Author(s): Cameron SMITH; Rosa Park (Introduction by); Kathe Clements (Foreword by); Tommy Clements (Foreword by); Shade Degges (Photographer)

Design

Lauded by FT's How to Spend It as "one of the world's best antique and vintage furniture stores," Galerie Half offers a stylish blend of twentieth-century design, European antiques, and eclectic rarities. A favorite purveyor to the Los Angeles design cognoscenti, Galerie Half is imbued with a sense of timeless imperfection. Pieces from disparate design traditions converge seamlessly in a single room: a bleached Gustavian daybed is flanked by a Roman statue, a Venetian mirror reflects African masks, and a rustic farmhouse table is framed by caned chairs. Galerie Half is talented at constructing such diverse compositions. A vivid hue can create synchronicity between the timeworn patina of a glazed terracotta planter and the softened leather of an Advocat and Press chair by Le Corbusier-Pierre Jeanneret. A monochromatic palette of contrasting textures can ground a room, creating harmony between luxurious and humble materials, or signed and anonymous designs. Similarly, complementary shapes can provide balance--the horizontal stripes on a Finnish floor lamp echo those in Marcel Breuer's 1932 armchair, and the seductive curve of Carlo Mollino's Suora lamp mimics that of Rick Owens's marble stool. The genius of Galerie Half and the celebrity homes that they have appointed lies in this artful curation of individual elements with soul. The transcendent gallery is a haven for Los Angeles interior designers and star Hollywood clientele, including Ellen DeGeneres, Amanda and Jason Bateman, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham.