Los Angeles Design Festival kicks off with tours and party Friday

Design fans will want to take the afternoon off Friday as the Los Angeles Design Festival offers the first of its three “Design Hooky” self-guided tour days, part of a two-week-long celebration of design in Los Angeles.

The June 13 tours are based in Silver Lake, Echo Park and Koreatown. Bestor Architecture, Michael Maltzan Architects, Materials & Applications and Standard in Silver Lake will hold open houses. Design studios hosting sales and exhibitions include Ouli, Ludlow Kingsley and Shephard Fairey’s Subliminal Projects Gallery in Echo Park. In Koreatown, interior designer Sean Knibb will offer a tour of the new The Line hotel from 2 to 3 p.m., and the new Poketo Store will be offering discounts.

Friday’s activities culminate in an opening-night party at Natural Curiosities with screen-printing workshops and music by Dublab.

Subsequent design tours June 20 and 27 will highlight Midcity and Westside neighborhoods.

Besides the design tours, the festival also emcompasses Dwell on Design home tours, talks and other activities, including a June 14 dim sum bike ride that visits the studios of Scout Regalia and ceramicist Bari Ziperstein before stopping for a meal at the Golden Dragon. Sam Lubell hosts an “urban hike” in downtown Los Angeles on June 22.

“LA Design Festival continues to grow with each year,” said co-founder Michael Sylvester in a statement. “This year’s calendar features over 60 events, large and small, across Los Angeles.”

The “Design Hooky” tours run from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 20 and 27. The Los Angeles Design Festival continues through June 29. The full schedule of events is posted on the festival website. The opening-night party Friday will be from 6 to 10 p.m. at Natural Curiosities, 1706 W. Sunset Blvd. Most events are free, but some require a fee and reservations.

Follow @lisaboone19 for design news