When it opened 20 years ago, HD Buttercup was one of the most innovative, creative and talked-about retailers in the home furnishings business. But in the decades since, the conversations have faded, and the store has gone through several changes in format as well as ownership and management. Soon, that talk will end completely: HD Buttercup is going out of business.

Late last week, the Los Angeles–based retailer announced it was shutting down its two remaining locations in Culver City and Costa Mesa. “The current tariff environment and ongoing economic uncertainty have caused significant disruption to HD Buttercup’s business model, driving the decision to liquidate its stores while conducting a concurrent search for a potential buyer to continue operating the business,” the company said in a release.

When it first opened in 2005 in Culver City, a movie studio–packed town halfway between downtown L.A. and Santa Monica, HD Buttercup brought with it an unusual name and format. Evan Cole created the concept after parting ways with his wife, Paulette Cole—when they were married, the duo were the creative forces behind the legendary New York store ABC Carpet & Home during the 1980s and 1990s. HD Buttercup’s concept was direct: It took ABC’s strategy of leased departments and put it on steroids, dividing the entire 100,000-square-foot showroom into branded shop-in-shops by a cross-section of upscale home furnishings suppliers.

HD Buttercup called the new format a “manutailer” furniture mart, and even if the label didn’t catch on, the store did. It became a destination for Southern California shoppers who wanted furniture and home decor products that generally couldn’t be found anywhere else. (The HD Buttercup name was said to come from a London doorbell sign, although another theory held that it was the name of one of Cole’s pets.)

The flagship Culver City store eventually spawned a number of additional locations throughout California, and Cole turned part of the store into a more conventional merchandising model, with home furnishings products the store itself owned sold alongside a selection of ongoing leased departments.

In 2021 Evan Cole sold a majority interest to Story3 Capital Partners, which merged the retailer with Australian home furnishings brand Coco Republic. Apparently the combination wasn’t enough to keep the ship afloat.

“This farewell is filled with deep gratitude for every customer, designer and team member who made HD Buttercup what it is,” the company’s co-heads, chief merchandising officer Kalli Noel and CFO Ryan Hung, said in the release. “We hope you’ll join us one last time to take home a piece of what we built together.”

The in-store and online liquidation sale began on May 23, and the brand did not make clear how long it will run before the stores will close completely. Cole, who is no longer involved in the business, did not respond to a request for comment.

HD Buttercup’s past will be the subject many people will talk about as it shuts down. It was an original concept in the home furnishings business, one that has not been replicated elsewhere—even in the resurrected ABC Carpet & Home, now under new ownership with a significantly reduced footprint at its old Flatiron location.

“Manutailer” may have been a forgettable retail description, but HD Buttercup will be remembered by many for years to come.

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Warren Shoulberg is the former editor in chief for several leading B2B publications. He has been a guest lecturer at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business; received honors from the International Furnishings and Design Association and the Fashion Institute of Technology; and been cited by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and other media as a leading industry expert. His Retail Watch columns offer deep industry insights on major markets and product categories.