To Live and Buy in L.A.

To be a successful home furnishings retailer in the entertainment capital of the world takes creativity, ingenuity and a bit of showmanship. It also requires an ability to weather the economic effects of an occasional earthquake, brushfire or industry workers' strike. But most importantly, it demands an understanding of the audience. This month, three West Hollywood retailers, each with a very different stage and script, discuss their latest projects.

“The L.A. consumer is adventuresome,” said Steven Saden, a former New York fashion designer who co-owns Zipper with playwright and arts executive Elizabeth Cashour. Saden speaks from experience. Nine years after Zipper's 1993 birth on West Third Street, he and Cashour decided to open a second location in Brooklyn, N.Y. “We expected to see more of an energy fuse between those two (locations), but what we discovered was that in New York, people were a little more reticent. L.A. seems to be more willing to jump on it and try something new. It's not just about fad or trend, but 'I want to do something different and I'm willing to take a risk.'”

Four years after its opening, Zipper's New York location closed. A year later, Cashour and Saden opened another store in Sonoma County, Calif., 35 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. They also launched an expansion of Zippergifts.com, their online shopping portal that invites visitors to “Click on the G Spot” to see hot new items ranging in price from $6 for a classic Viewmaster to $295 for a Guiette mid-century modern dollhouse, with a Wobble Chess Set, Springbok pillows, Nagasaki bowls and The Book of Cool at price points in between.

In addition to a thoughtfully curated collection of accessories, gifts, art, furniture and design books, the modernist general store also relies on the exclusive work of artists and craftsmen to differentiate it from the competition. “It does set you apart,” Saden said. “Customers come to our store because they know we're working to find things that they find special too. Plus it gives you an opportunity to create a design relationship with someone and say 'this is the direction in which we're working or we really like the direction you're going, could we do something together?'”

It also helps define the store's unique point of view: a melding of old and new, art and commerce, humor with beauty and elegance. “You need to go out and say, 'this is how I feel about things, this is my eye, this is what I see. I want everybody else to enjoy and be part of that,'” Saden said.

In January, Cashour and Saden were among several retailers who participated in a retail panel discussion at the California Gift Show. Moderator Liezel Munez Gunn, West Coast contributing editor to “O” The Oprah Magazine, led the discussion on California style, trends and the L.A. consumer, including the celebrity customer.

“Celebrity doesn't influence our buying … we don't go 'oh so-and-so would like this,' unless we know they're looking for a specific thing,” Cashour said. “We do ask our celebrities if they would allow us to use their name. Most of the time they'll say yes, making the connection that it will be helpful to us. But we've also had those who have said no for one reason or another.”

Gunn asked them to name a couple of their favorites. “Emily Proctor, CSI: Miami, has impeccable taste,” Cashour said. Halle Berry was Saden's choice. “One-on-one they're such nice regular people,” he added. “But the fun is when you get any customer who puts this, this and this together and brings it to the counter and you go, 'ohmigod they get it!'”

Cashour and Saden rely on their arts and fashion backgrounds for inspiration. “I get a lot from performing arts groups in the city, and novels. I start from a conceptual point of view and have a conversation with Steve about something happening that I think we should address. He'll say 'yeah great idea.' Next thing I know, there are manila folders and magazines all over our house. Then he'll announce, 'okay this is Christmas 2008.'”

“I actually do boards like I used to do in fashion – where I pull pictures from magazines, collect objects, swatches of fabric and yarn colors, and start putting it together,” Saden said. “You start to see the trend, because you start putting out your feelers toward seeing specific colorways that are starting to happen. I look at cosmetic ads, shoes, furniture, everything.”

Cashour said purchasing comes down to one simple rule, “If it we won't want it in our house you probably won't want it in yours.” They're also sensitive to trend cycles. “We tend to tire of something before the consumer does so we have to make sure we're gauging exactly where the product is in its success rate — whether it's on the downhill slope or whether we should continue to engage the customer with it and keep our energy up about it.”

“You have to reinvent yourself every season. That's one of the things that makes a thriving business,” Saden said. “You have to be aware of so much every day and the second you become comfortable with whatever 'it' is, that's when the business starts to head south, so you have to keep it fresh.”

