Dezeen selects eight elegant objects from Los Angeles Design Weekend
From a massive metal greenhouse placed in an art gallery to vibrant red-vinyl seats, here are the stand-out designs from Los Angeles Design Weekend selected by US editor Ben Dreith.
At a time when many design weeks are in decline, Los Angeles Design Weekend (LADW) is growing. Only in its second year, the annual event has expanded, with more than 100 sites spread across eastern and central Los Angeles.
Set up geographically with each day of the three-day event clustered around a different set of neighbourhoods, the organisers have tried to make a fair that negates the car-only stereotype associated with the city.
While not everyone embraced the much-maligned public transit system or used alternative transportation, the layout of the fair aimed to show how a design event can imagine a city as it could be, rather than how it is.
Regardless, the weekend was designed in a way that grouped participating parties and their events in specific time frames, from ceramics to architecture firms' open studios. It kicked off with a party at the rare-plant gallery of comedian Eric Wareheim, who told Dezeen that he was "honoured" to take part in the festivities.
Often, Los Angeles design is characterised by colourful, playful work, but we noticed a more refined, streamlined vision in much of the stand-out works presented here.
Read on for eight of the best design objects we saw during the week:
Alu chair by Klein Agency
Klein Agency showcased a recent iteration of the Alu chair at Eric Trine's LA Chair show at the Signal Shops, where Klein Agency also has a storefront.
Originally designed for a restaurant in the area, the chair has been reformatted as a made-to-order stackable aluminium piece with the option of a leather seat, making for a comfortable and sturdy chair.
Office Chaise by Objects for Objects
Local design studio Objects for Objects was everywhere during LADW. At a show called Infield, curated by Chet Architecture and Meaghan Roddy, the studio showcased a chaise made from two standard office chair bases covered with glossy red vinyl upholstery.
Studio founder Leonard Bessemer said the chair was meant to depict "tired" or "weird" office furniture. Bessemer also released a collection from his new brand, Oforo, during LADW.
Flower Moonjar and Soban by Seo Eunha and Yoo Jiyoon
Part of an installation of Korean artisanal goods called Frozen Han at culinary arthouse House of Migaam, designer Seo Eunha showcased traditional forms made with cornstarch PLA, including a soban – a traditional table.
On top of the table was a jar designed by Eunha and covered with Korean lacquer by Yoo Jiyoon.
Untilted Greenhouse by MOS
Architecture studio MOS based an exhibition at gallery Marta around a massive aluminium structure with sloping walls and built-in seating. It was designed to show the literal and metaphorical possibilities of a greenhouse, in its cultivation of plant life and creativity.
The greenhouse was designed to fit inside the gallery and be a work in itself while also showcasing other pieces on its shelves, such as plants during LADW, aluminium basketry by MOS and photographs by Michael Vahrenwald.
Gesture Vanity by Waka Waka x Karimoku Furniture
The Wagetsu collaboration between LA-based design studio Waka Waka and Japanese manufacturer Karimoku Furniture was on show in Atwater Village, featuring 19 objects from chairs to tables and homeware.
One of these homeware pieces was a unique table-top drawer and mirror combination made of wood and a polyester finish similar to that found on pianos.
Barred Chair and Barred Side Table by Hanneke Lourens
Known for her minimal wood furniture, California-based Lourens released a line of blocky furniture informed by a recent visit to her home country, South Africa. The pieces were shown at a group exhibition put together by Nadia Khagani.
The bars on the wooden furniture are a reference to the security bars found in the windows of South African buildings. While Lourens made sure to note she didn't want to "make light" of the need for such bars, she said the contrast makes the bars seem like "jewellery" on the buildings and on the pieces she created.
Element Case Goods by Kalon
Created as a complement to its metal-and-wood bed, this series of case goods takes the recent emphasis on aluminium in the design world and aims to make it worthy of a home interior.
Kalon created a credenza, console and side table for the collection and showcased it along with its furniture collections at its self-designed Atwater Village headquarters.
Dottie Cabinet by Copperhead Furniture
Local design studio Copperhead Furniture creates high-quality and unique objects from wood in its Fashion District shop, which it opened up to the public for the weekend.
Here, the playful base of the Douglas Fir Dottie Cabinet is accented by Chestnut bridle leather.
Los Angeles Design Weekend took place from 26 to 29 September 2025 at venues across Los Angeles. See Dezeen Events Guide for more global events and exhibitions in architecture and design.
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