Land Design Studio

A closer look at the material choices behind the La Brea offices of Vitality Institute, the company behind the VI Peel treatment used in dermatology offices and medspas nationwide: stone floors, colorful ceramic tile, and natural wood set against the original wood structure and concrete waffle slab structure we left exposed. Large steel doors and refurbished skylights carry that same boldness into even the smallest details, like this arched marble mirror.

We call this one the Frank’s Camera Building, though the official address is 5717 Figueroa. It started as a Kress department store, the same national chain that once had a location on Hollywood Boulevard now home to Frederick’s of Hollywood, and later became Frank’s Camera, the shop most people in Highland Park still remember it by. That’s also where the oversized Frank sign on the roof came from, and we kept it. Bringing the building back meant a seismic retrofit, an elevator upgrade, and a storefront redesign that met the city’s historic preservation requirements without compromising how it functions today.

In partnership with Wick Architecture

Vitality Institute is the Los Angeles company behind the VI Peel, the exfoliating treatment used in dermatology offices and medspas nationwide. Its 7,091-square-foot corporate headquarters and treatment rooms occupy an existing two-story building on La Brea Avenue.

A mural marks the entrance from the street, while inside, a vibrant maximalist palette unfolds throughout the building—from the treatment rooms to the glass-walled conference room to a courtyard transformed from what was once a parking lot. Bold color, pattern, and material bring a distinct identity to the existing structure.

A first look at the full building.

In partnership with Wick Architecture

The G-Son Building has anchored Atwater Village’s main commercial strip since 1927, though for years it sat buried under decades of post period changes, the version you’ll see in the opening images here. The restoration was largely an exercise in restraint: removing those later modifications, uncovering window openings that had been sealed behind walls for decades, and expanding the rear entrance with a new storefront. Sometimes the most meaningful move is simply restoring what a building already had.

In partnership with Wick Architecture

Sake Dojo was a sushi and sake bar tucked inside the historic Mikado Hotel in Little Tokyo, a building dating back to 1914.

At the heart of the space is a mural created with tattoo artist HORIFUJI - 彫不二 and rendered using a lenticular technique. As you move past it, the artwork shifts, catching light, color, and detail differently with every step.

The mural was shortlisted in the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards’ Murals & Graffiti category. As Andrew told Hospitality Design Magazine, “We wanted to recognize Japan’s worldwide reputation for exceptional tattoo art in a way that reframed the experience.”

Queen’s Raw Bar & Grill turns a 1940s auto body shop in Eagle Rock into a raw bar and seafood grill for Last Word Hospitality . The centerpiece is the bar itself: a U-shaped counter that wraps the room and puts the entire raw bar on display, framed overhead by custom stained glass commissioned from artist Alyssa Zack. Exposed wood ceilings, steel bay windows, and a wraparound leather banquette carry that bespoke feeling around the rest of the room.

Project in collaboration with Wick Architecture

Stereoscope is a 672-square-foot, L-shaped coffee shop in Newport Beach, named after the antique optical devices for viewing images in 3D.

That idea became the inspiration for the space’s defining feature: the ceiling.

Working with photographer Christy Lee Rogers, known for underwater imagery reminiscent of classical Italian paintings, we transformed her piece The Reunion of Cathryn, Carrie and Jean into an immersive installation that stretches across the ceiling and down the walls. Shown here is the original plan alongside the finished space.

Retro 3D glasses line the oak shelving, inviting guests to experience the artwork as it was intended.

As AN Interior described it, the effect feels as though “the heavens were emerging out of this quaint cafe.”

In collaboration with Wick Architecture

Sunset walk on the beach. A quick trip to Surf Pines. Need to stay longer next time.