Designer Tracy Wilkinson and architect Simon Storey, the creative team behind the newly launched Store LA, are a bit like the handcrafted wares they produce: understated yet elegant. We spoke with the designers about launching Store LA, living and working in Los Angeles, and got the scoop on Simon’s much buzzed-about—and super cool—Wow & Flutter speaker system.
Hey Tracy. When and how did you and Simon cross paths and why did you decide to launch Store LA together?
We have known each other for 10 years and met through good friend and artist Zoe Crosher. We discovered that we shared a love of making items by hand, whether it was a piece of furniture, or a lamp, or wallpaper. Every time we would be at a gathering of friends you could find us sitting in a corner discussing ideas and sharing techniques. We both appreciated each other’s aesthetic, although we feel they are quite different, and felt that putting our work together in one place made sense.
You’re both expats living and working in LA. How does the art and design scene in LA differ from that of the UK and New Zealand?
Simon: New Zealand design is very isolated and regional. However, there are similarities with Los Angeles such as an appreciation of natural materials. I personally feel just as at home in LA as NZ, so right there is a very strong link.
Tracy: I think both places are vastly different in attitude but there is an eclecticism to British design that I see here, too. I spent my childhood in a small town surrounded by English countryside so I was exposed to natural materials that have shaped my work, as they have Simon's.
Simon, can you tell me about your Wow & Flutter speaker system? Did you design the speakers out of personal necessity or was it a project for a client? Are you a music buff?
The design is a personal project. It came after visiting a local thrift store known for its audio equipment where I found a virtual mountain of speakers piled high. I guess they had just received a big delivery. The jumbled pile stuck with me and I started sketching ideas. The outcome of all this is the Wow & Flutter speaker system which can be stacked and combined in endless ways. The name comes from an unwanted distortion that vinyl produces. And yes, I’ve always loved music and spent a lot of time in high school designing and building speaker systems. I was even a country music DJ at one point.
Do you have any plans to collaborate on a line of products together or introduce other artists and designers on the site?
We are planning on introducing other artists as they come along. As long as the aesthetic fits with the store, we would love to do it. We are also open to collaboration with other artists, as well as between the two of us.
What’s your favorite item on the Store LA site right now?
Tracy: Simon’s Wow & Flutter speakers.
Simon: It’s a tie between the Savannah Frankie vase and one of Tracy’s lampshades.
We think the goal of any great cabin is to make its occupants feel like a part of their natural surroundings. Cabins don't have to be elaborate constructions, but instead should help visitors reach a balance between a meditative state and a social setting for fellow travelers. In other words, they are a place of focus.
The Auckland-based architecture firm Fearon Hay completed a project called the Storm Cottage last year on New Zealand's Great Barrier Island, and we think it's a great example of a modern getaway cottage. The house itself is well designed, but the first thing we noticed was orientation toward the nearby water. The cottage is only slightly raised above the water, with just enough room to make a small lawn visible. Beyond the lawn is a view that puts both mountains and a clear lake right at eye level.
As it happens, the two-bedroom Storm Cottage is also completely off-the-grid. It has solar panels for electricity and self-sufficient systems for clean water and handling waste. It also boasts two symmetrical bedrooms and a wood-fired stove in the living room. With that view, we imagine meals at that table probably tend to linger.