Saden and Cashour said more customers are looking for product made somewhere other than China, and because of that they're looking for more artisans both locally and nationally, but the demand for green and sustainable products hasn't taken off yet. “From the home point of view, it's a little early in terms of enough product being out there so that's something we're searching for,” Cashour said. “From the consumer point of view, it's talk right now rather than action. There's a little more action up north. Southern California is still looking. Right now there are a lot of fabrications and things are too expensive for people to experiment with. I think we're about five years away from it being massive here.”

Before she became Shannon Colburn's business partner, L.A. designer/developer Nicole Sassaman was one of her customers. During the decade that Colburn Schwartz took root as a popular design district destination for accessories, Sassaman was busy renovating and redesigning dozens of area residential properties, including the circa-1937 Beverly Hills estate that once belonged to Greta Garbo. Sassaman has also developed a following as a regular on The Style Network's Area, Fine Living's Lulu's House and HGTV's Designer's Challenge, Smart Solutions and Kitchen Trends, and has just published Design Life!, a portfolio of her Southern California design and renovation projects.

“Nicole was a regular customer and client of the showroom,” said Colburn. “She loved to come in because she considered it one-stop shopping — she could solve a number of design problems for her clients at the store. We immediately hit it off, realized that we had similar tastes and styles and decided to make it a partnership.”

The store reopened in March 2007 as Colburn Sassaman, with a product mix that's about 10% art, 10% lighting, 10% small furniture pieces and 70% accessories. The strong presence of natural and “beachy” themes is dictated by the customers. “They love natural elements like rocks, fossils, corals, shells and driftwood,” Colburn said. “Contemporary glass is another favorite, as are antique and artisan pieces from Asia and Africa.”

The store caters to all price points. “Our clients have a great range — unpretentious designers creating unique spaces from a film set to a local residence — but one thing we can say about all of them is that they all have great taste,” Colburn said. “Our customers are also very loyal — they know they will get amazing service from us and we'll always have great new products for them to see.”

Some of those new products come from Palecek, Oggetti, Global Views, Arteriors Home and Artdreams Home. The shop also features the new Nicole Sassaman Collection of walnut bathroom accessories and furnishings made from sustainable and organic materials. Colburn shops High Point, Las Vegas and sometimes New York, San Francisco or the L.A. Gift Show. “If you meet one great vendor, the trip is worth it,” she said. “Even when traveling for pleasure we always have our eyes open. You never know where your next great product find will come from.

“What makes Colburn Sassaman different is the experience we share with our clientele. They feel comfortable in the store. We like to let them come in and look around for awhile. Then we'll chat with them about what they are looking for and point out some of our favorites.”

Colburn Sassaman has also perfected a reputation as a one-stop shopping source for accessories. “We buy what we like, and our selection shows,” Colburn said. “We don't have one style so you can find different pieces for different rooms and different clients during a visit to our store.”

Here again, the challenge is to stay fresh and exciting. “That's the kind of challenge we like,” she said. “We like to offer products that are unique and current so that our clients can return often and see something new. It's a positive challenge, and something that we can really sink our teeth into.”

Several blocks to the East, a window display seduces shoppers with a bedroom of decadent delights fit for any Hollywood mogul: white tufted leather, Mongolian wool throws and lots of Swarovski crystals. Thomas Piscitello and Neal Wagner's luxury boutique, Mogul, opened on Melrose Avenue in 2005. “There are many beautiful furniture stores here in L.A., but it's the way we put it all together that sets us apart,” Piscitello said. “It's part Hollywood glam and part penthouse bachelor pad, mixed with a rock and roll edge and served with a fashionable twist.”

Piscitello's description, and Mogul's name, says it all. The duo defines their target customer as anyone who enjoys beautifully made, decadent furnishings. Most are affluent and run the gamut of ethnicities and lifestyles. Their celebrity clientele includes Tyler Perry, Rihanna, Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Eva Longoria and Vanessa Williams.

