Silk Trading Co. reopens on La Brea

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The recession took its toll on plenty of L.A. home and garden stores, but here’s a surprise ending to one tale of fiscal woe: After 16 years on La Brea Avenue, the Silk Trading Co. was set to close permanently in December. After a five-week liquidation sale, most of the silk fabrics, drapery, pillows and lampshades had walked out the door.

But in a last-ditch effort to save her shop, owner Andrea Kay got funding to keep the doors open. Banks were unwilling to lend, so she borrowed money from her mother and refused to leave the 9,000-square-foot space for almost a month, even though she had yet to finalize a new lease. “I was basically squatting,” Kay says.

Eventually she raised enough money to re-stock the business, which, at its peak seven years ago, had 10 showrooms including a shop within Harrods in London. Today, the La Brea store is the only remaining location.

It’s fully stocked again with fabrics, drapery, antique trimmings and hardware. Kay recently added Charles Marder silk lampshades as well as hand-printed artisan fabrics by Los Angeles textile maker Sharon Weinraub.

“Some of our clients never even realized we almost went under,” says Kay, pictured above with some of the Weinraub fabrics and some other designs. “To them it’s just business as usual.”

360 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 954-9280; www.silktrading.com.

-- Alexandria Abramian Mott

Photo credits: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Become a fan: Follow the California design scene by joining our Facebook page.