The Vernon project is under construction and is quickly progressing! Stay tuned for more updates
Martel Apartment Complex
Render of a new project, a full interior and exterior renovation for an apartment complex located in Hollywood, CA. Stay tuned for more updates!
Carlton Residence
The construction has begun on the Carlton residence. Stay tuned for more updates.
Loma Vista Residence
We recently collaborated with Mavens of Design to design on a new project, Loma Vista located in Beverly Hills, CA.
The Kingdom
The luxury boutique, The Kingdom is complete and is now open for business. Stay tuned for more photos.
Luxury Boutique The Kingdom to Open in Calabasas
The new concept will be stocked with shoes, bags and other accessories in a buildout one of its cofounders dubbed “Fantasia meets a very, very affluent apartment.”
By Kari Hamanaka on May 3, 2017
A former real estate broker and fashion industry executive have teamed on a luxury boutique concept timed for a June opening.
The Kingdom, once open, will be about 1,400 square feet of what cofounder Jason Salstein called “Fantasia meets a very, very affluent apartment.”
That would be in keeping with the concept’s name, aimed at evoking a luxury fantasy world in a space designed by Ballentine Architects Studio. The store will be infused with marble, crystal chandeliers, herringbone oak floors, Fornasetti tile, Fortuny Le Tigre pillows, shagreen walls and a carved French-inspired fireplace mantle among other touches with a luxe, residential hand.
“The Kingdom really represents a different kind of world,” Salstein said. “The world that I’m creating is a mix of luxury fantasy and [whimsy], but at the same time, we want to resonate with high-end customers.”
The boutique itself will carry what Salstein said would be a mix of fashion-forward, directional pieces, mostly for women with some unisex items. Brands include Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, Balmain, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Salvatore Ferragamoand Proenza Schouler.
Salstein partnered with his best friend of nearly 30 years and former Newmark Grubb Knight Frank broker David Lipp on The Kingdom’s first location at The Commons at Calabasas, part of the Caruso group of properties.
“It’s one of the most affluent neighborhoods in all of California. We really found that there was a void in the market,” Lipp said of the store’s location, adding that there’s also close enough proximity to major cities such as Los Angeles and Malibu.
The business partners, not yet off the ground with their first store, said they would consider additional locations in the U.S. but the focus on the immediate future is building out the clientele at The Commons with e-commerce potentially following.
Based on Salstein’s previous experience — working at places such as Capretto Shoes, handbag line VBH and St. John, along with starting his own labels Hunting Season and Our Lord & Saviour — he and Lipp are bent on creating an environment that’s approachable with nothing behind glass, focusing on what’s on the minds of most retailers: the experience.
“I think right now is a great time to enter [the market] if you have what the customer wants,” Salstein said. “The customer is educated and sophisticated. What they really crave is a one-on-one relationship.”
The Kingdom soft opens June 1 with a grand opening set for June 10.
West Hollywood Penthouse
The demolition has begun at the West Hollywood penthouse. Continue following us for more updates as construction progresses.
Beverly Hills Residence
The permits have been pulled and construction has begun on the condominium located in Beverly Hills, California. Stay tuned for more updates as construction progresses.
Ocean Front Residence
The construction has begun at the ocean front residence, in Santa Monica CA. Stay tuned for more updates to follow.
Poinsettia Residence
The Poinsettia Residence has been submitted to West Hollywood Planning and we are waiting for approval. We are excited to start construction, stay tuned for more updates !
The Kingdom
A high-end fashion boutique, The Kingdom located in Calabasas, CA. The construction is underway, we will continue posting as construction progresses.
Venice Craftsman Construction Update
Work is continuing on the exterior of the house with the patio details coming together and a planter with built in bench in the backyard. The painters are getting color on the walls and the floors are rapidly being installed. We're on schedule for a client move in at the end of summer!