Piscitello and Wagner are also designers. Piscitello worked in high-end retail in New York at Fendi before ending up in Los Angles running Frette on Rodeo Drive. Wagner worked as a set decorator in television. Several years ago, the life partners decided to see if they could duplicate the success of their personal relationship as business partners. They began with vintage furniture and accessories, then brought in some new pieces of furniture from other vendors. Today the merchandise mix is 50% accessories, and most of the furniture is designed and built in-house. “We also have our signature Mogul brand of 720-thread-count bed linens made just outside of Florence, Italy,” Piscitello added.

Mogul's current collection recalls an earlier era, when Hollywood Hills homes reflected bachelor-pad swagger through simple, edgy architectural lines and angles, cool colors and distinctive materials such as chrome, acrylic and lacquer. “Sex as a topic of conversation wasn't quite as open as it is today. But these pieces, fashioned after the designs of that era show it was definitely on their minds,” Piscitello said. “We modernized select pieces inspired by this residential Hollywood hotspot by pairing the more traditional mid-century aesthetics with high quality fabrics such as alligator skin on suede and up-to-date design structures.”

The opulent look is accessorized with original art, chandeliers, lamps, bed linens, rugs and accessories from key vendors including Arteriors, Global Views, Gilles Caffier and R&Y Augousti. Retail prices for accessories range from $100 to $5,000, and the pair shops the New York International Gift Fair and Maison & Objet. Popular uniquities include the store's hand-blown glass firearm paperweights in pastel colors, and an extensive selection of crystal and chain room dividers, curtains and chandeliers.

“The store is staged with sexy room vignettes that help set the mood and shows clients how amazing our furniture and accessories can look in their homes,” Piscitello said. “We also play moody lounge music in the store, stock a martini bar, use low lighting and burn amazing candles.”

Piscitello and Wagner reach customers through their Web site mogullife.com, mailings, advertising and word of mouth. “We're also getting great foot traffic as more and more high-end boutiques open along Melrose Avenue,” Piscitello said.

Mogul's services and products also include residential and commercial design consultations, custom draperies, made-to-order furnishings, custom chandeliers, original art, home staging and photography, studio rentals and vintage home accessories. Though they especially enjoy the design aspect, they admit there are challenges. “Exquisite, exclusive furnishings cost a great deal to manufacture,” Piscitello said. “And when designing new pieces it's always a challenge to think outside the box, especially when you're not just following the trends, but setting them.”

Zipper has successfully operated as a modernist general store in its present location since 1993. Owners Steven Saden and Elizabeth Cashour rely on their arts and fashion backgrounds for inspiration, restrict inventory purchases to items they'd enjoy having in their own home and maintain a practiced sensitivity to trend cycles.

Shannon Colburn (at left in photo) operated Colburn Schwartz for more than a decade before partnering with one of her best customers, Nicole Sassaman. The new store reopened in March 2007 as Colburn Sassaman in the heart of the Los Angeles Design District. Colburn Sassman is known for its extensive collection of beachy, natural and organically themed accessories.

Thomas Piscitello, left, and Neal Wagner seduce customers into their Hollywood haven of luxury with an opulent, elegant collection of furniture and accessories designed for the celebrity mogul lifestyle. Piscitello describes the Melrose Avenue boutique as equal parts glamour and penthouse bachelor pad, with a rock 'n' roll edge.

Zipper operates retail stores in Los Angeles and Sonoma, a catalog and Zippergifts.com. The Los Angeles store is located between La Cienega and Fairfax, close to the historic Farmer's Market. Owners Steven Saden and Elizabeth Cashour advise visitors to their Web site and store to “think of it as climbing aboard the Zipper in a 1960s amusement park and enjoy the ride!”

The Hollywood Hills are reflected in the windows of Colburn Sassaman, a popular one-stop shopping destination in the Design District for more than a decade. Co-owner Shannon Colburn describes her loyals as unpretentious designers with great taste, for whom she is challenged to keep things fresh and exciting.

Mogul's window displays take full advantage of the shop's location among the high-end apparel and home boutiques that dot Melrose Avenue. The store's high-glam Haute Hollywood collection of furniture and accessories has netted owners Thomas Piscitello and Neal Wagner an annual sales volume upwards of seven figures.