Best local Los Angeles shops for gifts - Los Angeles Times
Advertisement
Filters

Neighborhood

Category

Other

Shopping

Sort by

Showing  Places
Filters
Map
List

71 wonderful gift shops you can find only in L.A.

Share via

Shopping for gifts in person in Los Angeles can be overwhelming to think about in terms of options.

There are shopping malls, local craft fairs such as Renegade, In Todo and Unique L.A. and a surplus of independent stores where you can purchase one-of-a-kind gifts from independent brands.

After a slow summer and the Hollywood strikes, many small store owners have told us they are struggling. Several have lost leases and others have closed since last year’s roundup.

So why not purchase something from a small business that honors makers this year? Your giftee will get something unique, and you can support local artists and neighborhood bricks-and-mortar shops.

Advertisement

On top of that, shopping in person is much more fun — not to mention reliable — than shopping online or at a crowded mall, and you can explore L.A.’s diverse neighborhoods in the process.

Whether you’re looking for jewelry, clothing, pantry items or something more personal, we’ve rounded up the best places to shop for gifts in L.A.

Working on your holiday shopping? We’ve got you covered with recommendations for the best gifts to find in L.A.

Showing  Places
The interior of Acorn home and garden boutique in Eagle Rock.
(Acorn)

Acorn Eagle Rock

Eagle Rock Gift Store
Packed with plants, candles, ceramics and casual apparel, Erin and Laura Tanaka’s Eagle Rock store features a refreshing variety of accessories that won’t break the bank: Maison Louis Marie candles, handmade ceramics by Elizabeth Benotti, Moroccan leather Babouche slippers. The store is focused on California indoor-outdoor living, with an outdoor space devoted to gardening and houseplants. The mother and daughter duo also offers personal shopping services and custom arrangements.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Alchemy Works at the Free Market Playa Vista in West L.A.
(Ana Ross)

Alchemy Works

Playa Vista Gift Store
Several years after opening Alchemy Works in the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles, husband and wife Raan and Lindsay Parton added a showroom in Newport Beach and most recently the Free Market at Playa Vista. The stylish showrooms are designed to feel like a well-appointed home where vintage furnishings mix with handwoven linens by Heather Taylor Home, bedding by Morrow Soft Goods, market bags by Apolis and jewelry by many woman-owned brands. Creative director Raan Parton describes it as “a California edit on everything.â€

The downtown Los Angeles location is located at Signal, 821 Traction Ave.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Goods on a table at a gift shop
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Belljar

Los Feliz Gift Store
Located along a bustling strip of Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz, this cozy shop backs up its motto of “good vibes†only. The store features new and vintage clothing for women, candles, locally sourced chocolate and coffee, ceramics and small batch apothecary goods.
Route Details
Shelves of candles, jams and other goods
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Broome Street General Store

Silver Lake Gift Store
Designed like a corner bodega for one-stop shopping, this gift shop offers special pantry items for home chefs, candles, skincare products, sweets, books and toys. It’s a great place to shop for gift baskets with its surplus of olive oil, tinned fish and chocolates.

Also at Platform, 8840 Washington Blvd., Suite 103, Culver City.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
Burro lifestyle store on Abbot Kinney in Venice stock with various gift items.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Burro

Venice Gift Store
Erinn Berkson’s lifestyle store radiates an independent spirit among the many brand-name retailers on trendy Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Perhaps it’s because Berkson opened Burro, which she says takes its name from the “hard-working, loyal burro pioneering across the desert landscape carrying goods from all over,†in 1999, long before Abbot Kinney became a tourist destination.

The sunny boutique is curated to suit everyone on your gift list: Cookbooks and pretty boxes of tinned fish for foodies, games and books for kids, jewelry, hats and casual clothing for women, home goods and ladybug gardens for gardeners and fabulous stationery and cards for everyone. The store features many local brands, including Flamingo Estate, Brightland, jewelry labels Chan Luu and Victoria Cunningham Jewelry, skin-care and olive oil brand Wonder Valley.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Cici ‘n Tux gift shop in Glendale.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Cici ’n Tux

Glendale Gift Store
A few blocks from the Americana shopping mall in Glendale, Arax Hoonanian has opened a gift shop devoted to handmade products from around the world, including many female-owned businesses. Hoonanian stocks natural skincare lines such as Real Fruit Body, plus jewelry, soaps, candles that can be re-purposed as lotion, barware and insulated backpacks you can take to the Hollywood Bowl. Hoonanian’s bespoke inclinations don’t stop with her vendors. On a recent visit, she offered to create a custom gift box from any retail items in the store.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Clover boutique in Silver Lake.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Clover

