Raising the bar
“PEOPLE who are coming of age now completely missed out on the vintage vibe of cocktail culture,” says Joe Keeper, owner of Bar Keeper in Silver Lake. His tonic? A cool blend of furniture, stemware and party accessories with a twist. Along with contemporary items including Mexican hand-blown double old-fashioneds, plates emblazoned with skulls and shatter-resistant crystal Tritan wineglasses from Schott Zwiesel, vintage wares fill Keeper’s shelves. Highball sets from the 1950s and ‘60s with gold-accented designs similar to the set above come in their own metal caddy (less than $100). Keeper, top, stocks a colorful wood-slat bar by midcentury designer Arthur Umanoff ($1,400), as well as the rolling bar, above left, which is from postwar England ($600). 3910 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 669-1675.
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SAVE
Meditate on this: It’s sale time
Once a year, designer Jagat Joti Khalsa celebrates the anniversary of his Venice store, Tara Home, with an event he calls the Gratitude Sale. This year, due to the arrival of a large container of new pieces from India, Nepal, China and Mongolia, the event begins Friday as a weekend sidewalk sale before continuing through Oct. 30 inside the 2,500-square-foot showroom, a destination for a Hollywood Zen set that includes Sharon Stone and Jeremy Piven. Among the bargains: silk curtain panels, many designed by Khalsa (from $60 per pair); pillows and cushions (from $10); and daybeds (from $1,000). Chakkis, hand-carved teak pieces used to mill wheat, are topped with silk sari fabric cushions, creating a low ottoman that’s rustic yet luxurious ($190). 245 Main St. (by Navy Street); (310) 452-8272; www.tara-home.com.
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FINDS
Regency on a budget
Hollywood Regency may be as flashy as its name suggests, but rarely is it affordable. Now Urban Outfitters is offering this swank ensemble for less than $100. The light takes its cue from the late Los Angeles designer-to-the-stars William Haines, who often turned museum-quality Asian ceramics into lamps. The geisha is cast resin ($42) and comes with a Japanese floral faux silk shade ($28). The Locust pedestal table ($29) has an Asian bird print in olive green on white powder-coated metal, a cheap and cheerful update of tole, the decorative trend that began in the 18th century.
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SPLURGE/SCRIMP
How two stools stack up
Splurge: This beech seat designed by Taku Shinomoto of the Venice shop Tortoise, left and center, was inspired by African stools. It comes with an upholstered cushion in red, navy, gray or brown. Hollow bottoms allow the stools to stack as a sculptural tower. $375 each. 1208 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; (310) 314-8448.
Scrimp: Pier 1’s Mara stool, below right, made from hardboard wrapped in abaca, is heftier in every way except its price: $99. The base weighs more than 12 pounds and cannot be stacked, but its lid can be removed, revealing storage space. www.pier1.com.