ALEXANDRA VON FURSTENBURG SHOP, LOS ANGELES

I was pleasantly surprised by Alexandra von Furstenburg's home furnishings store/gallery in Los Angeles. One might wonder what she has going for her other than a name and lots of money, and her designs borrow heavily from 1970s style, riding a fashionable wave that may have crested--in my opinion, but she more than manages to pull off a look that is chic and oddly thoughtful at the same time.  Perhaps it is just the white California light or perhaps she recognizes that sometimes you just need a neon-colored lucite desk or accessory to finish, or start, your room. Her furniture and furnishings have interesting contrasts of  tone and density, with thick slabs of color playing against thin lines of light and a well considered combination of disco and conceptual art sensibilities. Despite the hard edges the whole look is surprisingly unpretentious. Again, maybe it was just the light but she really seems to get it right.