Silver Lake Gift Store
This longtime Silver Lake boutique offers clothing by local designers, a great assortment of cards, cookbooks, apothecary items, jewelry and specialty gift boxes.
Route Details
Coop gift shop on Beverly.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Coop

Fairfax Gift Store
Jenna Cooper’s sunny space is inspired by her travels and offers a wide variety of gifts including cotton throws, pottery, socks, table books, candles, soaps, pillows and baskets.
Route Details
Advertisement
Home goods and accessories in a shop
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Dekor

Atwater Village Gift Store
Swedish-born interior designer Isabelle Dahlin’s hygge-centric showroom in Atwater Village is filled with an eclectic mix of vintage furnishings, colorful Turkish kilims and pillows and coffee table books. She also stocks her own line of custom furniture and candles that are made in Los Angeles as well as ceramics and a selection of casual women’s apparel.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
A pair of leather lounge chairs with lamps behind them in a furniture store showroom
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

DEN Los Angeles

East Hollywood Vintage Store
Jason Potter’s East Hollywood showroom, which offers high-end vintage goods from around the world, is a feast for the eyes, from the art and pottery-filled shelves to the enticing seating arrangements.

“For me, Midcentury Modern is more of a catch-all term for intentional designs and quality made furniture that focuses on form and function,†says Potter. “I focus on vintage pieces as I love the sustainability factor. As long as I stick to the parameters, our inventory will stay timeless and will integrate well with any home.â€

On a recent visit, one-of-a-kind standouts included a two-piece sectional sofa in velvet by Edward Wormley ($48,000), a pair of leather Otto Zapf lounge chairs for Knoll ($8,000) and Architectural Pottery and David Cressy ceramic lamps.

For those not prepared to drop $30,000 on a George Nakashima dining table, Potter also offers some smaller, lower price point items as well as occasional sales on surplus goods.

Open by appointment only.

Read All Read Less
Route Details
Ornaments and gifts on display inside D.L. Rhein in Los Angeles
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

D.L. Rhein

Palms Gift Store
D.L. Rhein, which opened in 2006, is the brainchild of Deborah Rhein, who began by crafting unique accessories at home. She expanded over the years into full-scale design and retail. “I love collecting and hunting for beautiful objects,†Rhein says, “old, new, antique and vintage.†For more than 10 years the store has been stocked with a varied mix of hostess gifts, jewelry and furniture, with a special focus now on serving ware and home products. During the holidays, the store features a wide variety of fun ornaments that depict people from RBG to AOC and David Bowie.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
A store with clothing and gifts
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Dotter Store

Highland Park Gift Store
Mother-and-daughter duo Susanne McLean and Annika Huston’s eclectic selection includes American-made women’s clothing, handmade jewelry, shoes, housewares and a wide selection of children’s clothing, games and books.
Route Details
Advertisement
Vintage goods, plants and low-waste sustainable products
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Earthing Earth

Long Beach Thrift store
Located on Retro Row in Long Beach, Earthing Earth is a mix of old and new: selected vintage home decor along with plants, baskets and low-waste sustainable home products.
Route Details
Espionage gift shop on Beverly Boulevard.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Espionage

Fairfax Gift Store
Pasadena native Taylor King’s ties to the Rose Bowl Swap Meet are evident as you stroll through her delightful gift shop. Next to vintage clothing and barware, you’ll find crystals, candles, presidential portraits, Richer Poorer socks, antique globes and notepads. The store also offers custom curated gift packages.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Shelves with ceramics on them
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Esqueleto

Los Feliz Gift Store
Inside her tiny sun-drenched showrooms in Los Feliz, Oakland-based jewelry designer Lauren Wolf has assembled an eye-catching array of distinctive handcrafted items including custom fine jewelry, art, decorative objects and colorful kilims, hand-painted ceramic bells and dishes by the New York-based MQuan and ceramics by Los Angeles artist Heather Levine.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
A mix of items on display inside Flowerboy Project in Venice.
(Alon Goldsmith / For The Times)

