cindy spotts - culture & market

Simple Lifestyle

Artesian lifestyle shops are popping up in creative communities across Los Angeles, providing a roadmap to simple living. For more on the concept of the simple lifestyle trend, check out magazines such as Kinfolk, Cereal, and Travel Almanac.

Alchemy Works in Downtown LA is a beautiful example of a lifestyle concept shop, and I admit a favorite of mine. The space is a gallery, retail, and event space that changes the interior settings regularly. When I visited the shop last, there was a sailboat in the center of the store. The surf photos on the walls are by Santa Barbara artist Will Adler. His peaceful photography represents California's idyllic beauty—a natural fit for the simple lifestyle movement.

Thirty years ago, the California food revolution began. The evolution is the slow movement. It explores ways we cultivate community and spend more time with family and friends. Gjusta in Venice is such a place. It is more than a restaurant—it is an experience. It feels a bit overwhelming when you first enter as there is so much to take in—colorful food and packaged goods, artists hard at work, the smell of homemade bread, and so many tasty options— there is perfection in every scene. Food is made fresh, local, and organic. Buy flowers, fresh fruit, baked bread, dessert, cheeses, and fresh smoked meats. Gjusta is putting the word pantry back into our lexicon and simplicity and style back into our lives.

Two shops in Venice that embrace the modern yet timeless interpretation of the Japanese Zen aesthetic Wabi-sabi (elegance, simplicity, understated excellence, beautiful imperfection, naturalness, grace, subtlety, and tranquility) are Chariots on Fire and Tortoise. Both feature Japanese-style home goods and pottery, and Chariots features the art of Makoto Kagoshima. Entering these shops will bring an immediate sense of calm after walking the bustling Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

If you’re still looking for calm, check out Le Labo Inc. for unique handmade perfumes and candles. It's a simple and elegant space.

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Responsible Community Grocer: Cookbook LA

While on a Dwell Modernist Tour, I discovered a hidden block of independent creative shops in Echo Park. Within this little strip of businesses, I found and fell in love with Cookbook LA—a little community grocer that’s so much more.

An online article in Kinfolk Magazine (now archived) by @jessicacomingore introduces us to this simple yet bountiful shop.

“Marta Teegan and Robert Stelzner, the owners of Cookbook LA, an artisan market in the heart of Echo Park. With a background in art history and a passion for food, the two open their doors seven days a week to give locals access to a carefully curated selection of produce and responsibly made food. True to their name, they also whip up an assortment of freshly prepared dishes, pulling recipes from a different cookbook each week.”

If you live in Los Angeles—visit Cookbook Market (now three locations)—you will not be disappointed.

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Macro Trend Report

Early in my career, I discovered a passion for research and visual storytelling. I enjoy following innovators and sharing my findings. Some of my favorite innovators are Deedee Gordon, IDEO, Daniel Pink, Harvard Business Review, Gary Hamel, and Umair Hague.

Below are examples that most resonate with me. Copy and script are not included. (Research, Analysis, Image Curation, and Script (not included in this post).