Buttoned-down

LIKE a growing number of interior designers, Carol Kipling is buying down the high cost of a Melrose Avenue studio by fashioning it into a retail showplace. Her cozy storefront has a continuously refreshed stock of vintage American ceramics and midcentury tables, work by California painters Darren Waterston and Wess Dahlberg, and Tom Heinz’s color photographs of Arts and Crafts architecture printed on acrylic panels, not to mention a handsome collection of her upholstered designs. Kipling calls her Three Button chair, shown here, “classic 1940s Hollywood with a French twist.” While the cabriolet legs and gently scalloped edges certainly evoke the elegance of that bygone era, the true charm of this design lies in its versatility. Upholstered in softly shaded chenille, it has the graceful silhouette of a boudoir chair, yet the traditional hand-tied spring cushion seat also makes it ideal for formal sit-down dinner parties. Pretty and practical, it has the look of a future heirloom and is attractively priced at $725. “Surprisingly,” Kipling says, “men also like it because it is beautiful but very comfortable.” Carol Kipling, 6710 Melrose Ave.; (323) 934-3080; www.carolkipling.com.

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MADE IN CALIFORNIA

A clear vision of colorful acrylic

Architect Randy Castellon believes that there is nothing plastic about acrylic. The San Francisco designer says his Eames-influenced steel-framed tables with satiny translucent panels and drawers are “warm to the eye and to the touch, and when you put objects in the drawers, there’s a wonderful ghosting of colors and shapes.” Perhaps best known for his wood-and-acrylic stacking chairs, Castellon often teams with his wife, architect Alexandra Obadachian, on large-scale custom installations in offices and homes. Now he’s offering production pieces including the side tables shown here, sold for $425 each exclusively through Homework in Los Angeles, (323) 936-6139. His hand-wrought pieces are physically and aesthetically substantial, with classic modern proportions and a finishing technique that allows pieces to be dyed in frosty shades of yellow, blue, red and green. For more information, go to homepage.mac.com/randycastellon, (510) 520-5604.

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HOME PAGES

Book your room -- and the stuff in it

Though the proliferation of hotel decor catalogs and websites means you don’t need to check in to check out the latest in bed and bath luxuries, many offer largely generic linens and accessories. But at www.kimptonstyle.com, the website for the Kimpton boutique hotel group, the furnishings run a gamut of styles, including Asian, Moroccan, big city chic and California coastal casual. The cover of the new companion catalog (shown here, available to hotel guests) highlights the Hotel Monaco Washington DC’s hip take on Federal style with the hand-carved gilded Puzzle mirror that sells for a penthouse-priced $7,000. Mahogany and coiled abaca headboards from the Solamar in San Diego start at $1,995. Other offerings cost significantly less: A crystal sphere lamp with linen shade is $245, a fringed, silk fleece throw is $82, and a set of four tumblers made from reclaimed California Chardonnay bottles is $35.

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PETS

At last, kitty laps in style

Pity the poor cat. Though dogs enjoy an array of designer houses, beds and bowls, our feline friends get stuck with carpeted kitty condos and bowls personalized with “Tuna Breath.” It’s enough to make any puss sour. At least Alessi designer Miriam Mirri is scratching the collective itch for cute cat products with Tigrito (“little tiger”). It’s made of blue, yellow or gray polypropylene and has removable stainless steel bowls for food and water. Part of the $70 price benefits animal protection organizations. Tigrito is available at Utopia Design in Studio City, (818) 755-9030; and Fitzsu in L.A., (323) 655-1908, and Pasadena, (626) 564-1908.