Flowerboy Project

Santa Monica Gift Store
With Flowerboy Project, which is equal parts coffee house, florist and gift shop, partners Sean Knibb and Stella Shirinda have created an intriguing space that offers a feel-good mix for all the senses. On Lincoln Boulevard in Venice, the concept cafe and flower shop offers apparel, jewelry, Venice Organics chocolate, home decor and apothecary items alongside fresh-cut and dried floral arrangements and a cafe serving specialty coffees and local pastries. Custom flower arrangements are offered at prices ranging from $90 to $175.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
Items on display in General Store in Venice.
(General Store)

General Store

Venice Gift Store
Serena Mitnik-Miller and Mason St. Peter’s Venice boutique places the spotlight on Los Angeles artists, including ceramics by Victoria Morris, BX Ceramics and Mount Washington Pottery and handmade jewelry by Orfeo. You’ll also find skincare by Wonder Valley and handwoven table linens from All Roads Studio, also in Venice. Vintage goods and an assortment of gifts for kids make it a reliable destination for everyone on your holiday list.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
A store full of tchotchkes.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Gibson

Fairfax Gift Store
It’s easy to get lost in the details of designer Gary Gibson’s showroom. The homey-yet-edgy environment is a good example of what you can’t experience online. See original artworks hung salon style, sink into contemporary furnishings and be amused by the quirky found objects, such as bundles of twine and baseballs. Gibson has a great eye for what makes a statement and knows how to craft high design that feels like it belongs in a home, not a museum.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Shelves packed with candles and gifts at the Give Store in Hollywood.
(The Give Store)

The Give Store

Hollywood Gift Store
The Give Store is an indie boutique that offers handmade goods, ceramics, fragrances and incense from France, Japan and Mexico. In addition to housewares and gifts, the store stocks a variety of houseplants, succulents and planters. The store also offers gift boxes comprising popular items from the store.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Gold Bug gallery is filled with art, distinctive décor, and oddities.
(Justin Harrison)

Gold Bug Pasadena

Pasadena Gift Store
Shop for quirky one-of-a-kind collectibles — fossils, trilobite specimens, framed preserved squid — at this family-run store inspired by the Edgar Allen Poe short story “The Gold Bug,†in which an enchanted gold scarab beetle leads the way to buried pirates’ treasure. Located down an alley in Pasadena, Gold Bug features works by more than 100 artists, including art, decor and odd collectibles.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
Pants, candles, socks and gifts at a gift shop
(Pilar Valtierra)

Greenwood Shop

Studio City Gift Store
Situated on a bustling retail strip in Studio City in what longtime locals will remember as Mark’s Tropical Fish, Greenwood Shop offers a nice mix of plants along with ceramics, hand poured candles and incense, home decor and apothecary items by local makers. “My goal is to provide unique gifts for yourself and others,†says owner Kate Nelson. “My focus is on home goods, including one-of-a-kind locally made pottery, jewelry (much of which is created by Southern California women designers such as Maddalena Bearzi, Margaret Solow and Lili T.), apothecary and more. We also have a very extensive collection of ornaments for the holidays.†Keep an eye on the store’s Instagram account for a block party and holiday sale hosted with some of the other businesses on the street. In addition to houseplants, which are available for local delivery via Door Dash and Uber Eats, the store also offers custom succulent planters.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Shelves of plants
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Haley Solar

Eagle Rock Gift Store
Warm, colorful and inviting, Haley Solar’s Eagle Rock showroom below her studio on the second floor offers something for everyone on your gift list: locally sourced small-batch clothing, nail polish, plants, makeup and jewelry. Just outside the shop’s backdoor, visitors can step outside and enjoy the pet-friendly patio of next-door neighbor Muddy Paw Coffee.

Also in Silver Lake: 3318 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Heath on Beverly.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Heath Ceramics

Fairfax Gift Store
In addition to its noted line of handmade ceramics and tile, the longtime Beverly store is a safe bet for grab-and-go gifts spanning ceramic bud vases ($32) in a variety of colors to fun tea towels, olive oils, candle holders, teas, soaps and books.
Route Details
Homage gift shop in Pasadena.
(Michelle Shiers)

Homage Pasadena

Pasadena Gift Store
Owner Jill Pearson grew up in Monterey Park and strives to highlight unique gifts by emerging artists from Los Angeles. Her Pasadena shop, which recently expanded, is stocked with everything you might need for gift giving, including ceramics, candles, cards and incense and handmade jewelry.
Route Details
Advertisement
House of Intuition in Highland Park.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

House of Intuition

Echo Park Gift Store
You can’t help but smile when you walk into Marlene Vargas and Alex Naranjo’s longtime metaphysical store and are greeted by a sign that reads, “Your Intuition Led You Here.†Even the most cynical gift recipient will find it hard to resist a manifestation candle or a specialized energy box for their zodiac sign. You’ll also find organic essential oil kits, crystals and candles.

