In many ways, Angeleno designer Natasha Baradaran's debut Los Angeles flagship couldn't have landed at a better time. Marking the tenth anniversary since the unveiling of her first namesake furniture collection, the space, nestled in the heart of the West Hollywood Design District, is "a place where I can show my point of view with clearer art direction," the designer tells me.
Strategically located where the city's varied creative expressions — "from the arts to fashion and interiors" — meet, the freshly-unveiled NATASHA BARADAN showroom brings her furniture and textile innovation and vintage curation together under one roof. The Los Angeles furniture store is a celebration of her journey so far while simultaneously hinting at the future.
Offering a playfully elegant, retro-futuristic spin on the trending pink and green décor — a bold juxtaposition Livingetc's Style Editor and LA native Julia Demer describes as integral to the essence of the nearby Beverly Hills district —the flagship is color-drenched in the rosy hue "that has been part of the brand since its inception, starting with the 'Nudo Blush' lacquer that we introduced in our inaugural capsule collection in 2014," explains Baradaran.
Since then, "this airy light pink has organically found its way to being our neutral," she adds, pointing to how beautifully it marries "the Los Angeles golden light that shines through the showroom's windows."
A stone's throw away from B&B Italia's LA foothold and facing Rose Tarlow's furniture haven on Robertson Boulevard, NATASHA BARADARAN sees the designer share the spotlight with some of her most admired inspirations.
Referring to Tarlow as one of her earliest role models, she explains it's a privilege to showcase her work next to theirs. But the proximity to the leading design houses that have informed her approach to design isn't the only element that makes the opening of her flagship a full-circle moment. "We have always made our collections in Los Angeles, so the desire to bring manufacturing in-house primarily stems from an urge to have even more control over our work than we already had," Baradaran says, elaborating on how this new platform will allow her to shorten the length of the supply chain.
The LA base will help her monitor "lead times and the development of new designs," favoring quicker turnarounds at every production level. This shift, explains the designer, not only enables her to grow her furniture business in the direction she had always envisioned for it, but also allows her creativity "to flow" more freely: "I can now develop at the speed of my ideas, being responsive to what I am interested in and what our clients are feeling," she says. "By moving towards a more vertical practice and reinforcing our made-in-Los Angeles design identity, we ensure the highest quality standards, supporting local artisans and reducing the environmental impact of our lines."
Natasha Baradaran's latest furniture release, AURA, the first to be revealed to the public in this sun-drenched, peach fuss and mint green-tinted design destination, is a living example of that. "I have been able to bring over 20 pieces to market faster than I have ever done in the past, with exciting new techniques and finishes I have developed now for the first time," she says of the collection, which stands out for its generous volumes, softly playful lines, and exquisite artisanal details. The "most crystalized presentation" of the laid-back luxury that has served as the leitmotif of the Natasha Baradaran furniture offering since day one, this recent line "is an amalgamation of all of the narratives that have led up to who I truly am as a creative," explains the designer.
Baradaran's debut collection was inspired by the art of jewelry making. CURVA, the second one — an artistic response to the Italian Dolce Far Niente ("the sweetness of doing nothing") way of life, incorporating her love of mid-century modern furniture into timelessly stylish homeware — reinterpreted her relationship to Italy and its foremost design icons, and was launched in 2016. "As a native Angeleno raised between LA and Milan, I want to create pieces that are comfortable and inviting in a West Coast spirit while feeling as sophisticated as my Milanese muses," she says of her current vision. If the past collections helped Baradaran understand who she is as a furniture designer, and what her value is for her clientele, the sculptural exemplars gathered by her AURA release "capture the mood of the brand today".
The showroom houses some of the best sofas I have ever seen, including this sinuous, monumental chaise longue and the playfully sculptural Maman ivory slipper chair and ottoman combo. These, along with whimsically-designed desks, coffee tables, and stools, take Baradaran's references to the fore, further elevating them through her imaginative lens. She mentions French glass worker, artist, and decorator Max Ingrand's neutral-tinted, geometric creations for FontanaArte and Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti's disruptive Modernism as two of the main influences behind this new curvy collection. However, when it comes to defining what makes it "special", its more experiential side prevails. "I am most proud of creating a space with an inviting feel, which we achieved with a healthy dose of upholstery," says Baradaran, adding that "how things sit has always been as important to me as how they look aesthetically."
A dialogue between European design traditions, Middle Eastern arts, and Los Angeles' vibrancy, the flagship itself "is all about offering our clients and guests a world to explore," she explains. In the age of Pinterest and social media, the authenticity of specific collections is constantly under threat, as they begin to resemble one another. "In creating my pieces and my space, I stay true to my point of view, always exploring an easy-going vision for contemporary living, inspired by California and my multicultural background," adds the designer. With her furniture and textile collections, Italian vintage selection, and long-time bestsellers all showcased together, the NATASHA BARADARAN flagship "is truly a dream come true".
