Sunset Magazine
11 easy entertaining ideas to steal
He's a chef, she's a designer. Together this L.A. couple keeps the fun going to 3 a.m. with easygoing and stylish ideas you can use
Dinner parties spill outside at Brandon Boudet and Isabelle Dahlin’s English cottage, a one-bedroom blessed with outdoor entertaining spaces in L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood. Brandon, a chef, shakes cocktails and leads guests to appetizers on the kitchen balcony. Dinner happens in the fenced front yard under an intimate arbor set aglow by Isabelle, a Swedish interior designer. And dessert is served around the backyard fireplace, where a hammock and lap blankets await. “Guests really feel at home here,” Isabelle says. “At 3 a.m., it’s hard to get our friends to leave.”
Martha Stewart Living
Check out the Pillows pictured in the Shop Section!
Boutique Of The Week: deKor
Don't let yourself fall into a shopping rut. Instead, explore some of the best boutiques around the country. This week: DeKor, 2145 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA.
Isabella Dahlin, an interior designer and the owner of deKor, opened this charming shop filled with eclectic Scandinavian home finds back in June. After getting her degree from the Otis College of Art and Design and a stint with the well-known interior designer David Phoenix, she set off on her own and deKor was founded. Scroll down for our Q&A with Isabelle and for peeks inside her cozy new store.
1. What was the inspiration for this store?
As an interior designer, I am constantly sourcing furniture and art for my clients. I've seen so many amazing pieces that I decided to open a store in which I could share all these wonderful and unique finds! Growing up in Sweden I was always surrounded by cutting-edge design and shops full of beautiful one of a kind treasures. Read full article here.
People & Places Los Angeles: DeKor LA
Lagom is a philosophical Swedish term meaning “not too much nor too little, not perfect nor average, in moderation, in balance.”
The minute you set foot into Echo Park’s new resident furniture, art and interior design boutique, deKor, you instantaneously feel as though you have stepped into a little visual aesthetic treasure trove, complete with a sense of invitation and welcome.
A distinct scent of sandalwood emanates from an Olive Branch Organics candle, which wafts through the air, as you peruse through the store taking in the delightful surroundings. A swing made from reclaimed wood hangs from the ceiling at the back of the store and merely a few steps away, a charming little kitchen can be found – Read full article here.
A Living Room by DeKor LA
Isabelle Dahlin opened DeKor in Echo Park just a few months ago, but has been indulging in interior design for years. Recently I joined her at her friends house, where she was hired to redesign the living room.
Isabelle brought elements of modern and vintage decor into this charming space. The use of window light and that gorgeous window seat adds such a cozy feeling paired with the fire place. The touches of pillows which allow pops of color against the subtle textiles of the couches and chairs brings a rich layered effect to the room.
My two favorite elements are the gorgeous wood and metal coffee table along with the hanging pendant lamp that Isabelle made herself. I feel that Isabelle has seamlessly merged her Swedish design know how, with California ease.
DeKor Decorates Echo Park - Make Your House Happy
If These Walls Could Talk
The Interior Monologue of Ura Bode
I feel so empty. A home cannot live by modular, self-assembled furnishings alone.
Behold! An elixir to quell my existential angst: interior designer Isabelle Dahlin’s new Echo Park boutique, DeKor.
The well-edited blend of vintage finds, global curios, and custom furniture can perk up a gloomy domicile.
Hand-tufted organic cotton Chandra rugs will warm my cold, hard floorboards. My walls will no longer stand stark thanks to I-damast’s colorful hanging textiles and an array of artwork (antique etchings, Banksy and Diane Arbus prints, Diva Zappa mixed-media paintings).
Vintage pendant and ceramic lamps will light up my life. I’ll couch my abandonment issues in an elegant teak living room set by midcentury modern master Grete Jalk.
It’ll be dwell on earth.
