Curated Routes: from Los Feliz to Miracle Mile
In LA, if you want to spend a day looking at beautifully made things, you have to be willing to cover some ground. We are starting with a pristine bowl of matcha in Los Feliz, exploring a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, and then heading west to Miracle Mile and the Fairfax district to spend the afternoon surrounded by art, bespoke stationery, and highly tailored interior design.
Kettl
The day starts at Kettl in Los Feliz. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Kettl expanded to LA in February 2025. I've been a day-one customer and was very happy with their expansion. Because they source directly from tea producers in Japan, the quality and terroir of the leaves are the focus here. The result is a perfectly executed, pristine bowl of tea that sets the tone for the rest of the day. No milk necessary—unless you want there to be some. They offer not only exceptional matcha but also high-quality loose-leaf Japanese teas and beautiful teaware.
Hollyhock House
Just a block away sits Hollyhock House, Los Angeles's only UNESCO World Heritage site. Commissioned in 1919 and completed in 1921, it was initially designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. However, because Wright was largely occupied in Japan building the Imperial Hotel, architects Rudolph Schindler and Wright's son, Lloyd, stepped in to oversee much of the construction. The house is an example of Mayan Revival architecture, characterized by its monolithic concrete forms.
The stylized hollyhock—client Aline Barnsdall's favorite flower—is abstracted and repeated everywhere: cast into the concrete rooflines and planters, carved into the custom furniture, and woven into the art glass windows. Inside, the living room centers around a monumental bas-relief concrete fireplace that originally featured a sunken pool, designed to have water continuously flowing through it to visually connect the hearth to the outdoor moat. Before jumping back into the car to head west, be sure to walk the grounds of the surrounding Barnsdall Art Park—its elevated vantage point offers a fantastic, unobstructed view of both the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign.
LACMA
Heading west, the drive brings you to LACMA. With the opening of the new David Geffen Galleries this spring, the campus has completely transformed. The massive, 900-foot-long elevated exhibition space literally spans Wilshire Boulevard, placing the museum's collection on a single sweeping level. What makes the Peter Zumthor-designed building so compelling is that there is no predetermined path.
Visitors are encouraged to explore at their own pace, wandering through a non-hierarchical layout where the art is broadly clustered by oceans—the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, alongside the Mediterranean Sea—rather than by traditional time periods or continents. This fluid approach seamlessly integrates the art inside with the sprawling urban landscape outside. Before moving on to the surrounding design boutiques, take a moment by Alexander Calder's Three Quintains (Hello Girls)—the iconic 1965 kinetic fountain where brightly colored mobiles are playfully propelled by jets of water, offering a vibrant, mid-century contrast to the campus's sweeping new lines.
The Mid-City Edit: Objects, Interiors, and Paper
After taking in the massive scale of LACMA, the rest of the afternoon is dedicated to exploring the area's more intimate galleries and design spaces.
Craft Contemporary
Just steps away on Wilshire Boulevard sits Craft Contemporary. The museum itself is small and a bit esoteric in the best way possible, offering a shift in perspective that focuses on contemporary art created through traditional craft media and processes. I really love the space, but even if you only have a few minutes, I highly recommend browsing their museum store. The curation there is exceptional, making it a fantastic place to discover unique, beautifully made objects where the hand of the maker is always visible and celebrated.
Seventh House
Heading slightly north toward Melrose Avenue, the next stop is Seventh House. Housed inside Frank Gehry's modernist Danziger Studio, this gallery is the contemporary sister space to Galerie Half. It blends vintage objects and modern furniture inside an incredibly tailored, architectural environment that feels more like a private collector's home than a retail floor.
Nickey Kehoe and +COOP
Continuing the design hunt, make your way to Beverly Boulevard. Stop by Nickey Kehoe to browse their expertly edited mix of custom handmade furniture, warm lighting, and globally sourced vintage pieces. Just down the street is +COOP, an impeccably styled home goods and interiors shop that functions as an ever-evolving curio cabinet for living, gardening, and gathering.
Jonathan Wright and Co.
Finish the afternoon at Jonathan Wright and Company, a bespoke stationery shop also located on Beverly Boulevard. Take your time browsing their artisanal luxury paper goods, custom invitations, and specialty ribbons. I love their greeting cards and stationery sets from Italy. The perfect conclusion to a day dedicated to seeking out beautifully made things.
Dinner: Antico Nuovo
As the afternoon turns to evening, we're closing out the itinerary at Antico Nuovo. While the restaurant is famous for its handmade pastas, the true draw here is their mastery of the wood-fired hearth. The space is warm, intimate, and dimly lit, offering a phenomenal menu of fire-roasted proteins and seasonal antipasti that feel both rustic and highly refined. Don't skip their house made gelato at the end of your meal.
To help you easily navigate this exact route, I’ve saved each stop—from Kettl Los Feliz and the Hollyhock House in the east, to Craft Contemporary, Seventh House, Nickey · Kehoe, +COOP, and Jonathan Wright & Co in the west—on a custom, interactive Google Map below.
