A Certain Time in a Bottle

As anyone who’s ever been bitten by the decorating bug knows, a home is never truly finished. Fortunately, new design stores are popping up in a host of unlikely neighborhoods--Brentwood, Hollywood, Silver Lake and Los Feliz--which means that shoppers looking for the perfect sofa or that one-of-a-kind knickknack can extend their horizons beyond the usual West Hollywood haunts.

It’s also worth noting that most of the newcomers specialize in mid-century modernism. And why not? Versatile and easy on the eyes, the look--whole rooms of it or just one great piece--continues to resonate here in the land of Neutra, Eames, Ellwood and Ain. Whatever the object of your quest, here are some fresh venues to check out:

Grace Home Furnishings

Named after the owners’ sweet-natured Labrador retriever, 14-month-old Grace Home Furnishings in Brentwood offers an eclectic mix of old and new. “We fill a niche we didn’t see before,” Michael Ostrow says, explaining that he and partner Roger Stoker remodeled a Brentwood Village bank but deliberately preserved its parquet floor, pressed-tin ceiling and lobby fireplace. “Our store looks like a home, not a Pottery Barn. We try to show people how Grandma’s dresser can work with a new bed because there are no rules anymore.”

Made-to-order sofas, tables and armoires lend contemporary flavor alongside refurbished flea-market and estate-sale furniture, old tablecloths stitched into bed linens and oddball objects such as dance trophies and plumed helmets. Check out the Kathleen Caid beaded lamps and the pet department stocked with dog bowls and beds.

Grace Home Furnishings, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday; 11632 Barrington Court, Brentwood; (310) 476-7176.

Homework

Homework launched a year ago next to the restaurant Ammo and is the brainchild of former production designer Laser Rosenberg. It features a mid-century aesthetic but with a refreshing twist: Everything is pale blue, soft green, neutral or white. “Color is the single most important thing to me,” Rosenberg says. “This is my personal palette. You’re probably never going to find red in here.” Ditto black leather and chrome.

The store spotlights several contemporary designers inspired by the past. Among the most striking wares are Peter Sandback’s blocky cast-concrete tables, Angela Adams’ boldly patterned pillows and Woo’s mesh light orbs. On top of a handful of refinished vintage pieces, Rosenberg creates Parsons-style tables and bookcases from sleek laminate and lacquered wood.

Homework, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday; occasional evenings Tuesday through Saturday; 1153 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood; (323) 466-1153.

OK

In 1999, Larry Schaffer opened near the Beverly Center to sell a wide range of accessories to a narrow market: young sophisticates who appreciate good design but can’t afford an $8,000 sofa. That gives him the latitude to present Isamu Noguchi lamps and Dosa ottomans beside vintage Scandinavian ceramics and framed butterflies. “I just get stuff I like,” Schaffer says. “I’m not looking at it as retro design. To me, it’s only interesting if it feels current.”

One wall of the showroom is devoted to contemporary handblown glass by American artisans reinterpreting European techniques. Look for vases by Robin Mix of Vermont and Preston Singletary of Seattle. An impressive book section enables shoppers to bone up on their purchases.

OK, noon-6 p.m. daily; 8303 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles; (323) 653-3501.

Rm. 107

This Silver Lake offshoot of Rm. 107 in Pasadena is only 8 months old, yet it’s already earned a reputation for showcasing lesser-known and unknown furniture from the ‘40s through the ‘70s. “We decided to leave the greatest hits of modern design to others,” co-owner Glenn Lawson says. “Our customers are looking for something no one else has. There’s more cachet.” So the vintage pieces that turn up are more likely to be the work of Edward Wormley or Hans Wegner than George Nelson or Harry Bertoia.

Lawson and partner Grant Fenning, both graduates of Art Center College of Design, round out store vignettes with accessories such as German pottery and anonymous artwork. They also design a line of shelving, tables, upholstered sofas and chairs.

Rm. 107, noon-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; noon-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2396 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles 90039; (323) 912-1940. Also: same hours, 107 S. Fair Oaks Blvd., Pasadena; (626) 432-4867.

Room Service

At Room Service in Los Angeles, Irvine-based clothing designer John Bernard is taking what he calls a “Fred Segal approach to home furnishings.” That means staffers outfitted in uniforms he created, house-label bottled water and a deejay on Saturdays. “I want to create a vibe in my store. I’m always telling my staff to turn up the volume,” says Bernard, whose Asian-influenced take on mid-century modernism manifests itself in low-to-the-ground, minimalist furniture.

Open since December, Room Service uses a soup-to-nuts showroom strategy. The store’s platform beds and sofas are set up in sample environments, complete with Angela Adams pillows, Dwell linens, rugs, lamps and candles. Says Bernard: “Some people don’t know how to put it all together, so we give them a little help.”

Room Service, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday; 8115 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles 90048; (323) 653-4242. Also: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 2930 Bristol St., Suite A111, Costa Mesa; (714) 546-1595.

Show

Located three doors north of the restaurant vermont, 2-month-old Show carries a well-edited collection of new and vintage furniture and housewares. Owners Bradley Cook and Fernando Laseca buy based on their preferences, then refinish or reupholster pieces for resale. “We don’t like to sell as is,” says Cook, a lifelong Herman Miller fan. “We like to take it the extra step and fix things up to make them look nicer.”

Merchandise runs the gamut from Deco to modern to contemporary, with two of the store’s vintage-inspired chairs available to customize. Cook and Laseca will soon import pewter and outdoor lighting from Mexico. In the meantime, watch for Murano glass and McCoy, Hull and Red Wing ceramics, plus abstract art that changes monthly.

Show, noon-6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; 1722 Vermont Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 644-1960.