. Crafted from wood and steel, the voluptuous Z model pepper mill—which has since morphed into the Bistro—was introduced in 1874 and fast became a mealtime fixture. Peugeot still produces some two million of them a year, and, in honor of the milestone anniversary, has debuted a limited-edition reproduction of the original model in hues ranging from Candy Pink to Pacific Blue.
Product Spotlight
Euphoria’s Jessie Andrews introduces Dott, her first furniture collection
Actress and model Jessie Andrews has proved herself as a multifaceted entrepreneur by launching the jewelry and fashion brands Bagatiba and Basic Swim. She opened the community-centric Tase Gallery in Los Angeles, which has now given way to furniture, beginning with the inaugural Dott collection that takes cues from Charlotte Perriand and Jean Royère. Fashioned out of natural- and ebony-stained solid oak, the furniture series—a side table, statement stool, low-slung coffee table, console, and intimate dining table—is embellished with interchangeable balls and brass caps that add bursts of sophisticated whimsy when the mood suits.