Sales galore: A shopper's guide to summer deals

Been thinking about buying a Philippe Starck Masters chair, an Alessi coffee maker or that Sunbrella chaise from Crate & Barrel? Now may be your time. The summer sales are heating up. Here are some home and garden shopping leads to build on our sales post earlier this week.

Kartell: All Kartell designs will be 20% in July. That includes Starck's Masters chair, top left, whose silhouette cleverly melds classic Eames, Saarinen and Jacobsen designs. Regularly $269, it will be $215.20. The Bloom light by Ferruccio Laviani, right, regularly $380, will be $304. (888) 405-4899.

Alessi: Modern Italian design firm Alessi has a monthlong “It's a Steel” promotion on select stainless steel tabletop pieces, including the Press Filter coffee maker, reduced from $200 to $160; a Michael Graves tea kettle, reduced from $180 to $144; and the Foix round tray, reduced from $165 to $132. Prices are good at the store in West Hollywood, (310) 276-7096, as well as online at www.alessi-shop.com.

DwellStudio: A 2,000-square-foot section of H.D. Buttercup in Los Angeles is the new L.A. showcase for DwellStudio's line contemporary of furniture, rugs, bedding, art and accessories, pictured at the top of the post on the right. All DwellStudio products will be 20% off through July 15. (310) 558-8900.

Modani: During its 4th of July sale, Modani will have a Starck dining table, regularly $2,950, on sale for $1,090. A king bed that's regularly $3,290 will be $990, and a glass-and-chrome coffee table that's regularly $690 will be $245. The sale runs July 4 to 8 in West Hollywood; (310) 652-2323.

 

Big sales: Andrew Martin, Madeline Weinrib and Classic Tile

June gloom won't matter much to those who brighten over home-shopping bargains. It's that time of year when some showrooms begin making space for new collections for fall, traditionally the big season for redecorating. Here's a sampling of sales that are underway or starting this weekend:

Andrew Martin, the high-end contemporary furniture showroom in the Pacific Design Center, pictured at the top of this post, has started a floor-sample sale open to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Friday. Company founder Martin Waller's tables, sofas, chairs and accessories need to be cleared out of the showroom because of upcoming remodeling. A Seine chair, pictured at right, usually retails for $3,555 but is on sale for $995; a Northumbria Library Cabinet, originally $2,995, is reduced to $995. 8687 Melrose Ave., Suite G295, West Hollywood.

Madeline Weinrib makes her West Coast premiere with a pop-up sample sale of her artisanal home accessories from Thursday through Sunday. Her East-meets-West, colorful and graphic aesthetic runs through pillows and rugs as well as one-of-a-kind furniture and fabric. Her 18-inch ikat pillows, like the one pictured here, originally $525, are on sale for $269. Cotton carpets measuring about 3.5 feet by 5.5 feet, originally $375, are on sale for $199. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 8473 Melrose Place, Los Angeles.

TableArt to hold sale before store moves

TableArt, the Bentley of the dinnerware and cutlery world, is parking itself in a larger L.A. space later this month. One upshot for shoppers: a moving sale from Thursday to March 23, when select stock will be discounted up to 80%. Sale items include the Nuove Forme ceramic bottles, shown above, originally $95, now $38 apiece; NasonMoretti mouth-blown Murano crystal vases, originally $70, now $35; handmade glasses from the British manufacturer LSA, originally $10 to $17, now $4 to $6.80; and French manufacturer Joelle Fevre’s vessels with the silhouette of bamboo rendered in bisque porcelain, originally $245 to $845, now $122.50 to $422.50.

TableArt’s new location, at 8024 Melrose Ave., will be 1,000 square feet larger, with expanded product lines and some West Coast exclusives. The sale will be held in the existing location, 7977 Melrose Ave., and not on its website. (323) 653-8278.

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Photo credit: TableArt

Celadon & Celery workshops for DIY wedding flowers

Bess Wyrick and Ivie Joy, partners in the New York floral design studio Celadon & Celery, are teaching budget-conscious hostesses and brides how to create their own bouquets and centerpieces. The women have planned a series of hands-on workshops in Los Angeles that include demonstrations of the trends and techniques in the floral industry "while also having an eye on the environment," Wyrick said. The workshops typically go for $300, but the designers said they will have a $99 special available for 24 hours on livingsocial.com on Tuesday.

"We're in the middle of a recession and people can't afford to do the type of weddings or events they used to," said Wyrick, who launched Celadon & Celery in 2009 after designing bridal gowns in San Francisco. The studio buys from local flower farmers, composts greenery and delivers flowers by bicycle or on foot.

In the past year, Wyrick and Joy said they have taught sustainable flower-arranging techniques to thousands of students in their loft-studio in the Chelsea flower district.

