Design Destination: NB Shop
Author:Lindsey ShookKnown for her dreamy, sophisticated interiors and divine furniture and textiles, designer, creator and entrepreneur Natasha Baradaran recently took a new leap with the opening of her first solo retail location—NB Shop. Located in L.A.’s coveted La Cienega design quarter, Baradaran has filled every corner of the space with her signature style, showcasing her furniture, diverse range of textiles and more. We caught up with the L.A. native to discuss her foray into retail and how she hopes it will usher her brand into the future.
-Managing a retail business has many challenges. What inspired you to move in this direction? I believe in constantly improving, challenging and evolving. As my design studio has evolved from a sole focus on interior design over the last decade, to adding product arms including furniture, textiles, and home accessories, we have naturally grown into the need to show the work in a more holistic, experiential way. We were already looking for spaces around town without a date in mind, but timing is everything, so when the storefront space below our studio became available, I knew we had to take it. We had a soft launch during Legends of La Cienega in May, and an official launch is planned for Fall.
NB Shop has a retail component of vintage furniture finds from my travels, small batch pillows made in L.A. from my textiles, and home ephemera like my new Persian Garden candle that I’m excited for people to experience (what we call ‘the last layer’).
-You have worked with many of the most prominent national multi-line showrooms for years. Why did you decide to go on your own? NB SHOP is not about going out on my own, in fact I see it as a ‘guideshop’ supporting our showroom partners. Post COVID, the time was right to show our collections in a more immersive way. A location where all of what I create (textiles, furniture, accessories) are under one roof (or in this case under our Studio), while supplementing this experience with robust outside sales. We are able to accommodate those who want to come out and shop again in our design district, and we also have a dedicated outside sales team to support firms who have gotten accustomed to showrooms bringing materials to their studios.
-How does the shop reflect your brand and heritage? I approached the design of the space and what we are showing with in it to speak to the ethos of my brand, inspired by the duality of my multicultural background, which is rooted in the importance of making people feel comfortable. I was born and raised in L.A. to Persian parents, and my family has always lived between L.A. and Milan, since my grandfather moved there in the fifties and brought Persian carpets to the Italians. As I was concepting NB Shop, I gravitated towards capturing the feeling of those charming, layered design stores in Milan I’ve always loved, mixed with Persian carpets as a nod to my grandfather, edited through the lens of laid-back luxury of L.A. living. Luckily, all of the cultures I was raised in have a deep understanding of human connection, and the importance of being warm and inviting.
NB Shop is a reflection of who I am today as a creative—A total experience of my interior design, furniture, and textile collections that are experienced all-in-one, with sprinklings of vintage pieces that I am drawn to. I think it exudes a sophisticated, casual elegance that is a through line in my design work, and done so in a palette that really speaks to me—dusty rose, creams and blush tones. It’s a total sensory experience—It’s a place to experience our products, feel our fabrics, smell our jasmine scented Persian Garden candle, while we play my favorite disco playlist.
-What has been the greatest benefit so far, since being open? Control in how my product is presented and displayed. NB Shop is giving me a space to continue to experiment something new in my design world—a laboratory in a sense.
-What do you hope designers can gain from shopping in your retail experience? The space is a guideshop for the interior design trade. We have some of the finest showroom partners across the country that show our furniture and textiles, and so our idea was to create a space that supports those showrooms by offering a hub for the complete NB brand experience. As my design teams work in the same building as NB Shop, we have a robust group of knowledgeable people who can help customers beyond regular sales support. Our design trade clients can ask detailed questions and troubleshoot any specific needs with our team, who know our textiles inside and out, as they have both front and back of house understanding of our products.
To shop Natasha Baradaran’s textiles, furniture and accessories, stop by NB Shop located at: 725 North La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles 90069.
