Periodically, the LCDQ recognizes a business owner or an event for its contributions to the success of this unique area within Los Angeles.
Born and raised in Switzerland, Gina Berschneider has been a fixture in the Southern California furniture and interior design community for over 35 years. A “designer’s furniture designer,” Gina translates the vision of her clients into plush realities. While particularly well known for her luxurious upholstered sofas, chairs, beds, and lounge pieces, Gina also designs and creates exquisite tables, lamps and mirrors.
In 1985, after successfully operating a furniture manufacturing company for several years, Gina and her husband opened their first showroom and launched their own line of upholstered furniture.
Today, Gina Berschneider is a family owned business, with their daughter, Natalie, serving as a managing partner. Together, they have opened a showroom in the heart of the La Cienega Design Quarter. Their line encompasses their classic larger-than-life upholstered pieces and hand-crafted wooden tables – all, of course, designed by Gina and manufactured in Southern California.
Jean de Merry and Christian D. Maroselli opened their first showroom in Los Angeles in 2001, but the journey to where they find themselves today can be traced back hundreds of years to the limestone plateaux of the Causse Noir in South Central France. By the 19th Century, the leather tanning process of their ancestors had pioneered and cultivated what came to define this rural location as one of the premiere leather manufacturing regions in Europe.
Utilizing long held family secrets; re-creating and refining the process of aging raw hide in order to create hand-crafted goods that look and feel like treasured family pieces, the result was the starting point for the Jean de Merry brand, which resulted in an exclusive, signature line of club chairs. These artisanal pieces are hand-dyed and hand-aged as they were in a wonderful bygone era, when quality and integrity were evidence of a skilled and talented craftsperson.
In what seemed like a natural evolution of their aged leather pieces, they began designing and manufacturing complementary furniture creations with a French deco influence. These custom antiqued mirrored credenzas, vanities and consoles and unique and individual lighting fixtures demonstrate a sense of restrained sophistication that highlights the beauty and importance of balance, proportion and scale.
Today Jean de Merry’s visionary line offers flawless execution of subtle palettes, discreet, sophisticated finishes and sleek lines that create a harmonious, artful juxtaposition to the raw beauty of their organically crafted leather pieces. With a strong appreciation and respect for pedigree and community alike, they have created furniture that embodies the classic elements of design while still being original and personal. Never modish but always stylish and relevant, these pieces are the heirlooms of the future. The instinctive and emotional relationship they have with their collection is what defines Jean de Merry as a creative visionary and as an extraordinary brand.
St. Croix Collection Inc. is a boutique design showroom specializing in couture drapery and window coverings with the family business roots dating back to 1972.
St. Croix has now grown to three locations to include Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Hawaii. Designers and Architects will find an environment where creativity in design is bound only by the imagination and one can always expect a fine selection of textiles, wall covering, furniture, bedding and accessories that are united by an unwavering insistence to quality, texture and form. St. Croix also specializes in complete home automation from window coverings, lighting and media rooms.
Bernard St. Croix, second generation of the St. Croix family brings his vision and passion for textiles and furnishings to his newest showroom in Los Angeles in the quaint “La Cienega Design Quarters” neighborhood. Mr. St. Croix is dedicated to providing stylish, comfortable and sustainable design products while keeping alive the family’s 38 year tradition of impeccable quality and personalized service.
Reputable and trusted, The St. Croix Collection remains dedicated to providing our clients with a “Quality Experience.” Inspired by all things intriguing and relevant, whether art, history, nature or architecture, our lines are always fresh, original, stylish and inventive. Today, each of our lines represented stand out as leaders in their industry. At St. Croix we strive to surpass all expectations by offering a breadth of product and client services at all locations.
“I would rather have a fabulous piece from my own workshop than a mediocre antique.” With our fundamental belief, Rose Tarlow founded Rose Tarlow Melrose House as a preeminent producer of antiqued furniture and textiles for over 25 years.
Rose Tarlow Melrose House embraces the integrity and impeccable quality understood by generations of craftsmen and artisans, and recognize that age, imperfection and use bring character. Rose takes an idea and plays with it, changing the proportion, making it comfortable and adding features that only those who know can see. “I try to design furniture that has a period flavor but with its own distinct personality,” Rose has stated. Rose Tarlow Melrose House celebrates the enigmatic beauty of imperfections; for us, the magic is in these details.
Educated at the New York School of Interior Design, Rose Tarlow, having always had an affinity for old traditions, opened the doors to Tarlow Antiques in 1976. An immediate success, Rose decided to expand her highly sought after shop and embark on her design career after being discouraged with the current marketplace that didn’t live up to her extremely high standard. Undaunted by the dwindling interest in antiques, Rose trusted her keen eye and mused, “Don’t try to be different; just be excellent.” At Rose Tarlow Melrose House, she oversees the creation of timeless designs that possess a twist and character that makes every pattern, every chair, every table, everything we make – extraordinary.