There are additional locations in L.A. County: 5148 York Blvd., Highland Park; 7449 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; 14520 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; 5018 E. 2nd St., Long Beach; and 5223 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Shop with large shelves of pots and pans
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Household by Nickey Kehoe

Fairfax Gift Store
Interior designers Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe’s Household showroom, located next door to their home furnishings store, offers pottery, candles, plants, locally made apothecary items, books and the brand’s signature bedding and pillows.
Route Details
Items on display at Huset on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Huset

Venice Gift Store
With an emphasis on Scandinavian design, Huset stocks colorful textiles from tea towels to throw blankets, home decor including glassware and cutting boards, jewelry, clothing and kids’ items by more than 60 designers.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, there’s always the self-serve Swedish candy and savory snacks.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Joanna Williams's boutique Kneeland Co. Rarities in West Adams.
(Joanna Williams)

Kneeland Co. Rarities

West Adams Gift Store
Joanna Williams, a longtime vintage textile consultant, expanded her company to include a bricks-and-mortar store in West Adams specializing in one-of-a-kind, globally sourced and handmade home goods and jewelry including floral candles from Oaxaca, Gregory Parkinson textiles and ceramics made by artisans in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
LA Home Farm in Glassell Park.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

LA Home Farm

Glassell Park Gift Store
At their Glassell Park neighborhood grocery and farmer’s market called LA Homefarm, Lauri Kranz and Dean Kuipers offer everything from high-end gifts to produce.

Shopping is fun here, whether you’re looking for art, truffle oil or handcrafted ceramics by local potters. If you can’t decide on a gift, Kranz and the staff are incredibly helpful at creating custom gift baskets that will leave their recipients swooning or, in my friend’s case, with happy tears.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Hats, rugs, pillows and clothing in a shop.
(Thomas Brodahl)

Late Sunday Afternoon

Venice Gift Store
All the scarves, ascots, pocket squares, and bandanas in this Venice store are handcrafted from locally sourced dead-stock fabrics and are knotted and blessed. The store also offers home goods, books, hats and hoodies, baby blankets, candles, jewelry and custom requests. Additionally, sustainably minded gift recipients will appreciate the brand’s “heritage revival program†in which old clothing is transformed into new scarves and handkerchiefs.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Shelves with candles and other decorations
(Sydney Krantz / For the Times)

Lawson-Fenning

Hancock Park Gift Store
On the second floor of Glenn Lawson and Grant Fenning’s Melrose furniture showroom, the designers have a shop within a shop, where the shelves and tables are artfully stocked with functional and decorative accessories, the vast majority of which are made in L.A. The showroom features limited-release ceramics by locals Victoria Morris, Mt. Washington Pottery, Heather Rosenman and BZippy as well as tabletop items, pillows and other gifts.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Shelves with toys, mugs and stuffed animals
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Leanna Lin's Wonderland

Eagle Rock Gift Store
Walking into Leanna Lin Fong’s gift shop and art gallery is like walking into a colorful birthday party. Established in 2010, the store focuses on brands that will make you smile, including art, accessories, jewelry, collectible toys, stationery, books and home goods by Miss Mindy, Genevieve Santos, Horrible Adorables, Kidrobot, Meri Meri, Momiji, Naoshi, Paddywax, Studio Ghibli, Tokidoki and more.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
Baskets, books and gifts at Lost and Found.
(Lost & Found)

Lost & Found

Hollywood Gift Store
Owner Jamie Rosenthal opened Lost & Found in 2000 as a single storefront on Yucca Street in Hollywood. Now she has five storefronts in a row along Yucca and a Santa Monica showroom that offers men’s and women’s clothing, home goods, leather accessories and children’s clothes and furniture from around the world.

The Santa Monica showroom is at 2230 Main St.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Products line shelves at Luca, a sustainable drugstore
(Tracy Levy)

Luca

Highland Park Gift Store
In an effort to create a nontoxic, sustainable alternative to commercial drugstores, Judith Goldstein opened what she describes as “a clean grocery store,†filled with nontoxic nail polish, skincare, pet goods and house cleaning products. Many of the independent low-waste brands, such as Fat and the Moon, Yassi’s Butta and 123 Farm are based in L.A. and California.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Made by DWC Cafe and Gift Shop.
(Made by DWC)

Made by DWC Cafe and Gift Shop

Downtown L.A. Gift Store
Made by DWC, the Skid Row gift shop launched by the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles in 2011, offers handmade gifts — soaps, bath salts, soy candles and greeting cards — crafted by women on L.A.’s skid row as part of a vocational training program.

All profits from the Made store and cafe, which sells organic coffee, smoothies, salads and pastries from Homeboy Industries, help fund the center’s career training and mentorship programs. Note: The gift shop is not open on weekends.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
A woman in a hat stands in the doorway of a shop.
(Jamie Chapman)

Marz

South Pasadena Gift Store
Owner Marcia Ellinger and her daughter Jasa Cocke stock their South Pasadena gift shop with unusual items including books, candles, papers, hand-milled French soaps, textiles from India, baby accessories, games, toys and vintage finds.
Route Details
Advertisement
Maude Woods gift shop in Pasadena.
(Dan Arnold)

Maude Woods

Pasadena Gift Store
Carrie Davich’s Pasadena store is a mix of old and new, offering antiques, new furnishings and unique home décor, including pillows and throws, apothecary items, candles and vintage jewelry.
Route Details
A brown sofa next to a wall adorned with art in a showroom
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Merchant

Santa Monica Vintage Store
Walking into Merchant in Santa Monica is like walking into an artist’s enclave packed with vintage furniture, antiques, contemporary ceramics and art.

“I wanted it to look like a house,†says co-owner Denise Portmans, who runs the store, along with an Atwater Village location, with her artist daughter Sara Marlowe Hall. “I like things that are a little unusual.â€

The stores are an homage to Portmans’ mother, an artist and ceramicist, and they are stocked with Midcentury Modern furniture, vintage Moroccan rugs, contemporary ceramics from Paris and Italy, and goods by local artists such as Heather Rosenman and All Roads Studio. On a recent visit to the Santa Monica store, prices ranged from $120 for a wooden wine rack to $2,500 for a vintage leather safari chair. Portmans also is open to making deals.

The second showroom, Merchant Modern East, is at 3127 Glendale Blvd. in Atwater Village.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Midland Shop in Larchmont Village. There is also a store in Culver City.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Midland Shop

Culver City Gift Store
Paige Appel and Kelly Harris’ boutique spotlights local designers, including bags by Agnes Baddoo, casual clothes by Rachel Craven, jewelry by Maya Brenner, organic skincare products by Salt and Stone and hair products by La Tierra Sagrada. There is also a dedicated kids’ section. On Dec. 7-8, 2024, the store will host its third annual holiday market at the Revery, offering unique goods from local makers.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Books, ceramics and candles at Müsh.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Müsh

Silver Lake Gift Store
Owner Michelle van der Heijden’s tiny storefront is jam-packed with wonderful gift ideas, from the latest cookbooks to vintage jewelry, crystals and ceramics. She also sells vintage furniture online.
Route Details
Advertisement
Jewelry and clothing on display at Native Sol in Long Beach.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Native Sol

Long Beach Thrift store
This Retro Row store is an eco-friendly lifestyle store offering handmade clothing and jewelry by May Salem as well as selected vintage clothing and apothecary items by local makers.
Route Details
Now Voyager boutique in Silver Lake.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Now Voyager

Silver Lake Gift Store
At her cozy Silver Lake store, Now Voyager, Los Angeles interior designer Wendy Haworth offers pillows, vintage ceramics, home decor and ceramics that she and designer Michael Towey throw in a ceramics studio behind the shop. Haworth plans to use her Silver Lake Boulevard space as a design studio and gift shop, with an ever-changing inventory of vintage pieces, art and accessories. It’s open by appointment.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
NicSon Mercantile in Highland Park.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

NicSon Mercantile

Highland Park Gift Store
In York Boulevard’s hip shopping district, NicSon Mercantile is part retail store, part design studio built on the Sonny Boy brand. It’s a great place to pick up limited-edition merchandise for the creative soul in your life. The store stocks art, clothing, jewelry, home goods and greeting cards by local brands Estevan Oriol, Mike Giant, Tristan Eaton, Risk Rock, Gustavo Rimada, Lizz Lopez, Spitfire Girl, Bandits and P.F. Candle Co.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Shelves of gifts at OK Store
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

OK

West Hollywood Gift Store
Larry Schaffer’s lifestyle store, now in several locations, offers a wide range of gifts spanning handmade jewelry and books to Heather Rosenman ceramics, barware and decorative housewares. On a recent visit, Schaffer’s keen eye for unique gifts, such as the pot holders and $10 milagros hearts made from fabric scraps by Christina Kim’s Dosa, were on display. In a nice touch, the store offers pre-wrapped grab and go gifts during the holidays.

