Los Angeles Shops

Village Well has a strong book assortment and good coffee. It’s also a great place to hang out or get some work done—there’s wifi and well-placed electrical outlets, if you need them.

This nursery specializes in California native plants, plus well-curated sculptures, chimes, and sun catchers for your garden.

You’ll always find something cool here: original art, sculpted metal pitchers, funky ceramic vessels, and a curated selection of men’s clothing.

Not only is this the prettiest low-waste refill store we’ve ever seen; it’s decidedly low-key. Tucked in Pine Tree Circle in Topanga, the Well is an easy trip from Malibu, the Westside, or the Valley. You’re bound to be one of just a couple (if that) of patrons in the store, making it an incredible place to pick up goods for keeping a clean home. The shop carries natural brands in bulk, so you can bring your own containers (it sells gorgeous options to get you started as well) and refill your body care, laundry soap, and household cleaners. To minimize points of contact during the pandemic, staff does the refilling rather than customers. Also on offer are a collection of vintage housewares and clothing, carefully selected and beautifully curated, plus plenty of storage options and home goods for transitioning to a low-waste lifestyle. Pro tip: Have random glass jars hanging around? Drop them off and rest easy knowing they’ll be repurposed.

Bright, airy, wildly chic, and nestled among a crop of other female-owned businesses in Verdugo Village, Sisterwife offers selection of current and vintage pieces from Lanvin, Comme des Garçons and Chanel. Owner Jessica Langer—a vintage styling and high-end consignment veteran who spent a decade at Melrose Avenue’s Decades—stocks the shop with one-of-a-kind looks that range from minimalist to iconic (we fell in love with a ’90s-era Versace tank dress, an olive-green Kenzo coat, and a sequined Bill Blass gown when we visited last). Beyond the epic inventory (which is updated constantly), what’s great about Sisterwife is Langer’s personal belief that cherishing one-of-a-kind items and celebrating beautiful clothing breeds strong friendships, risk-taking, and community: It’s just true. Photos by Stephanie Pia.

sun moon rain is here to help wash away your single-use plastic guilt, one refillable amber jug of lavender laundry soap at a time. Step into this zero-waste shop, lined with shelves of household goods and beauty products in gleaming glass jugs, and you wonder how you ever let a plastic spray bottle live under your sink. Visit for refills of everything from all-purpose kitchen cleaner to pet shampoo (bring your own containers or choose from a gorgeous selection), plus everyday tools to help reduce your daily consumption: reusable beauty pads and beeswax wraps, bamboo straws, cleaning brushes, reusable vessels galore. Plus, there’s an aromatherapy bar for adding essential oils to your product refills. With everything from vintage jewelry to handblown, one-of-a-kind glass bowls, this is also the place to go for a gift that won’t clutter the earth (or anyone’s home). The female founders behind the company—a pair of fashion industry vets—are continuously improving, making it easier and easier to transition to a low-waste lifestyle with products that smell and look fantastic. The shop also hosts in-store events for the eco-conscious, from candle refilling to Japanese denim mending.

Nonprofit, female-focused, and fair-trade, The Little Market is our Pacific Palisades go-to for thoughtful gifts, stunning homewares, and (best baby gift ever) the tiniest leather moccasins you ever did see. Better yet, the beautifully designed rattan trays, acacia salad bowls, and fringed booties are handmade by artisan women from tough-to-access communities throughout Africa and Latin America, among others. The founders regularly travel the globe sourcing every incredible, handcrafted item in the store.

Paige Appel & Kelly Harris (founders of the much-loved event design business Bash, Please) opened a sister store to their Culver City flagship in Silver Lake, and the buy is too good to pass up. Expect a mix of carefully chosen one-off items like West African woven fans and Zuni stones along with pieces from up-and-coming designers, like Beatrice Valenzuela slides, Cinq jewelry, and Sara Barner bags. The apothecary also stocks gorgeous body oils and the most heaven-scented candles.

Rolling Greens in the Arts District (there are also locations on Beverly and Jefferson) is a city within a city, but greener. Two acres of flowers, plants, and home décor ideas hug the Los Angeles River—and we can’t get enough of this place. The former scrap-metal yard is the perfect one-stop shop to kit out your house and yard with Cali-appropriate plants, pottery, and gorgeously rustic pieces. There’s a cute café on-site because mulling over rosebushes and landscaping conundrums with Rolling Greens’ designers is more fun with a cappuccino to sip. We also keep the cavernous entertainment space at the back of our minds for friends hunting for a beautiful wedding venue or event space.

With the long-awaited completion of the Expo Line, a train that connects Culver City to both Downtown and Santa Monica, the area is in the midst of a period of immense growth. Platform, an indoor/outdoor space devoted to shopping and eating, is right next to the train stop. But calling it a straight-up mall feels off. In place of the usual shop suspects, there’s a Monocle pop-up and a Janessa Leone boutique. And while you won’t see a food court, what you will find are a dozen or so restaurants—both casual (Loqui tacos, Van Leeuwen ice cream, Boba Guys) and not (Margot). The pièce de résistance is Roberta’s, Brooklyn’s finest, where they know how to sling a pizza.