La Brea Avenue is slowly converting to a street well worth walking. The new stores and restaurants springing up on the avenue are bringing new found pedestrian life to a street dominated by automobile traffic. A+R, Garrett Leight, and Shelter Half have all sprung up on the 100 South block of La Brea. I spent a bit of time in Shelter Half looking through the varied goods they carry. Everything in the store is American made, a premise I can get behind. Mission Workshop, Commune Design, Save Khaki and a host of others are featured. Rene Holguin’s label, RTH has some beautiful pieces, as does Stormy Monday with their eclectic goods ranging from jeans to chopping blocks. A stand out are the mobiles created by Eric Ernest Johnson. There are four hanging in one row, and they are quite beautiful. I must add a bit of a disclaimer, as I’ve known Eric most of my life, and I’ve loved his art all along. More of his art can be seen at ericernestjohnson.com. Shelter Half does a great job of presenting a wonderfully eclectic selection of merchandise, and a great atmosphere in which to see them.
