In step with style
“I was born in a shoebox,” Dana John Lance jokes. That explains why the former Charles Jourdan employee and son of a footwear salesman chose black patent leather to reupholster a 1940s settee, a tufted and skirted piece by the old Hollywood firm Cannell and Chaffin that’s in the window of his L.A. emporium, Dana John. Lance, above, spent 12 years as a contractor for high-end architects and designers. Wife Judith is the West Coast partner of the interior design firm Studio Sofield. Together they have created an elegant retail showroom with neoclassical and Regency chairs and lamps, glass and Lucite tables and chic accessories such as the brass Italian mosaic table, $975, and French opaline goblet, $815 for six, shown here. Lance plans to offer that glamorous window seat in customers’ own fabrics, he says, “because, really, who’s going to buy a black patent leather settee?” Dana John, 302 N. Martel Ave.; (323) 965-0400.
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REDISCOVERED
The vessel, so versatile
The bullet planter, a fiberglass container shaped like the tip of an ammunition shell, was a staple of California living rooms and patios in the Eisenhower era. Now it has been re-imagined as a sleek tabletop accessory, a two-tone bowl set on a polished stainless-steel stand. Designed by Kiln Enamel, a Brooklyn firm that produces pieces for Calvin Klein Home, the piece is suitable for pillar candles, candies and, of course, greenery such as low-water succulents. The planters come in two sizes, both $190, at Show in L.A. The store also has retro bullet planters on wrought-iron stands for $140. Show, 1722 N. Vermont Ave.; (323) 644-1960.
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INNOVATIONS
A paint job without the fuss
You don’t need an alchemist to turn plastic into gold. Krylon has introduced a low-odor spray paint that can be used indoors and out and that washes off hands and other surfaces -- in case you are one of those optimists perpetually telling yourself, “Oops, I guess I needed to put more newspaper on the floor.” The Fusion line can be sprayed directly to the surface of even the shiniest plastics without any tedious sanding or primer paint. It retails for about $5 and comes in two dozen colors and finishes, including “blonde shimmer,” shown here; six “textured shimmer” shades that coordinate with most outdoor furniture colors; and a “mystic prism” spray that adds a clear coat of rainbow iridescence. Go hog wild, but be warned: Pick up a painted piece before the suggested hour drying time is up, and you’ll see just how well Fusion maps the human fingerprint. For information and stores, call (800) 457-9566 or go to www.krylon.com.
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FINDS
Ostrich hide in plain sight
People can’t keep their hands off the new R & Y Augousti collection of housewares at the Laguna Beach store Artisance, also home to designer decor from Versace, Missoni and Paul Smith. With a Carrie Bradshaw-style following for its handbags, Paris-based Augousti is known for using exotic materials, such as the ostrich hide used to upholster this update of a 1930s lamp. Made from 12 articulated blocks that swivel on brass rods, this table sculpture with an elliptical drum shade, $950, is part of a line that includes shagreen- and abalone-covered candlesticks from $85, keepsake wooden boxes from $100 and trays from $210. Artisance, 278 Beach St.; (949) 494-0687; www.artisancelaguna.com.
