The freshness of a Californian morning, block colours flowing into the sandy everythingness of the beaches, and spirits soaked in the warmth of the overhead sun—such imagery comes to mind while gazing at the interiors of Ulla Johnson’s flagship store in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Conceived in collaboration between the American fashion designer and California-based interior designer Kelly Wearstler, the design is rooted in the Southern Californian spirit, interpreted in the profuse tactility of surfaces and elements, intertwining of material and the natural world, and an inventive blend of vintage and contemporary furnishing.

A curated garden space, influenced by Japanese sensibilities by landscape architect Miranda Brooks leads towards the entrance of the two-storied store. Doing away with the former central ingress into the building, Wearstler’s studio sought a 'quiet' side entrance, a feature common to traditional Parisian ateliers. An off-white weeping mortar brick finish grazes the front façade of the building, the visual homogeneity is only broken by the wide-glazed windows on both floors, and the name Ulla Johnson in golden letters affixed centrally on the wall. Once inside, a heady gush of warmth, colours, and textures presents a celebratory contradiction to the otherwise muted exterior. One sees how Wearstler’s signature 'something old, something new' takes space, and how a retail destination becomes an oasis for conversations, reflections, and discovery.

A 16-foot indoor Brachychiton tree anchors the 30,000 sqft space whereas a grand solarium lies at the rear of the store, peppered with leafy plants sourced from local Malibu nurseries. On the ground floor, a Southern Californian bricolage teams up with the open-flowing spatial layout in which a passage concealing change rooms and service facilities separates two public spaces. A riveting layering of materials, textures, and colours (with the quintessential addition of Californian trees)—a recurring thread in Wearstler’s works—revels in its dramatic radiance. While ready-to-wear hangs from delicate clothing rails along the edges, seating space is laid around carefully strewn furniture, lighting, and artefacts. Parquet flooring with Rosa Corallo stone inlay spills into fitting rooms with raffia fringe walls and carpeted floors. For this project, Wearstler’s ‘old soul, new spirit’—a guiding manifesto for her interior projects, shaped in its power to draw references from the context it sits in. Wearstler together with Johnson commissioned some of their favourite artists as well as local makers to realise evocative hand-hewn seasonal and limited edition pieces that spoke to LA.

Key pieces within the store include a sculptural resin centre table by LA-based Ross Hansen, a series of three sconces by Olivia Bossy, a side table by Hiroyuki Nishimura, and Bisque Terracotta Planter by Taliny Chhung. In a playful juxtaposition to these contemporary commissions are a range of intriguing vintage finds, such as vintage Italian mirrors from the ‘50s, a set of Cornaro armchairs by Carlo Scarpa from the ‘70s, Ingo Maurer’s Uchiwa wall lights, and flush mounts by Lisa Johansson-Pape.

An elegant wooden staircase flanked with a mirrored wall on one side, a smattering of vintage artworks over a lime-plastered wall on the other, and gilded handrails on both, transition to a more luminous upper floor. Here, generous skylights feature a fluid graphic pattern illustrated by textile covering that lightly billows downwards. An intimate jewellery and accessories display room is nestled in sun-kissed quietude. Encased entirely in burl wood that gives it a cavernous ambience, the space is anchored by two intriguing jigsaw tables by Canadian artist Jeff Martin. A caramel-hued grooved ceramic tiled surface features dramatic ripples and knots in its glossy peeling ribbon aesthetic. Outside this space is another lavish spread of intentional seating dotted by a potpourri of contemporary and vintage pieces, including a sculptural resin table by Ross Hansen, a Belgian vintage coffee table from the ‘70s, and a custom bench by Wearstler. Elsewhere in the store, a VIP access room—accessed via the staircase—is designed for press events and client meetings that need particular discretion. Painted in shifting shadows, a series of mirrors and a carpeted floor encase the room and the dialogue is further animated by the Moissart Chair by Christian Astuguevieille; Jabin Totem side table by Daniel Orozco; Vintage wall sconce by Gunnar Asplund; and a custom plaster wall covering by Studio 1 Plaster.

Wearstler’s magic of giving a taste of the new and old worlds in utter mastery is evident. The store marks her first exterior architecture project owing to the renovation of the building that, for decades, hasn’t seen any change in its shell. The idea of filtering natural light in through meticulously crafted apertures and gracious cues tying local plants to the design scheme presents a breathing vignette of the Californian way of life.

Previous projects by the interior studio include the tasteful transformation of a 1920s private club into the destination hotel LA Proper, the graphic-patterned Zuma and Dune tableware for Belgian design brand Serax, and the Nudo collection that weaved marble threads to build furniture.