Other locations are at 1716 Silver Lake Blvd. in Silver Lake and 2413 Main St. in Santa Monica. A Velvet by Graham and Spencer/OK store is at 13020 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
Gifts inside Pergolina gift shop in Toluca Lake.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Pergolina Shop

Toluca Lake Gift Store
Paulanna Cuccinello‘s longtime Toluca Lake gift shop offers gifts from around the world including European soaps, handwoven throws from Scotland, room diffusers from Italy and masks handmade in Venice.
Route Details
Gifts line shelves inside a gift shop
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Phoebe Peacock

Burbank Gift Store
The parasols hanging from the ceiling at Jennifer Hardaway’s charming Burbank gift shop are your first indication that you will find something fun and unexpected inside. Hardway offers a wide variety of goods including her own line of KleanSpa perfume and body products (you can even book a session and create your custom scent based on your personal selections), vintage glassware, candles, incense and home decor. On a recent visit, the store featured an entire wall devoted to tea, including specialty looseleaf types, vintage tea cups, honey sticks and other tea-themed gifts.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
A store interior features plants, houseware and more.
(DGA)

Poketo

Santa Monica Gift Store
Founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife team Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung, the design accessories and housewares brand has grown from a small startup into a mainstay of the Los Angeles creative community. Shop for colorful paper planners and notebooks, clothes and housewares, jewelry and desk accessories.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Gifts items inside Lake boutique in Silver Lake.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Lake

Silver Lake Gift Store
This high-end clothing store offers beautiful bohemian pieces by independent brands such as Xirena, Apiece Apart and Toit Volant, and many gift items are available on shelves and tables throughout the space. In addition to jewelry by Los Angeles-based Jennie Kwon, be sure to check out the back room where the store stocks apothecary goods by Circular Living and Living Libations, robes by Block Shop Textiles and gifts for kids.

It’s easy to make a day of it on this stretch of Silver Lake Boulevard, with Now Voyager and Müsh across the street, OK down the block and Botanica Restaurant and Market next door.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
A showroom filled with furniture and artwork.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Pop Up Home

East Hollywood Vintage Store
Tricia Benitez Beanum’s three-story luxury vintage showroom on Western Avenue offers goods from the ’50s through the ’80s, with new inventory arriving every week, largely from Europe.

“I wanted it to feel like New York,†Beanum says of the airy third floor, which is filled with curvaceous furnishings in leather, velvet and corduroy. “Everyone is interested in postmodern furnishings right now.†In addition to furniture and accessories, including a wide variety of ceramics, artwork is mixed in with the furniture and decor as part of UNREPD, a gallery devoted to emerging and mid-career artists of color as well as women artists and LGBTQIA+ artists. Beanum also offers custom upholstery.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
The interior of Prelude and Dawn in Highland Park.
(Alison Ables)

Prelude & Dawn

Highland Park Gift Store
Alison Ables’ Highland Park boutique, named for a jazzy song by the English drummer and composer Basil Kirchin, includes unique handmade candles by Esh, Via Wax and Le Feu de L’Eau, fanny packs and towels by local brand Baggu. Located on a bustling stretch of Figueroa, the store also features a selection of vintage and secondhand clothing.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Prism boutique in Long Beach.
(Prism)

Prism Boutique

Long Beach Gift Store
Dayna Mance has been highlighting small, independently owned brands since opening her boutique in the heart of Long Beach’s historic Belmont Heights in 2013. Expect vintage and modern clothing, home goods by local designers like P.F. Candle Co., Baggu and Claystreet pottery. Mance also offers “Prism Take Care†specialty gift sets.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Pygmy Hippo Shoppe in the Fairfax district offers handmade gifts, books, and decor from around the world.
(Nathan Cabrera)

Pygmy Hippo Shoppe

Fairfax Gift Store
Founded in 2010, Pygmy Hippo is an irreverent boutique where you can shop for “Nude and Naughty†gift sets, Zodiac and magic-minded items, vintage collectibles and rare books and zines.
Route Details
Advertisement
Gift shop with a wall of cards and gifts
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Restrained Whimsy

