Mouthwash Studio’s New Los Angeles Office Is Cozy Like a Living Room

That not only required finding the right location, but recasting their own role in the creative process from designer to client. Fortunately, the co-founders already had kindred spirits in Aunt Studio, the up-and-coming local architecture firm founded by Noam Saragosti and Juhee Park. Both parties were well-attuned to each other’s design sensibilities—Saragosti and Park also serve as directors of the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences—so collaborating again felt seamless. As luck would have it, they found a disused industrial space nearby with the right bones but a deficit of warmth, and immediately jumped at the opportunity to make it their own.

Devising a homey environment that also fosters creativity was paramount, so the Mouthwash Studio partners aimed to keep spaces cozy and intimate. Coziness is rarely achieved in such stark industrial spaces, so each area was envisioned to mimic a domestic setting—a living room, dining room, bar, and kitchen—framed by inventive space-dividing features like mirrored walls and translucent glass blocks. “Early on, we had the idea to paint the white grout of the glass block wall brown,” Saragosti tells Galerie, a clever intervention that recalls the amber crystalline glow of Pierre Chareau’s beloved Maison de Verre when California sunlight streams inside. The effect is compounded by welcoming touches like a triple-layer window curtain by Iko Iko and a large walnut curio with oversized steps and a platform so the studio can host events like workshops and panel talks for the community.

On that note, Mouthwash Studio’s ties to the local design milieu reverberate deeply throughout. “We work with so many talented individuals,” Campillo says. “By incorporating their work, we aim to showcase these deep-rooted relationships. It’s more than décor—it’s a celebration of the people who inspire us.” When not in use, the entryway steps display a serene, zen garden–like array of these objects: a fountain by Lily Clark, a lamp by Mambo Jambo, and a sconce by Minjae Kim, all backdropped by a John Zabawa painting. Designed collaboratively by Aunt Studio and Waka Waka, a phone booth offers an audible retreat to a private workspace cleverly outfitted with a circular porthole that closes with a sliding panel. Aunt’s custom wooden furnishings take a traditional trestle table and add whimsical curvilinear details echoed in the wall-mounted scalloped bar with a long chainmail hanging under-curtain.

These contemporary creations commingle with found vintage oddities like a copper faucet or deco glass lamp, striking an old-world ambience not unlike the home of an eccentric collector. The kitchen’s resurfaced stainless steel counter and mirror backsplash, for example, intentionally clash with a floral curtain that looks plucked from a grandmother’s house. “As you look around, you see art and objects that span centuries and geographical locations, with each piece telling its own story,” Campillo says, describing the entire operation as an “exploration of beauty and relationships.” 

The refashioned office also marks the next chapter in Mouthwash Studio’s own story. “We’ve always believed in creating stories and languages, not just client work,” Campillo says. “Having a studio that feels like a true reflection of that ethos is crucial. This is a space that will serve as the foundation for the stories we continue to build, both creatively and within the communities we engage with.” Build may be the operative word. Mouthwash is currently working on an all-day café in Los Angeles slated to open this year, marking the studio’s inaugural venture into the hospitality space. “It’s a departure from our usual projects,” Campillo says, “but will reflect the same design ethos and commitment to community that defines everything we do.”

Below, see more images from the studio.