O come, all ye faithful Angelenos. In the season of gift-giving, remember to buy local. In Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of talented makers and home-sprung business to support, from illustrators to a pool float company to glass artists. These trinkets, decor, and experiences, priced from $15 to $80, celebrate the best of the city’s artisanship, architecture, climate, and topography—and would make special presents for every LA lover in your life.
Hollyhock house print
$50 | Chris Turnham
Commemorate LA’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site designation with an illustration of the Hollyhock House by Los Angeles artist Chris Turnham. The concrete residence was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1921. At the time, Wright was trying to establish a new type of architecture to define Southern California, which was still looking to Europe for inspiration. Now all eyes are on LA—and they can be on your wall, too.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19332428/turnham_hollyhockHouse_dropshadow__3_.png)
Clear rainbow chaise lounger pool float
$79 | Funboy
Venice Beach-based Funboy had been in business for three weeks when Taylor Swift put its giant fowl float on the Instagram map. Thanks to celebrity endorsements, Funboy’s swans quickly became ubiquitous at pool parties the world over. But the local company also sells more classy inflatables, including this S-shaped chaise longue in sunset shades of pink, apricot, and yellow.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19331796/5LAFUNBOY_Rainbow_Clear_Chaise_Lounger__1_.png)
Cast bronze candlesticks
$86-$96 | All Roads
Yucca Valley-based craftsman Robert Dougherty and textile artist Janelle Pietrzak, together known as All Roads, have collaborated with brands big and small, from Ace Hotel to local chain Coffee Commissary. Their rough-hewn bronze candlesticks, which are cast in sand, would make a handsome adornment atop a dining table or bookshelf, especially when grouped together.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19331798/2LAIMG_8956__1_.png)
Turkish Terry Towels
$55 | Otherwild
There are traditional two-toned Turkish towels, then there are these Skittle-esque versions. The multicolored pattern from the Los Feliz shop Otherwild adds personality to an already classic, high-quality gift.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19331799/6LATurkishTowel1__1_.png)
LA original paperweight
$38 | Concrete Geometric
For a gift that’s more on the nose, there’s this decorative concrete sculpture of the city’s best-known nickname. Created in a home studio in Sylmar, the minimalist object could double as a paperweight and a bookend. A portion of proceeds benefit a program at the Downtown Women’s Center that teaches job training and maker skills to women transitioning out of homelessness.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19331802/9LA_3DEDD76A_AE15_423C_9E3C_D40BAB7FB8F2.png)
Norden Idyllwild Candle
$55 | Idyllwild Candle
Idyllwild “holds a really special place” in the hearts of the candlemakers at Nordon, as it does for many Angelenos, who retreat to the quaint mountain town to cool off in the summer, watch trees change color in the autumn, and play in the snow in the winter. Held in creamy hand-thrown stoneware, this cedar, sage, and citrus candle pays homage to its namesake.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19331805/4LANDN_004_WFLAME_NEW__1_.png)
Citrine hexy cups
$80 pair | Neptune Glass Works
Pour a drink in glassware more intoxicating than the liquid it holds. Available in black, olive, citrine, and pink, these semi-transparent cups are imprinted with designs resembling tree rings. Hexagonal in shape and available in sets of two or six, they are designed by artisans based in Downtown Los Angeles.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19331826/11LA_ThreeFruityDrinks_Hex_Pent.png)
Art Deco walking tour
$15 | Los Angeles Conservancy
Los Angeles is most associated with modernism, but arguably, its most beautiful buildings are Art Deco. On this 2.5-hour walking tour of Downtown led by the experts from the Los Angeles Conversancy, become acquainted with 10 edifices erected in the 1920s and ’30s and learn what makes Jazz Age architecture.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19331812/1LAEasternColumbia_ConservancyStaff__1_.png)
Stained glass
$70 | David Scheid
It was a writer for the New Yorker (of all people) who aptly described the late-afternoon light of Los Angeles as the city’s soul. Capture and animate that light with a piece of geometric, multicolored stained glass made by a Los Angeles artist.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19331810/10LA_MG_0057.png)