Studio City Gift Store
Scott Marshall-Miller and Brian Miller opened their Studio City gift shop “to empower local artists, when possible, in support of their dreams. Moreover, we wanted gifts that also give back to the community and causes we believe in together.†Their gift shop, located inside Studio Plaza, offers goods by artisans like Ojai Olive Oil, Joshua Tree Candle Co. and Laguna Salt Co. along with fine jewelry, crystals, books and chocolate. On a recent visit, they offered cookies with purchase. Nice.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Retreat gift shop in South Pasadena.
(Diane Staples)

Retreat

South Pasadena Gift Store
At Diane Staples’ South Pasadena boutique, visitors are encouraged to pick up and play the handcrafted ukuleles or try on all the jewelry they’d like with no obligation or pressure. Her specialty store includes unique table-size clocks, candles, bath and body products as well as hand-drawn cards, journals, pottery, books and barware.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Rolling Greens nursery and gift shop
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Rolling Greens

Culver City Drought-tolerant plants
The garden and home design flagship in Culver City, which rests on 2 acres, offers indoor and outdoor plants, succulents, planters and home decor. Owners Greg Salmeri and Laurie Resnick travel the world to shop for home and garden goods. Customers can create their own arrangement at the store’s Arrangement Bar.

Also at 7505 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; 12833 Ventura Blvd. #145, Studio City; and Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
The interior of Shout and About, an urban oasis of paper, plants and gifts.
(Tamara Houghten)

Shout and About

Echo Park Gift Store
Tamara and Russell Houghten’s tiny Echo Park store is an urban oasis jam-packed with gifts by local brands and independent makers as well as Compartes chocolates, kids goods and jewelry. Always a reliable source for terrific greeting cards, the store also stocks a selection of stunning potted plants.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
Soap Plant/Wacko in Los Feliz.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Soap Plant/Wacko

Los Feliz Gift Store
Billy Shire’s irreverent gift shop offers an eclectic range of pop-culture ephemera (Iggy Pop action figures), novelties (beetles in resin), housewares (colorful oil cloth) and gifts (hedgehog nail brushes).
Route Details
Jars, art and a cat light at a gift shop.
(Spitfire Girl)

Spitfire Girl

Los Feliz Gift Store
Kristin Scott’s longtime store offers unusual gifts such as mystical ritual kits and handcrafted fragrances, and home goods with a humorous edge (heart lamps and turn-of-the-century-inspired embroidered pillows). Scott also offers custom gift boxes ranging from the Great Outdoors to the Witches’ Spell.

Also at 7401 Melrose Ave.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Stay Home Friend gift shop in Burbank.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Stay Home Friend

Burbank Gift Store
Stay Home Friend, formerly Mindfulnest, in Burbank was designed to be a mindful way to shop. “We support local artists and small American companies,†says owner Amanda Vernon. “We buy directly from artists who speak to us.†The sunny store features works by more than 100 artists who hand-make jewelry, pottery and prints, including many irreverent candles, stickers, tea towels and cards for a dose of humor during the holidays.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
The gift shop inside Stark Studio in Silver Lake.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Stark Studio

Silver Lake Gift Store
Stark Studio, a Silver Lake place specializing in face and body services, has a delightful gift shop in front that offers goods from mostly local makers. The selection of apothecary items, jewelry, kids’ items and accessories includes Los Angeles-based brands Wild Yonder Botanicals, Maya Brenner, Carrie Hoffman, Kin & Kind and Maptote.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
Shelves with fabrics
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Suay Sew Shop

Downtown L.A. Gift Store
This sewing and production shop manufactures home goods and clothing from a “combination of post-consumer waste, deadstock and domestically, organically grown fibers†that are gathered from community donations and corporate recycling. You can drop clothing and sheets off at the monthly community dyes, or shop the sales racks, which often include free items to keep clothing out of landfills.

When it comes to gifts, the shop offers one-of-a-kind clothing made from repurposed fabrics, napkins, pillows and other home goods. A Suay Sew Shop gift card can be used to repair and alter cherished items.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Sumi's gift shop in Los Feliz.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Sumi's

Los Feliz Gift Store
Store owner Sumi Siegel’s warm and inviting gift shop, in Los Feliz Village since 2014, specializes in handmade and small-production goods that are ethically made. Stop by Sumi’s after catching a movie at the Los Feliz 3 or shopping at Skylight Books or one of Vermont Avenue’s many independent stores, and you’ll find jewelry, cards, ceramics and original artworks, including Polaroids of neighborhood dogs. Bonus: Store staff have been known to pass out dog treats.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
The interior of a shop filled with colorful pillows, objects and plants
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Tansy

Burbank Home goods
There’s one word to describe this store: sublime. Part plant store and part gift shop, it’s a visually stunning collection of dissonant colorful things you don’t need but can’t live without. That bare ceiling spot in your baby’s room could definitely use a hanging papier-mâché sloth. And isn’t there always room in the kitchen for s’mores-shaped salt and pepper shakers? Shawna Christian, Tansy’s owner, says yes. She handpicks all items in the store.

