Art & Culture · Los Angeles
Reading time: 7 minThere are moments in the world of design where a space becomes more than a backdrop. It becomes part of the story. A place where objects, materials and ideas come together to create a deeper conversation about how we live, what we collect and the emotional connection we form with the things around us.
In Los Angeles, few spaces capture this philosophy quite like The Goldwyn House, the historic residence transformed into a contemporary design destination by The Future Perfect. Set within the city’s ever-evolving creative landscape, the house represents a new way of experiencing collectible design — one that feels intimate, personal and deeply connected to the architecture that surrounds it.
Rather than presenting furniture and objects as isolated works, The Future Perfect creates environments that encourage visitors to experience design as a living, breathing part of everyday life. Rooms become galleries, furniture becomes sculpture and materials tell stories that stretch across generations.
During Frieze Los Angeles week, this approach was beautifully explored through Inner Space, an exhibition bringing together the work of pioneering American artists and designers including JB Blunk, Isamu Noguchi, Alana Burns, Ian Collings and Minjae Kim. The exhibition explored the relationship between the human body, natural materials and the objects that inhabit our personal spaces — revealing how design can exist somewhere between art, architecture and emotion.
The Future Perfect: Redefining the Collectible Design Experience
Founded with a vision to celebrate exceptional craftsmanship and innovative design, The Future Perfect has become one of the most influential names in the world of contemporary interiors. Across its locations in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, the gallery has built a reputation for presenting designers and artists who challenge traditional ideas of furniture, function and form.
The Goldwyn House, located in Los Angeles, perfectly embodies this philosophy. Originally designed as a residence, the house retains the intimacy and warmth of a home while becoming a stage for some of the most significant voices in contemporary design.
This approach feels particularly relevant today. As our relationship with interiors continues to evolve, there is a growing desire for spaces that feel authentic and meaningful — homes filled with objects that carry history, craftsmanship and a sense of individuality.
The Future Perfect understands that the future of luxury is not simply about acquiring beautiful things. It is about understanding their origins, appreciating the hands that created them and recognising the emotional value they bring into our lives.
“The future of luxury is not simply about acquiring beautiful things. It is about understanding their origins, appreciating the hands that created them and recognising the emotional value they bring into our lives.”
Inner Space: Exploring the Connection Between Objects and Human Experience
Presented during Frieze LA week, Inner Space explored the relationship between interior environments and the objects that define them. The exhibition was centred around the work of JB Blunk, whose deeply organic approach to making became the foundation for a wider dialogue between historic and contemporary practices.
Blunk’s work has long been celebrated for its connection to nature, material honesty and sculptural simplicity. Working primarily with wood, stone, ceramics and found materials, his practice rejected the boundaries between art, furniture and architecture.
For Blunk, materials were not simply resources to be shaped — they were collaborators. Each piece retained a sense of the natural world from which it came, celebrating imperfections, textures and the unique character of the material itself.
This philosophy became the guiding principle behind Inner Space, creating a dialogue between Blunk’s historic works and the practices of artists working today.
The exhibition demonstrated how ideas can travel across generations, with concepts of craftsmanship, sustainability and material exploration continuing to inspire new creative voices.
JB Blunk: A Pioneer of Organic Design
At the heart of Inner Space was the work of JB Blunk, an artist whose influence continues to be felt throughout contemporary design.
Blunk’s career was shaped by a belief that art should be integrated into daily life. His furniture pieces were never simply functional objects; they were sculptural expressions that connected people with the natural environment.
Among the highlights of the exhibition were two rare wooden thrones by Blunk, alongside ceramics, jewellery, stone and wood sculptures, and paintings. These works demonstrated the incredible versatility of his practice, revealing an artist who moved effortlessly between disciplines.
The thrones, in particular, represented Blunk’s ability to transform a traditional object into something almost ceremonial. Their powerful forms celebrate the beauty of wood while creating a sense of presence and permanence.
Alongside these works, Inner Space also featured pieces by Isamu Noguchi, an artist who had a significant influence on Blunk’s creative journey.
