In the ’80s, as anyone who lived through them might recall, there was a pop culture palette (a post-modern riot of color) and a high culture palette (a never-ending landscape of beige). I grew up with the latter, and to this day, the sight of a taupe-filled room still instantly brings me pangs of disdain and ennui — small wonder I co-founded a website known for its love of color. Today, though, we’re taking a rare moment to celebrate the lack thereof, with a Los Angeles interior project by BROOK&LYN and Akin Creative that proves a rare exception to the “boring beige” maxim. The two studios recently teamed up to outfit the new L.A. outpost of Bassike, an Australian fashion brand known for its high-end line of basics, and took visual inspiration from the label’s understated approach — “their restrained, laid-back beach vibe, their use of honest materials, and their cues of subtle luxury,” explains Brian Hurewitz, co-founder of BROOK&LYN with Mimi Jung. The space incorporates new fixtures by the pair, along with a few standout furniture items that will most likely end up in their regular portfolio. They gave us a bit more backstory, below.

“We’ve designed individual pieces for public spaces in the past, but this was the first time that we were tasked with designing almost everything for an entire interior.”

“Bassike is an Australian fashion brand best known for their high-end line of basics. They have six stores in Australia, and Venice Beach is their first international location.”

“We used understated, luxury materials in their most basic forms. We played with varying angles to emphasize the beautiful light reflections and shadows cast throughout the sun-filled space.”

“The design for this mirror was conceived when Mimi saw a random composition of materials stacked against our studio walls. She took this visual language and designed a mirror using the most beautiful cut of Mountain Calacatta marble and chamfered glass to create the same effortless look.”

“Working on this project, we learned how critical it is to collaborate with clients and architects who value and share your same aesthetic. We never had to fight for an idea or sell Bassike on our perspective.”

“We designed many of the fixtures custom for Bassike. However, a few of the key pieces are from our BROOK&LYN collection. We’re currently working on a sectional sofa based on our Angled Bar Daybed seen at the center of Bassike’s space.”

“We’re also working with a startup in SF to outfit their new office with dozens of our hand spun Rounded Metal Planters, which can be seen throughout Bassike’s store.”

“We’re hoping to take on more retail experiences and office fit-outs. Moving forward, we’d love to not only design interior elements, but also play a role in crafting the architecture of the space as well.”