Come January 2008, the L.A. Mart®/L.A. Mart Design Center commemorates its 50th year as one of Los Angeles’ mid-century icons. With a fresh perspective for the future, new ambitions in its commitment to the gift and design industries and the modern lifestyle as well as a glamorously redesigned Main Lobby … the L.A. Mart is setting a stylishly appointed stage for what is certain to be the building’s best years to come.

Realized by Christopher Gaona ASID, principal of the Santa Monica-based design firm, Christopher Gaona, Inc. Interiors, the improved lobby aesthetic will serve as a dramatic yet tailored entrée to the resources that waits beyond. The blend of furnishings that populate the space provide an initial glimpse of national and boutique designer products that are the hallmark of the building’s offerings. The harmonious design concept creates an inviting, user-friendly space to gather with clients, access information, source ideas and function more effectively for market season … all within a comfortable and chic urban backdrop.

Gaona’s instincts for the handsome refit capture the essence of form and function. “The new design, while respecting the facility’s functional needs, allows the architectural layout of the building to guide the concept with a strong emphasis on symmetry, clarity of purpose, verticality and a purity of line that is respectful of the environment,” said Gaona.

The selection and customization of furnishings featured throughout the space articulate both Gaona’s sophisticated palette and the available range of superior residential products offered among the facility’s numerous showrooms. A refreshingly elegant foyer, the new L.A. Mart lobby is a showcase of design inspiration certain to engage the most discriminating designers and retailers and their most discerning clients.