Kelly Wearstler opens her L.A boutique

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Kelly Wearstler, the interior designer known for her stylish spin on modern glamour and most recently an eponymous clothing line that incorporates many of the whimsical and artful details seen in her interiors, opened the doors to her first stand-alone store on Tuesday at Melrose Avenue near La Cienega Boulevard.

The 2,800-square-foot space truly encompasses the world of Wearstler, with the interior and essentially everything in it, designed by her. At first, you don’t know quite where to look. There are objects and interesting pieces of furniture and art everywhere arranged to create a juxtaposition between smooth and glam and textural and raw. Bright pops of color from her clothing collection are also peppered throughout the predominantly cream, black and gold store.

There are also metal keepsake boxes, leather and brass chairs, jewelry, pillows, china and letter
openers displayed around the store in an unfussy manner that makes you want to touch everything and look everywhere. And of course, there is a signature Kelly Wearstler aesthetic of texture, geometry and clean shapes that bounce between her jewelry, objects and the look of the entire space.

For instance, a brass cuff and earrings with perforated circles echo the same pattern in the large brass awning that hangs at the entrance to the store. Mirrors lining the walls are all hand painted with a splatter-like effect. Nearby, her colorful silk tops also have a subtle splatter pattern.

“The foundation for the look of the store comes from interiors, art and architecture,” says Wearstler who added that the black, ivory and gold motif for the space surfaced because she couldn’t decide on a color that wouldn’t compete with all the color in her clothing line. “This is kind of the culmination of all the things I’ve designed. I really wanted everything in here to feel like one voice.”

There’s no doubt that Wearstler’s stamp is on just about everything in the store, yet there are a few vintage items that she’s handpicked to complement her own designs, like a pair of crumbly old statues of women’s figures that she found in Palm Beach a few years ago and an all-black modern sculpture brought back from London.

But the most common theme throughout the store is the circle shape. It’s everywhere from actual merchandise, to the racks in the dressing rooms and the grill covering the skylights (which was inspired by one of her cuffs). “I love the circle form,” says Wearstler. “I take the shape of a ball and use it as a foundation in my work. So many things come out of it.”

The store has only been open one day, but Wearstler designed the space specifically so that merchandise and furniture can be moved or changed out, and there’s also talk of a New York store. “Everything in here is loose, so I can keep it fresh and bring in new pieces.”

Those who’ve always wanted to be a part of Wearstler’s world will be thrilled.

Kelly Wearstler -- 8440 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

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Photos, from top: Interior of the new Kelly Wearstler store and window display. Credit: Grey Crawford