Ken Fulk Just Opened the Dreamiest New Store in Los Angeles
Ken Fulk may be one of the worlds most in-demand designers, but hes really more of a cinematographer, with his genre-bending amalgams of glam rock and Tudor; out-to-sea and down-to-earth; and Howard Hughes and hacienda across countless interior projects. Rooms, as he likes to say, take shape like movies in his head.Fulks latest blockbuster? A brick-and-mortar store opening today in Los Angeles, whose script goes a little something like this: I was inspired by Bunny Mellon, thinking that she had kept a little tucked-away bungalowmaybe in the Kennedy erasecretly in Hollywood, the designer tells us. Translation? Interior design heaven.Douglas FriedmanYou can find the Ken Fulk store tucked into a squat building at 555 Norwich Drive (conveniently across the street from the Pacific Design Center), shielded by hedges and painted in an eye-catching pea-green with trompe loeil stonework. It has almost a secret feeling, Fulk tells us.I was inspired by Bunny Mellon, thinking that she had kept a little tucked-away bungalow.Its a secret that wont be safe for long. Beginning Friday, visitors can shop Fulks magical universe, from vintage furniture thats been lovingly reupholsterered (or Fulked up, as the designer says) to dandy-ish prints in tramp art wood frames to all the accouterments needed for a fabulous Fulked-up dinner party.Douglas FriedmanThen theres custom things that weve madecustom candles and pillows, adds Fulk. Theres also china. Ive been obsessed with china since I was a kid like, I used to literally climb on a step stool and empty my mothers and my aunts vast collection and I would lay it all out on the tables, and then I would reorganize it into the cabinets.Of course, references to the late Bunny Mellons legendary Virginia estate are close at hand. Fulks team created a replica of Mellons mint-green potting shed to showcase gardening tools, wicker baskets, as well as delicate paper blooms from the Green Vase.Douglas FriedmanI really wanted it to feel like a home, Fulk says of the building, which will also be home to his firms five-person Los Angeles office. All of our studios tend to feel more like fabulous lofts or apartmentsnot like a workplace.I really wanted it to feel like a home. That residential sensibility permeates virtually every nook of the store, for which decorative artists created elegant trompe loeil drapery and where timber case goods overflow with cushions and textiles. The message? You may not be able to afford a full Ken Fulk home makeover, but you can live the fantasy by dropping by the store and by bringing a piece home for yourself.We [design for a] rarefied few, says Fulk, whose clients range from Instagram founder Kevin Systrom to Vice President Kamala Harris. How could we share some of our creativity, some of our ideas, and the things we make with a greater audience?Douglas FriedmanThe store marks the first for the ELLE DECOR A-List designer, though he has designed countless products for brands ranging from Pottery Barn to the Rug Company to Pierre Frey. Fulk credits this venture to his companys CFO, retail veteran Dave DeMattei. He really believed in me and my business, and so he came from a retail background, which also sort of helped plant the seed of like, why dont we manifest our great ideas into more product and also just things we love?It may be the first store but it wont be the last, Fulk teases, hinting that an outpost may soon be headed to New York.As with everything the designer does, its the beginning of a bigger story.Anna FixsenDeputy Digital EditorAnna Fixsen is the deputy digital editor of ELLE DECOR, where she oversees all facets of ElleDecor.com. In addition to editing articles and developing digital strategy, she writes about the worlds most beautiful homes, reviews the chicest products (from the best cocktail tables to cute but practical gifts), and reports on the most exciting trends in design and architecture. Since graduating from Columbia Journalism School, shes spent the past decade as an editor at Architectural Digest, Metropolis, and Architectural Record and has written for outlets including the New York Times, Dwell, and more.