Isamu Noguchi: The Timeless Language of Form
Few designers have shaped twentieth-century design as profoundly as Isamu Noguchi. His work crossed boundaries between sculpture, architecture, landscape and furniture, creating a visual language that remains remarkably relevant today.
Noguchi’s contribution to Inner Space included an editioned galvanized steel table and a set of chairs — works that demonstrate his ability to experiment with unconventional materials while maintaining a sense of balance and harmony.
His designs have always carried a unique tension between strength and softness. Industrial materials are softened through elegant curves, while sculptural forms remain grounded in practical function.
Placed alongside Blunk’s organic creations, Noguchi’s work highlighted the shared curiosity between the two artists. Both explored how objects could influence the way we experience space, movement and human connection.
Together, their work created a bridge between past and present, demonstrating how timeless design ideas continue to evolve.
A New Generation of Contemporary Makers
While Inner Space celebrated historic figures, the exhibition also highlighted the work of contemporary artists who continue to push the boundaries of collectible design.
Mexico City-based artist Alana Burns made her debut with The Future Perfect, presenting a series of new works including jewellery, combs, a knife and candleholders. Created using silver and materials sourced from the sea, her pieces reflected a fascination with nature, ritual and transformation.
Burns’ work explores the relationship between the body and the objects we use every day. By elevating everyday items into carefully crafted artworks, she invites us to reconsider the beauty and meaning found within familiar rituals.
New York-based Korean artist Minjae Kim brought another perspective to the exhibition, presenting a collection of lighting and furniture pieces that combined traditional craft techniques with contemporary experimentation.
His works included a quilted fiberglass chandelier, fiberglass and steel sconces, an illuminated console and a painter’s chair. Each piece reflected Kim’s interest in material contrast, combining industrial processes with handmade sensitivity.
Presented in partnership with Los Angeles design gallery Marta, Kim’s work demonstrated the continued evolution of collectible design and the increasing overlap between art, interiors and functional objects.
Meanwhile, Ojai-based sculptor Ian Collings presented new stone sculptures and furniture that explored the relationship between time, movement and transformation.
Collings’ work is deeply connected to the natural world, with stone becoming a medium through which he investigates permanence and change. His pieces reveal the geological history of their materials while creating contemporary forms that feel both ancient and futuristic.
The Goldwyn House: A Home for Design Discovery
What makes exhibitions at The Goldwyn House so compelling is the way the architecture becomes part of the experience.
Unlike a traditional gallery environment, where objects are separated from everyday life, The Future Perfect presents design within a residential setting. This creates a more emotional connection between visitor and object.
A chair is not simply viewed as a chair. A light is not just admired as a fixture. Instead, each piece is imagined within the context of living — how it feels to touch, how it changes a room and how it becomes part of personal memory.
This approach reflects a wider shift within luxury interiors. Today’s most desirable spaces are not defined by excess, but by authenticity. They celebrate craftsmanship, individuality and the stories behind the objects we choose to surround ourselves with.
The Goldwyn House represents this new understanding of luxury perfectly. It is a place where history meets innovation, where traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary creativity and where design becomes an emotional experience.
The Future of Collectable Design
Inner Space offered a powerful reminder that great design is not limited by time. The ideas explored by JB Blunk and Isamu Noguchi continue to resonate because they address something fundamental: our connection with materials, nature and the spaces we inhabit.
Through the work of Alana Burns, Ian Collings and Minjae Kim, these conversations continue into the present day, proving that collectible design remains an evolving and dynamic field.
As interiors become increasingly personal, the objects within them carry greater significance. They become markers of identity, memory and experience.
The Future Perfect’s The Goldwyn House captures this beautifully — offering a glimpse into a future where art, architecture and design exist together in harmony.
For anyone passionate about interiors, collectible design and the creative future of hospitality and residential spaces, it represents an inspiring example of how environments can tell stories.
Because ultimately, the most memorable spaces are not simply designed. They are felt.
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