"We want students to know that you can be sustainable and do it yourself," Wyrick said. This means eschewing green florists' foam, which Joy called "cancer-on-a-stick, because it has so many toxic ingredients." Instead, she teaches students how to stabilize stems with a taped grid over the opening of a vase or with a natural grid of angled flowers inside the vase. It's an approach that Wyrick and Joy said has won them clients such as the Kardashians, Vera Wang and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"The word 'eco' has a bad reputation implying something weedy," Wyrick said. "But we're using sustainable products, such as recycled vases, and sourcing flowers from local growers to create designs that are sophisticated, chic and tailored."

The two-hour Los Angeles workshops will be offered at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, Oct. 24 through Nov. 12, at Opulen Studios, 1309 S. Flower St., near the Los Angeles Flower District. Refreshments, two take-home arrangements, an eco-friendly vase and a tote bag are included in the registration fee.

For more information: email FloralClasses@celadoncelery.com or call (646) 675-3274.

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Photos: Celadon & Celery

Modernica annual factory sale Saturday, up to 80% off

Modernica co-owner Frank Novak estimated that as many as 1,000 people shopped last year's Modernica warehouse sale -- at once.

The annual event, scheduled for Saturday, has the Los Angeles manufacturer of midcentury modern furnishings slashing prices 20% to 80% for just one day.

During a preview Thursday, Novak gave me a tour and pointed out a dizzying number of deals: grasshopper chairs (at right in red), regularly $1,495, will be reduced to $795. Large Case Study storage units in a variety of colors and woods, regularly $1,550, will be $599, and smaller units, regularly $374, will be $149. A love seat with triple chrome plated legs, regularly $2,100, will be reduced to $1,595.

About 500 fiberglass shell chairs, pictured above, will be sold in what Novak described as "salad bar fashion": Customers can pick out the chair style, color and base they prefer. The chair can then be assembled or taken home. "People like to pick out their own chair," Novak said. Fiberglass dowel-base side chairs, regularly $349, will be $199; fiberglass rocker armchairs, regularly $375, will be $225. Chrome wire chairs on Eiffel bases will be $99.

George Nelson bubble lamps will also be reduced. Lamps that regularly sell for $269 to $485 will be $160 to $250. Other items I spotted: a replica of a Noguchi coffee table, regularly $1,095, now $299; circular dining tables that regularly are $795 to $895 will be $299, and mini wire tables that regularly are $99 will be $49.

Novak and brother Jay suggested shoppers arrive early for best selection. They even joked that they were hitting up family and friends to come in and help, and that's in addition to the 60 people already staffing the event.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 2901 Saco St., Vernon. Payment must be by Visa, Mastercard or cash. Delivery is available in Los Angeles for a fee. If you can't carry merchandise home on Saturday, you can come pick it up on Sunday.

For those not in Los Angeles, Modernica is discounting everything on its website by 15% from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call Modernica's Beverly Boulevard showroom at (323) 933-0383.

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Photos: Jennifer Brandon

Trebor/Nevets in Long Beach to hold warehouse sale

A Chinese Ming-style wood table that sits on square hoof feet with a carved Greek key pattern: What's not to like, especially when the vintage table will be marked down from $2,595 to $950?

This piece is one of dozens that will be offered by the interior design firm and furniture store Trebor/Nevets, whose headquarters is among the vintage emporiums dotting 4th Street in Long Beach.

In anticipation of new inventory, owners Robert Murphy and Steven Sarinana are clearing out their warehouse at 1350 Daisy Ave. later this month. The warehouse sale, which will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept 16 to 18, will include some pieces that have been given a facelift by Trebor/Nevets. Other pieces may need a little TLC. Discounts will range from 30% to 75%. 

Among the items on sale: A Trebor/Nevets-designed microfiber chaise with down blend cushions, above, will be slashed from $1,950 to $895. Items from the sale will not be posted on the firm's website, but shoppers outside Southern California can inquire about pieces shown here by calling Trebor/Nevets at (562) 901-0600.

To see more sale merchandise, keep reading ...

The Deal: Outdoor furniture up to 70% off at Maison Bertet

Maison Bertet will slash prices on outdoor furnishings and accessories as much as 70% during its semiannual parking lot event and Web sale this weekend.

A high-backed rattan South Beach sofa, regularly $1,550, will be $950. The matching chair, regularly $1,150, will be marked down to $550. More savings: The Bora Bora hanging chair, regularly $195, will be $137, and a Stark bathroom vanity, regularly $750, will be $600.

Everything in the store, including accessories, will be at least 10% off.

The sale runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 8348 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 651-5110. If you can't be there in person, shop for other sale items, such as the Eternity lounge set shown above, regularly $2,100, now $1,470, on the Maison Bertet website. 

