Framing the scene

NOT everything in vintage furniture stores is off the wall. Svenska Mobler, which specializes in 20th century Swedish design, has also become a hub for 1950s and ‘60s photography. When owner Andrew Wilder began to showcase Americano Funcional, the curvaceous midcentury style of Argentina, he paired it with “Glamour: Underground and Uncovered,” an exhibition of images by late Life magazine photographer Mark Shaw. His previously unheralded fashion work, on view through January, includes this portrait of Velvet Underground chanteuse Nico in the Paris apartment of 1960s interior designer Henry Samuels. (Limited edition prints start at $800.) Wilder says the Argentine furniture, including the Tijera chair, right -- which has never been sold in the United States -- is “functional and sophisticated with exotic woods, a hybrid of Italian design and South American modernism.” 154 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 934-4452.

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FINDS: Mizrahi’s blue period

Though he never was famous for blue jeans, Isaac Mizrahi knows how to sling denim. The designer’s reversible Manhattan Blue coverlet and sham sets, $69.99 to $109.99 at Target, wed two utilitarian fabrics: indigo cotton with Levi’s-style topstitching, and the blue-and-white ticking stripe commonly seen in mattress covers. The result is clean and casual, suitable for preppies and suburban cowboys. For those inclined to nautical decor, the collection also includes pillows shaped like beach balls and starfish, $19.99, that also coordinate with the Isaac ottoman, $39.99, and the lampshade that comes with this silver ball lamp, $24.99, both available at select stores. The rest are available at www.target.com.

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SAVE: The place for candlelight cocktails

This illumina-tini, pink grapefruit candle wax poured into one of the Scout’s old martini glasses, right, is just one of the creations that can be made to order at the Stone Candles outlet in Culver City. Event planners, restaurant owners and savvy shoppers not only buy candles from the factory, but also design their own at a fraction of the cost of French bougies. Owner Michael Wainer and son Daniel will pour clean-burning soy wax with a choice of two dozen fragrances into any suitable glass or ceramic vessel that customers bring in, starting at $8 for any container up to 16 ounces. Candles generally take an hour to set hard enough to be transported -- time that can easily be spent browsing through Stone Candles’ impressive waxworks. Ask about the crystallized palm wax obelisks, from $12, and votive wax bowls filled with scented soy, from $70. Stone Candles, 8842 National Blvd.; (310) 559-0133.

Additional reporting and photo styling by ADAMO DIGREGORIO