A fine balance between emotion and intellect continues to ensure that our collection upholds the stylistic vision Rose has when designing for a personal client. Merging past and present seamlessly. Special attention to authenticity, functionality, and proportion are hallmarks of a Rose Tarlow Melrose House piece. It’s this odd beauty that is the magic of Rose Tarlow Melrose House and at the heart of everything we create.
Raised amongst the beauty, richness and architectural wealth that Rome has to offer, Matteo De Paolis curates the essence of his upbringing in Rome and introduces authentic Italianate imports into the Southern California landscape. The eldest son of a prominent Italian family, the charm and Elegance of Matteo not only speaks for who he is as a person, it also carries out into his posh Italian Antiques that he has collected and so magnificently displayed in his store, Navona Antiques in the famed La Cienega Design Quarter.
At a young age, Matteo enlisted in the Italian military, where he became the lieutenant of the polo team. His passion for the masterful sport stemmed from an early age once he was exposed to his grandfather’s beautiful breed of horses, utilized in the popular epic film Ben Hur, and many other films Internationally. After his stint in the Military, Matteo helped run his family business, a successful franchise of Volkswagen dealerships that they ran for over 40 years. Matteo oversaw VW’s affiliate Audi, however he took the opportunity to venture out on his own and was responsible for bringing the prestigious Luxury car line, Bentley to Rome.
Despite the fact that he was reaching notable levels of success, Matteo wanted to explore the opportunities that awaited him overseas. Even though his traditional Italian family was not thrilled to see their son stray away, Matteo wanted to explore his individuality and determine who he was as a sole entity. This surge of self-discovery led him to pack his bags, life savings, and his container filled with rare antiquities, and embarked upon what Los Angeles has to offer.
Arriving in sunny California in 2001, and not knowing exactly where he would fit in, Matteo decided to utilize what growing up in Rome educated him with. With that knowledge and charm, he gained momentum as a dealer of fine antiquities, getting his start by going from one shop to the next, and showcasing what he had in his container, along with photographs of fine pieces he could obtain back in Rome. It was through that persistence in which Matteo’s not only met his mentor John Nelson, but grew quite a prestigious client base, which led him to establish his very own Store, Navona Antiques.
Dressed in what he calls his “ripped up jeans,” Matteo frequents the Navona District, which is considered to be the antiques quarter in Rome, and goes on a scavenger hunt to bring back rare and classic treasures to his store on La Cienega. The innocent young rebel has certainly transformed into a distinguished man with his success and through his own self –discovery that was his goal, and continues the pursuit of uncovering the relics that are still waiting to be discovered.
In September 2008, Marge Carson Showroom opened its doors in the prestigious La Cienega Design Quarter under the keen eye of Katie LaBarge. Katie serves as both Manager and Designer of this flagship showroom, which exclusively carries Marge Carson, one of the world’s largest and oldest privately-owned fine furniture companies, known for its phenomenal designs, beautiful custom fabrics, and finishes and trims.
Simply put, Katie understands the industry, the design field, and most importantly, people. Having grown up in a furniture family, (her father is CEO of Marge Carson and her grandfather started LaBarge Mirrors) she knows first-hand the details and care that goes into each piece of furniture. As a young child accompanying her father to the factory of both LaBarge Mirrors and Marge Carson, she was able to get a great sense of whom the people were that build, finish, design, upholster, sell, and run the furniture business. This extensive knowledge helps her truly understand the industry and how to effectively please her clients.
In addition to her practical, hands-on knowledge of the furniture industry, Katie has studied design. For her B.S., Katie attended West Virginia University and the Intercontinental School in London, and graduated with a degree in Interior Design. While in college she also completed a design internship, which took her to places such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Hong Kong giving her an understanding of design from a worldwide perspective. Katie has lived and worked in Los Angeles for the last ten years and is currently on the Board of the La Cienega Design Quarter. Since graduating college, she has designed on her own, worked with other designers, and familiarized and sold various lines of furniture including Henredon, Barbara Barry, and Ralph Lauren.
Last, and most importantly, Katie understands her clients. Serving both the design community and the home owner, she has designed homes for clients in the greater Los Angeles area and Orange County, as well as Oregon, Michigan, Ohio and as far away as Jordan, China and New Zealand. Having designed a wide range of homes, all with unique styles, she understands that homes are personal and takes the time to get to know her clients and thus, is able to reflect their personality into their space. From French Chateaus to Spanish Villas to Modern Penthouses, Katie truly loves all aspects of design.
