Inspirations

Open Hearth: 7 Design Ideas to Steal from Dunsmoor in LA

“We were inspired by ritual meals: church banquets, Sabbath gatherings, and old American dining halls,” say Karen Spector and Alan Koch of studio Lovers Unite. “We were thinking a lot about the soul importance of gathering.”

It was—no surprise—peak pandemic, and the duo was working with chef Brian Dunsmoor on the design of his eponymous restaurant, Dunsmoor, in LA, where, with a few exceptions, the open kitchen is powered not by electricity but by hand, cooked not on modern appliances but with fire.

Previously, the circa 1929 Spanish Revival building was “a dusty, partially demolished and partially framed shell,” luckily with some original plaster and brickwork still intact. “We did everything we could to enhance the bones of the building and not ruin the character. It’s rare to find commercial properties with so much history and character in Los Angeles.”

The centerpiece of the space became the open hearth and working kitchen, which had to be equal parts functional and attractive. “We created a narrative about Dunsmoor the character based on Brian’s travels around the country,” the designers add. “Our references were pulled from Shaker spaces as well as JB Blunk’s home in Northern California.”

Here, 7 design ideas to borrow from Dunsmoor.

Photography by Chris Mottalini, courtesy of Lovers Unite.

1. “Granny it up.”

“brian loves a granny aesthetic, and we were pretty restrained with 12
Above: “Brian loves a granny aesthetic, and we were pretty restrained with the rest of the design so we thought we’d granny it up for him,” say the designers. “There’s so much window, so it’s a lot of lace, which is a pretty fun effect. We sourced from a company in France specializing in lace and macrame called Macrame Curtain. There’s also a little easter egg of a vintage macrame piece over the doorway in the wine bar which reads ‘keep your dress clean’”.

2. Try church chairs.

the dining area is filled with salvaged chairs taken out of a church. &#82 13
Above: The dining area is filled with salvaged chairs taken out of a church. “We spotted these chairs with bible pockets from Merchant and Found,” say Karen and Alan. “We figured they could probably look good for another century.”

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