Ground Breaking Today
Construction has begun on the Hi Point Residence! We're really excited to see this one take form after a really fun design process. The owners were really eager to preserve the character of the original home while creating a more modern and open floor plan and adding a second floor. It was wonderful to have clients who were so dedicated to perfecting the designs and coming up with some fun and creative construction solutions. We will continue to provide updates throughout construction.
McLaughlin Residence SOLD!
The newly completed McLaughlin Residence remodel sold almost immediateley to a wonderful family and set a record price in the area. Visitors, agents and prospective buyers generously commented on the quality of the design, level of the finishes and attention to detail throughout the home. It was great to hear such positive feedback from the market on elements of the design that we put so much thought and energy into. We hope the new owners spend many wonderful years at the McLaughlin Residence raising their family.
Venice Craftsman Construction Update
The Venice Craftsman construction is moving along at an incredible rate. Sanchez Bros. Construction is executing the designs wonderfully and the clients couldn't be happier. We're shooting for a completion at the end of summer.
Citywide Proposed Zoning Code Amendment
The proposed zoning code changes have been issued. There are still a few public hearings before City Council takes a vote, but it's looking like these are going to go into effect in the fall. Any project that isn't submitted for plan check before then is going to be subject to the new codes. To read through the proposed changes, click here.
California Home+Design
Great article on the Eric Buterbaugh Boutique.
Click here to read.
Code Changes
Los Angeles Property Owners and The Real Estate Community,
There has been a tremendous amount of opposition and involvement from hundreds of concerned individuals and businesses that have presented a loud and clear opposition to the proposed code changes to the BHO and BMO as drafted by LA City Planning. The successes of this opposition has resulted in:
- Rescheduling of the City Planning Commission hearing on this proposal from March to May 12th, 2016. It is imperative that you block out May 12th in your calendar to show up in force for this Public Hearing to express your opinions.
- Commitment to a re-draft of the proposed code changes due to the complaints and comments from the community.
Due to the adamant nature of City Planning that a Code Change will be implemented as soon as June of 2016, it has caused a massive rush effort by every knowledgable property owner in the city that is aware of the potential financial impacts to their property to begin preparation of full building plan submittal sets under current development rights on their property which if submitted prior to the impending code changes will vest development rights under the current code. A project is vested under current code if submitted prior to the adoption of the new code provisions under LAMC 12.26 A3 which states in order to maintain the rights, a project cannot make subsequent changes that “increase or decrease the height, floor area, or occupant load of the proposed structure by more than five percent.”
Although the opposition to the original proposals from City Planning has been publicly addressed and well documented, many in the industry are extremely concerned that the valid comments from homeowners, professionals and organizations including the AIA will go by the wayside for an anti property development rights code change proposal. It is important that everyone continue their vocal opposition of the code changes until a proper draft of code revisions that allow for the responsible development of properties in our community is achieved. In addition to the demand for proper code changes, it is also a goal of the Coalition for Responsible Development to pursue a delay to the implementation of the code changes in order to lessen the massive burden that many of us in the industry are dealing with in unnecessary fast tracking of project designs for vesting rights submittals.
The Coalition for Responsible Development has been hard at work on items including;
- Direct Meetings with City Planning to discuss the code changes and potential positive solutions
- Direct Meetings with Building and Safety to discuss the code changes and potential positive solutions
- Meetings with several City Council Members and Planning Staff
- Fundraising to pay for Legal and Lobbying Efforts
- Production of an informative Website. Please visit www.CRDLA.org
We are all aware that our continued efforts can have a positive change on the code proposals, just as we did on the Bel Air ICO which has limited grading and residential square footage in a reasonable fashion. With continued support, we hope that similar achievements can be made in this circumstance.
Venice Craftsman
Permits have been pulled and demolition is underway on the Venice Craftsman! The site is adjacent to the canals and a stones throw from the beach. This project draws inspiration from the original craftsman bungalows that once were the cornerstone of the Venice Beach architectural landscape. We'll be posting progress photos as construction progresses.
New Website!
We are building our new website. We've added some of our favorite projects and will be continuing to update the site with the latest and greatest from the studio!