Hollywood Sierra Kitchens stands as the only showroom in the La Cienega Design Quarter devoted specifically to kitchen and bath design. Peter Grisdela founded Hollywood Sierra Kitchens in 2004 after 20 years of experience in interior design specializing in kitchens. Peter, a native of the Detroit, Michigan area and 11-year resident of Los Angeles, brings his personal warmth and charm to his showroom that, in accordance with its name, designs for clients from the Hollywood Hills and Westside to the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Mammoth Lakes and beyond.
When Peter relocated to Los Angeles from Boston, his first project began a connection with Mammoth Lakes, California that has extended from his professional life to his personal life. A project for the founders of Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort offered Peter the opportunity to fall in love with the area and build a strong and growing clientele there. It seemed only natural to purchase a second home in Mammoth, so he could simultaneously provide clients with his typical close attention to detail, while taking personal advantage of the beauty and phenomenal skiing at California’s prized ski destination.
Beautiful kitchens are engaging, open, and inviting, all the things you find upon entering the Hollywood Sierra Kitchens showroom. While his love of the mountains comes through in slightly rustic touches, the kitchens in Peter’s showroom display an expansive range of styles and materials from traditional to modern. Featuring custom made cabinetry from across North America, Peter has searched to find the highest quality craftspeople in the industry to provide his discerning clientele with the finest finished product available. Hollywood Sierra Kitchens focuses on creating custom spaces that reflect the client’s good taste, their interest in fine wood species, and their love of entertaining. Peter and his team use their custom work and design expertise as the foundation for great kitchen design, completing projects with custom countertop materials, finish hardware, and other finishing elements that create the sometimes grand, yet always cozy kitchens for which Hollywood Sierra Kitchens is known.
Peter recognizes that the kitchen is one of the most important and personal rooms in the home, regardless of the size and grandeur of the space. The kitchen communicates a great deal about the people who live in it and use it, therefore Peter spends the time necessary to know each of his clients on a personal level to best gauge how they will use their kitchen. Peter knows however that regardless of the size of the space or the extent to which the space will be used for living or entertaining or “just for show”, it is essential to offer the greatest service and materials at every price level. No matter what, at every step pf the process, Peter Grisdela has created a business and a way of working with his clients that reflect his passion for how great design creates human connection.
Szalon (pronounced “salon”) represents Judith Hoffman’s personal journey to reclaim her Hungarian origins. Having fled Budapest during the Soviet crackdown in the 1950s, she made a life in Los Angeles — education, family, and ultimately, an ongoing interior design business, Concept Design International. But as the political situation in Eastern Europe eased in the 1980s, she found she longed to reconnect with her roots and began regular visits to Hungary.
Surprised by the wealth of design riches she found across Hungary — untapped due to years of Communist domination — Hoffman determined to bring these little-known works to an American audience. She happily uncovered a beautiful space in the La Cienega Design Quarter, and remodeled it into an elegant, inviting Deco-inflected showroom. Thus was Szalon born, opening to the public in 2004.
Announced by the dramatic grillwork of its façade, Szalon immerses visitors in a milieu that evokes the grand interiors of early 20th century Hungary and Central Europe, yet still exudes a fresh, contemporary feeling. Specializing in furniture and decorative arts from the Vienna Secession, Art Deco and Bauhaus eras, the Szalon collection features works by Josef Hoffmann, Otto Wagner, Gustav Siegel and Dagobert Peche, as well as pieces by Hungary’s preeminent designer, Lajos Kozma.
Also on display are works by Hungary’s renowned ceramics manufacturer, Zsolnay, early Modernist film posters, French Art Deco glass, and much more. Many anonymous pieces will nevertheless impress visitors with their high-quality Hungarian design. Featuring clean, sensual lines, gorgeous native woods and fine detailing, Hungarian antiques combine indigenous motifs with medieval and eastern influences.
As Judith Hoffman confesses, “Starting the gallery wasn’t really a business decision. To acquaint people with this incredible culture is my mission!” To that end, Szalon is also the site of evening salons, intellectual soirées reminiscent of times past.
You wouldn’t think talking about pile fiber content, knot density, hand-spun silk, and Tibetan wool would put a sparkle in a guy’s eye, but for Barry Amiri, the proud owner of Antique Rug Company and The Rug Affair, it’s the only thing that does.
Barry has dedicated his life to learning everything there is to know about the artistry, craftsmanship and business of bringing the best in rugs to discernible customers. For nearly 30 years Barry Amiri has built a thriving business doing what he loves most — importing and selling the highest quality hand-made rugs and cultivating long-lasting relationships with the customers he serves.
His customers might say a keen eye and artist’s hands are the reasons for his ability to spot treasures from trash with one touch, but this expert earned his reputation as a trusted consultant through education and hard work. Barry is one of only seven senior rug appraisers in the US certified and accredited by the American Society of Appraisers.
With an unstoppable passion for life and his life’s work, Barry Amiri continues to further his expertise beyond the technical by keeping current on all the leading contemporary rug designers and manufacturers. In 2005, The Rug Affair & Antique Rug Company expanded their Los Angeles rug showroom to include several new collections showcasing the latest trends in rug design. The new lines included a major collection of Tibetan rugs in designer rug patterns, modern and contemporary rugs and fresh transitional designs.
Barry and his charming wife, Dina who helps run their L.A. showroom on La Cienega Blvd., have long been respected by consumers and top designers for their ability to source the very best in antique and decorative rugs with the highest level of personal service. The company’s rare antique Persian and Oriental rugs, specialty rug offerings and premium rug services set them apart from other showrooms in the community. Both showrooms are highly regarded sources for superbly crafted traditional and contemporary rug designs at affordable prices.
“Our core policy has always been to select rugs for their look, style and artistry-insisting on quality materials and craftsmanship throughout”, says Barry Amiri. “Rugs are fine art for flooring and should bring something special to each environment,” adds Barry. “I want to give my customers the same level of quality and beauty that I’d want for my own home.
Woven Accents is the culmination of Abraham Moradzadeh’s lifetime of work and passion. The Iranian-born Moradzadeh learned early about the artistry and craftsmanship that created the finest rugs in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He began selling antique and decorative rugs near the British Embassy in Tehran, teaching his clients the important elements to look for when purchasing rugs. His successes in Iran led to a move to California, bringing with him an invaluable amount of experience from his years of teaching about and selling the highest quality pieces.
Abraham is a long familiar staple of the La Cienega Design District as owner of Woven Accent’s predecessor, Abraham Rug Gallery, since 1980. The top designers in the industry have recognized his immense expertise for decades, consistently returning for his advice and knowledge. His desire to educate his clientele has developed long-lasting relationships with customers who have caught his contagious enthusiasm and appreciation for rugs that “give life to a room.”
In 2005, Abraham’s son, Sam Moradzadeh, saw an opportunity to breathe new life into his father’s life’s work. Implementing a full service approach, they renamed the company Woven Accents and began exclusive representation agreements with leading contemporary rug designers and manufacturers (Carini Lang, Zoë Luyendijk Studio, Emma Gardner Design, to name a few). A modern redesign of the space enlivened the gallery and offers more artistic displays of Woven Accent’s pieces. Amidst these changes, Abraham maintains his original vision of offering one-of-a-kind rugs his clients are unable to locate elsewhere. Jeannene Sands was added to the team, as showroom manager, and has become as familiar to customers as Abraham. With her warm and generous nature, and over 20 years of design experience, she has become an invaluable asset to Woven Accents’ success. With the finest antique rugs in the world and unique contemporary selections, Woven Accents is a must-see stop for designers and their clients.
As Woven Accents moves into the future, Abraham is living his dream traveling the world in search of new pieces to bring his clients. His passion for buying outweighs his desire to sell as he finds it difficult to part with the works of art he discovers on his constant trips abroad. From a collection of thousands, Abraham is able to identify each rug with an emotional connection and story to go with it. The business model may have modernized, but the intent of his company has not. Woven Accents still holds Abraham’s old-world charm and appreciation for true quality … all with a very genuine, personal touch.
Lee Stanton, noted antiquarian, is a thirty-year collector of 17th, 18th and 19th century British and European antiques. He has become known as an arbiter of style and the premier purveyor of fine period antiques to prominent interior decorators and discriminating clients nationwide.
His shop/warehouse in San Juan Capistrano was a secret resource for many of the nations leading designers for decades. Recently, he opened a stylish, more eclectic shop located in the heart of the antique district on La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles. Designers frequent the showroom in Los Angeles so they do not miss out on the constantly changing inventory.
Lee has a home in Laguna Beach and a pied-a-terre in Los Angeles, California. Both are decorated with antiques. His showrooms are an extension of his homes and a reflection of his European lifestyle.
Lee attributes his success to his passion for antiques… his passion to find that special piece with the right combination of form, function, style and integrity.
“My showrooms are a reflection of my lifestyle. They are an extension of my home and my life. I hope to provide my clients with the same quality I want and expect. I want to make sure that every piece I buy and sell is something that I would live with and cherish in my own home.”