What does an interior stylist do on holiday? Seek out the best homewares shopping, art and design, of course. Temple & Webster’s Sarah Cousens shares her highlights from a recent visit to Los Angeles.

Sightseeing




There is so much to look at as you wander through the streets of LA. The tall palms that line the streets, the tacky yet beautiful neon signage, the intriguing contrast between the rich and poor areas, and the pastel walls providing colour inspiration.



The Stahl House (1635 Woods Drive) was high on my list of must-visit destinations in LA. It was built in 1960 by the Stahl family with architect Pierre Koenig  as part of the Case Study House program, which commissioned major architects of the day to design and build experimental model homes. The house is in immaculate condition and the view from up in the Hollywood Hills is absolutely breathtaking – definitely worth a visit and tour, even if you’re not usually an architecture fan.

Shopping



The Apartment by The Line (8463 Melrose Place, 2nd Floor) is a concept store by New York-based retailer The Line. It’s laid out as a shoppable luxury apartment that actually feels like you’re in someone’s home. From apparel and beauty to homewares and furniture, this store embodies a very Californian cool vibe, with a mixture of new and antique that isn’t trend based, but focuses on quality items designed to last.



Tortoise General Store (1208 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice) is a little piece of Japan in LA. The tortoise is a symbol of longevity that takes each day simply as it comes, and the store follows this ethos too – offering only hand-crafted, practical and simple products. I could have spent hours in this place.



I discovered Stahl & Band (2308 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice) on Instagram while I was researching my trip, and it’s a must-visit for design lovers. It’s a studio specialising in high-quality, well-crafted furniture, lighting and interior accessories. The space’s exposed rafters, concrete floor and light filled interior are beautiful and inspiring too. We chatted with the owner Jeffrey Molter and his partner, who was the current photographer exhibiting in the space, about his vision for the store and noticed that they stocked Aussie designer Henry Wilson, too.

Dining



My partner, Mitchell, is vegan, which is much more mainstream in the US than it is in Australia, and they definitely do it well in LA (dare I say better than us). Crossroads Kitchen (8284 Melrose Ave) is a well-known vegan restaurant where celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Pamela Anderson visit on the reg. We ordered the Southern classic ‘chicken’ and waffles, and my mind was blown at how much it tasted like the real deal, drowned in maple hot sauce for a finger lickin’ good mix of salty and sweet.

Gallery hopping



LA is full of galleries and museums, and I managed to check out a few during my stay. Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) was both elegant and provocative at the same time for the photographer's signature erotic portraits juxtaposed with beautiful still life of flowers.

The ribbon-like facade of the Getty Center (Getty Centre Dr) is incredible, it’s the first thing you see as the cable car takes you up the mountain towards it. The gallery is huge and the garden area is a beautiful place to hang out in the afternoon, drink red wine on the lawn and take in the view.