In EAL’s latest City Guide, renowned L.A.-based interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks shares his inside look at Santa Monica’s burgeoning design scene on the eve of The Shade Store’s latest showroom opening, at 1001 Montana Avenue. (Says Marks, “I love The Shade Store because they’re quick and easy and have a lot of the same styles that I use for some of my high-end clients.”)
“Santa Monica is quickly changing and developing its own rustic and beachy, yet sophisticated, personality,” shares Marks. Read on for his guide to the local design landscape.
What are the top design stores and home boutiques?
“Rosemarie McCaffrey Antiques is a fantastic store that’s close to the office, and near The Shade Store,” says Marks. “Two great spots in Venice are the newly opened Stahl + Band & Garde store and Lindström Rugs from Erik Lindström. Another go-to of mine is Obsolete in Culver City.”
What are the must-shop streets or neighborhoods?
Head to lower Abbot Kinney Boulevard (south of Venice Blvd.) for unique items. And stop by “the very west side of Culver City, which is also changing, as is Ocean Park in Santa Monica, which has a lot of cute boutiques—both fashion and interiors—popping up,” recommends the designer.
View from the Santa Monica Mountains; courtesy Herbert Petermann
Architectural Digest
Where do you source your inspiration?
Marks returns to nature for renewed creativity. “I hike with my dog, Coal, a lot in the Santa Monica Mountains in the [Pacific] Palisades, and I also enjoy riding along the Palisades Beach bike path. A local work of art for me is the Broads’ Frank Gehry–designed Brentwood Estate.”
The Larder at Tavern
Where do you take clients for lunch or coffee?
Local haunts are many in Santa Monica, and Marks says, “You can usually find me at The Larder at Tavern, Primo Passo Coffee Co., and Local Kitchen + Wine Bar.”
