Surfing Silver Lake

Silver Lake may be a straight shot east from the design district of Beverly Boulevard, but what a difference a ZIP Code makes. With new arrivals joining expanded businesses near Effie Street, Silver Lake Boulevard has become an upscale detour for Sunset Boulevard thrift shoppers and a destination for trend-setting decorators. The shops maintain schedules that are as relaxed as the atmosphere, so call ahead.

California classic

Scott Nadeau of Ten 10 designs sleek contemporary pieces with a nod to the past. Nadeau’s two-bulb exterior light fixture in anodized aluminum, $450, exhibits the same Atomic Age elegance of a vintage brass and wood table lamp, $475, in the style of Stiffel. And his birch and raffia headboard, from $775 for a twin bed, pairs nicely with an ebonized midcentury Paul Laszlo credenza, $1,100, produced by the West Coast furniture manufacturer Brown-Saltman. 1716 Silver Lake Blvd., (323) 663-3603.

Modern lineage

Like a page out of the trendy British shelter publication Wallpaper, Yolk has something groovy for every room in Austin Powers plastics and natural woods. The Museum of Modern Art bowl, $45, is as clever as it looks -- showing off fruit in a design that helps keep it fresh. Underneath the bowl, Lolah’s Harvest Table, $3,000, has a heat-resistant white Corian serving area in the middle and a flip top that goes from casual (blue fiberglass, as shown) to formal (walnut). 1626 Silver Lake Blvd. (323) 660-4315.

Global bazaar

Although the forms and colors look 21st century, the pottery of Chulucanas, Peru, follows 2,500-year-old traditions. To achieve the rich and satiny black backgrounds, these pots, ranging from $32 to $96, are burnished with stones and fired in a kiln filled with the smoke of burning mango leaves. Along with ceramics, Studio 1617 has artisan objects from Mexico and South America, as well as the intricately stitched Kuba cloth, shown here, $225, from the Congo. 1617 Silver Lake Blvd. (323) 660-7991.

L.A. decadent

Antiques dealer Michael Belanger is a New York transplant whose merchandise -- Chinese chairs with ‘60s Italian upholstery, anyone? -- embraces the rich and varied possibilities inherent to Los Angeles’ architectural and life styles. Along with American antiques and curios and

20th century Modern pieces from Scandinavia and Italy, Michael Belanger Antiques boasts a stellar collection of lighting fixtures, including this 1950s Venetian art glass sconce, $1,750. 1618 Silver Lake Blvd. (323) 913-7097.

-- David A. Keeps