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Maison Bertet

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The Deal: Sales at B&B Italia, Alessi, Modani, BoConcept

Modern furniture, lighting and accessories by the likes of Philippe Starck and Patricia Urquiola will be reduced up to 50% at the just-launched annual sale at the Diva group of showrooms. Everything in the rambling spaces -- home to B&B Italia, Cassina, Alessi and Kartell -- will be on sale. That includes polycarbonate Ghost chairs by Starck, classic leather furnishings by Le Corbusier, contemporary lighting by Flos and accessories from Alessi. Urquiola's new Bend sofa, undulating seating manufactured by B&B Italia and shown above, will be reduced 25% to $6,319.50. The sale runs through Aug. 31 and includes special orders. The sale applies to the Los Angeles stores only. (310) 278-3191. 

Meanwhile, Modani is discounting its outdoor furnishings by up to 50% during a summer clearance sale through Aug. 21. The sale, online and in stores, includes tables, chairs, lounges and lighting. The phone for the West Hollywood location is (310) 652-2323. 

Extendable dining tables, sofas and chairs are discounted 20% at the BoConcept semiannual sale running through Aug. 31. Floor samples are up to 60% off at the Santa Monica store, 328 Santa Monica Blvd., (310) 866-5177.

-- Lisa Boone

 Photo credit: B&B Italia

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The Deal: Weekend sidewalk sale on L.A.'s 3rd Street

The West 3rd Street Summer Sidewalk Sale is this weekend, so some stores on one of L.A.'s better shopping districts for housewares, crafts and more will be moving inventory to the curb to make room for fall goods.

Although the sale is indeed an al fresco event, many stores are offering discounts inside too:

Vintageweave Interiors, which specializes in French farmhouse-style decor, will be discounting Dash & Albert rugs by 15% and custom lampshades by 40%.

At Distant boutique, ikat and hand-painted pillows, shown at right, as well as rugs and antique textiles are 20% off. Hand-loomed bedding is 40% off.

Freehand Gallery is celebrating its 31st anniversary by reducing everything in the store by 20% through the month. Discounted items include hand-crafted art, ceramics and glass.

Colorful plastic woven beach totes from Thailand, regularly $30 to $40, will be $20 to $25 at Plastica.

The 3rd Street sale runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday between Fairfax Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard. Valet parking, at stands marked by orange umbrellas, is $3.50.

-- Lisa Boone

Follow the L.A. scene via our Facebook page for home design.

Photo credits, from top: Los Angeles Times; Distant

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Steve Keene paint-athon starts Sunday; art is yours for $10 and up

Steve Keene, the one-man art assembly line, is back. In the 2000 exhibition "The Miracle Half-Mile" at the Santa Monica Museum of Art, Keene frantically painted more than 10,000 works during the two-month run of the show.

On Sunday, Keene returns to the museum to begin a weeklong residency during which he will paint 30 to 90 multiples of the same subject, at the same time. The painting-as-performance will change daily in subject matter: animals, flowers, L.A. landmarks, outer space imagery, pop culture icons.

Have an idea for a daylong painting marathon? Keene is open to suggestions. Email your idea to info@smmoa.org.

All of the paintings will be on sale starting at $10, with proceeds benefiting the museum.

"I think of it as very disciplined silliness," Keene said from Brooklyn on Wednesday. "For me, it's a performance. It's about being brave and crazy enough to be creative in front of people."

The Times' glowing review from 2000 said that exhibition was "not just a cheeky critique of high-priced art. While it does take the popular accessibility of Warhol's mass-produced images to the next level, it simultaneously reveals the difficulties of making a living as an artist in America.... It lays bare the unglamorous reality of life as a hard-working artist -- on average, a low-paying job that cannot be redeemed by the Protestant work ethic, no matter how devoutly it's applied."

Keene, who said he has sold more than 250,000 paintings in the last 20 years, also will paint new modular furniture that will be used in the museum's planned outdoor space.

"I didn't intend for my career to be like this," Keene said. "But I got such a positive response that I fed off the energy. It's my favorite way to think about art."

The Santa Monica Museum of Art is at Bergamot Station, Building G1, 2525 Michigan Ave. From Friday through Sunday, the museum store will have discounts on Keene-designed furniture as well as animal-themed items from Danger Dogs, Venice Clay and jewelry by designer Krista Everage. (310) 586-6488.

Some Bergamot galleries will offer discounts on artist catalogs, limited-edition prints, gifts, jewelry, specialty paper and floral bouquets. 

Coming Saturday: More coverage of affordable art, including our article on handmade posters.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credits, from top: Santa Monica Museum of Art; Los Angeles Times; Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

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