Step Inside Ken Fulk’s Multifaceted New Los Angeles Store

Perhaps the only thing that can match his creative verve is the number of outlets to which that imaginative spirit is put to dynamic use. The latest: A jewel-box like boutique in West Hollywood’s Design District that offers a curated selection of new and vintage home goods, presented in an uniquely Fulk-like atmosphere—think Pimlico Road with a distinct detour through Wonderland. “The space, the offerings, the packaging–the entire experience had to feel like an extension of the lifestyle we’ve been conjuring for our private clients for 25 years,” says Fulk. “The shop itself was designed to feel like a charming midcentury garden bungalow brimming with collections that tell the story of a life well-lived, from fine art and vintage silver to antique china and Belgian throws. We paid special attention here in Southern California to our garden section, which offers everything you need to arrange flowers or pot your plants at the height of elegance.”

To conceive the fantastical atmosphere, Fulk once again looked to movies for inspiration. “I envisioned a fabulous home inspired by my fellow Virginian Bunny Mellon—including a replica of her famous potting shed at Oak Springs in Upperville,” he says. “I did my best to channel her understated elegance and effortless chic, imaging what might have been had she set up a secret little residence here during the Kennedy years. With that in mind, we employed all of our favorite finish artists to create rooms within the shop so that it felt like a home. In addition to the Potting Shed, we created a hand-plastered gallery, a ‘tented’ salon, and faux bois–paneled library.”

The bespoke wunderkammer offers an alluring first impression, where a trompe l’oeil façade backs a collection of massive urns bursting with emerald-green plantings. “I love a playful trompe l’oeil architectural detail,” says the designer of the shop at 555 Norwich Drive. “The building was somewhat simple but the setting had all the potential to be a secret garden experience for those in the know. We began with an exterior color that I call ‘Christofle green’ but is in fact Sherwin Williams Relentless Olive; it combines some of my favorite color references: the old Christofle silver boxes, a Castelvetrano olive in a martini, and my favorite room at the Portaluppi’s Villa Necchi, the impossibly chic ‘gun room’ upholstered in this exact shade.”

Once inside the West Coast gesamtkunstwerk, visitors can peruse collections of exceptional finds from around the globe: French linens, Japanese gardening tools, Belgian boucle blankets. There are long tapers in every color imaginable and a visually astounding assortment of tableware, pillows, and decorative objets.

“I am a professional shopper so this was an easy task,” says Fulk of selecting the goods on offer. “We started with trips to our favorite sources in Europe—flea markets, architectural salvage, and antiques dealers. We then layered the greatest hits of our styling tricks of the trade: from Belgian throws and pillows to Assouline books to Match pewter barware to 24” taper candles to custom placesettings commissioned from one of our favorite Bay Area artisans, Linda Fahey. We went further to find new sources for handcrafted scents and vessels like the ones we carry for cut flowers and potted plants. I think one of my favorite new discoveries are the paper clay sculptures crafted by Paola Paronetto—they feel like a modernist still life that’s come off the canvas.”

Of course, the space hosts a rotating selection of artworks as well, displaying pieces from recognized names as well as smart discoveries from rising stars or unrecognized talents. “The fine art curation is one of my favorite elements of this concept shop,” says Fulk, who is also curating the weeklong “Visions of America” auction event at Sotheby’s, which opens in January. “We are so fortunate to have met and collaborated with so many talented artists, which is one of the reasons why I founded an arts organization in both San Francisco and Provincetown. This is yet another opportunity to show some of these incredible works and showcase both emerging and lesser-known artists as well as bold-face names. Our debut show contains all mediums, new and old works, known and unknown artists: Warhol photographs next to vintage botanicals and Amy Arbus portraits next to Salvatore Del Deo seascapes.”

Following a kick-off party with cocktails in the garden, an outdoor movie, and live music, the space will continue to host a rotating schedule of programming. Just like the rest of the interiors Fulk designs, it’s meant to tell a beautiful story with an ongoing saga of glamorous, adventure-filled chapters.