DESIGN : Treating Fruit Like Flowers

WALKING AMONG the serene, elegant surroundings of Relic, one is taken aback by the beautiful baroque and rococo chairs, beds, armoires, artifacts, flowers, and dried fruits and vegetables. Dried fruits and vegetables? Yes, amid the lovely floral arrangements, wreaths and topiaries are comparable pieces made of lemons and oranges, and unique baskets of perfectly preserved vegetables (prices range from $30 to $125).

“The fruit and the flowers are dried by a similar process, and they’ll last, as far as we know, forever,” says Relic co-owner George Gottl. “We continue to experiment with new kinds of fruits and vegetables. They have a special kind of beauty that comes out when they’re treated like flowers.”

Relic, 158 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles; (213) 933-2921.