Isabelle Dahlin has found her happy place and she's bringing it to Echo Park! This past Saturday, June 25th, marked the official opening of deKor. Nestled between Alvarado and Mohawk, in the center of many other fine retail venues, we now have a new Swedish American mixture of home goods. Curating everything from vintage cabinets and chairs to modern light fixtures and textiles, there is something for everyone — even an assortment of pottery for your pets!
Raised in Sweden by artists, Isabelle Dahlin grew up in a home filled with art and design. "Visual aesthetics," says Dahlin, "were an integral part of daily life, and their constant presence provided me lifelong associations with well-being and happiness." Bringing over this artful abundance to her every day life and in her new store, Isabelle enjoys the mixture of materials, textiles and lots of color. Studying at Parsons and Otis, Isabelle found her inspiration while working with interior designer David Phoenix. Read full article here.
Earlier this year a shop featuring Australian design and merchandise - Hemingway & Pickett — open in Silver Lake. Now, another part of the globe – this time Scandinavia - gets its own Eastside outpost with the opening of deKor, a home furnishings and accessory store in Echo Park. Interior designer Isabelle Dahlin, who grew up in Sweden and now lives in Echo Park, has filled the Sunset Boulevard storefront near Mohawk Street (the former home of a body piercing shop) with vintage finds from trips back home as well as new, custom-designed items.
In addition to textile art from Sweden and hand-blown Scandinavian glass, deKor also carries a mid century sofa and chair by Danish furniture designer Grete Jalk, custom-made metal and wood tables (prices from $300 to $850) and reclaimed-wood swings, one of Dahlin’s personal favorites. Read full article here.
Echo Park resident Isabelle Dahlin opened up her new store, deKor, at the end of June just next door to the new restaurant Mohawk Bend on Sunset Boulevard. Promising a variety of candles, pottery, furniture, art, pillows and miscellaneous items, the theme is an eclectic array of Swedish stylings that will make you want to redecorate.
On her blog, Isabelle writes: “Ever since I was a child, I have always felt that your living environment greatly impacts how you feel about your life and how you treat those around you. This space is a reflection of my Scandinavian roots, my travels and my beautiful life in Los Angeles.” Read full article here.
Green Style: Outdoor Dining | Apartment Therapy Re-Nest
Doesn't this amazing image inspire you to entertain guests for an al fresco dinner, under the tea lights and moon glow? It's summer, folks! Eat every meal outside, ideally under the shade of a giant tree or canopy of lattice wood and dreamy vines. Check out the full poston this gorgeous Los Angeles home over on Apartment Therapy. I'm ready to sit down to this meal!
Leela Cyd Ross
August 10, 2011 06:00PM
Isabelle & Brandon's Lovely Echo Park Cottage | Apartment Therapy Los Angeles
Name: Isabelle Dahlin and Brandon Boudet
Location: Echo Park, California
Size: 1,250 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years — Own
What do you get when you mix an interior designer and chef under one roof? A lovely one bedroom English style cottage with incredible landscaping, an organic vegetable garden and a chicken coop! Isabelle Dahlin, owner of deKor, and her boyfriend Brandon Boudet, of Little Dom's, have created the ideal getaway right at home in the hills of Echo Park.
Mixing an abundance of vintage and Scandinavian furniture with collected artwork, this home was designed for comfort, friends and the ultimate feeling of being "at home." Isabelle and Brandon love to entertain, and they certainly have the space to do so. With a dining table outdoors, a fireplace, a projector and movie screen- it's no wonder that guests (and house tour photographers) are in awe of all their space.
The house itself is a tiny cottage with only one bedroom and one bathroom. After purchasing the home, they underwent many renovations and additions to the entire property. They built a multi-level back yard that houses the chicken coop where they get fresh eggs. Brandon has a mid size kitchen with classic features like the old stove, and nice outdoor deck with a barbecue for fresh grilled meals. Isabelle needed a space to do her painting and sculpting, so they built a small studio space right out back. She told us that it is her favorite place in the world. See full house tour here.