And the plants! The pandemic launched a lot of fads, including the houseplant life, which can be sustained here, especially if you’re still working from home. A vibrant monstera can brighten the worst of days, and Tansy experts will help with instructions on how to keep the newest member of your cluttercore family alive.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
The dramatically lighted interior of a gift shop.
(Tesoro)

Tesoro

Beverly Hills Gift Store
Replete with artist-made decor objects, hand-crafted bath essentials and out-of-the-box gift ideas for the person who has everything, Tara Riceberg’s shop also offers gifts for babies, kids, and pets and in-house, hand-painted wrapping paper.
Route Details
Advertisement
Tortoise General Store in Venice.
(Amelie Emi Uchiike)

Tortoise General Store

Venice Gift Store
Keiko and Taku Shinomoto opened Tortoise General Store in 2003 with the concept of “slow and steady†design. The Mar Vista showroom offers a curated selection of timeless Japanese home goods such as Tajika kitchen scissors, ceramic Japan Infinity bowls and colorful 100% cotton Tenugui cloths.
Route Details
Clothing, gift baskets and holiday ornaments on a table
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

The House of Woo

Downtown L.A. Retail
In the Arts District around the corner from Hauser & Wirth art gallery, Staci Woo and Mike Badt’s gift shop and studio offers clothing and home goods produced in their workroom in the back. The husband-and-wife’s Uplifters Ranch, a California lifestyle clothing line that includes baseball caps, cozy sweats and T-shirts, has a California beach vibe. Additionally, the designers stock napkins, funky long wrap skirts and other clothing items. On a recent visit to the downtown L.A. shop, gifts by local makers filled the storefront, including holiday ornaments, crystals, apothecary goods and jewelry. Whether you are looking for stocking stuffers or a special gift, the House of Woo will likely cover all your holiday needs.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Treehaus gift shop in Atwater Village.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Treehaus

Atwater Village Gift Store
Michelle Pedersen and Saralynne Precht started Treehaus as a pop-up in a vintage VW bus and now highlight local independent makers, with a focus on socially conscious and female designers, on a permanent basis.

Their lifestyle boutique covers a wide range of goods, including clothing and jewelry, toys, books and games for kids, L.A.-centric tea towels, unique cards and small-batch leather goods.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Twig & Willow Boutique in Long Beach.
(Kelsey Vaughn)

Twig and Willow

Long Beach Gift Store
Karen Quimby Lobo opened Twig & Willow in 2009 in the Belmont Heights neighborhood of Long Beach and later opened a second location in Bixby Knolls. Expect boho apparel, rare bath and body products, cult fragrances, home decor, handmade leather, accessories, baby items, and handmade jewelry by more than 60 local artists. Also at 4130 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, (562) 424-8944.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement
A photograph of Village Heights for the Best L.A. Plant shops for the 2022 Gift Guide list.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Village Heights

Windsor Square Gift Store
From crystal barware to tea towels and jewelry, Louis Eafalla’s gift shop in Larchmont Village has something for nearly everyone on your list. In addition to gifts, the store is known for its seasonal items and festive window displays, including tea towels, decor, gift wrap, ornaments and cards.
Route Details
Plants, candles and gifts inside Wildlfora.
(Sarah Zing)

Wildflora

Studio City Plant Shop
This full-service florist shop offers houseplants, succulents and tillandsia and aeriums, along with home decor such as pillows and candles. You can also build your own gift box from a wide assortment of products including candles, candies, books and floral arrangements.

There is also a location at the Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. 3rd St. Stall No. 708.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Yolk design store in Silver Lake.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Yolk

Silver Lake Gift Store
This tiny independent design store in the heart of Silver Lake’s Sunset Junction specializes in home decor, toys and apparel for kids, and gifts by local brands such as P.F. Candle and Boy Smells. Toys and home goods include Marimekko designs, Calico Critters toys, coffee table books and witty salt and pepper shakers.

Also at 3191 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Advertisement