Los Angeles, wallforapricots.com
Before they founded the interiors firm Wall for Apricots in 2017, Brady Cunningham was a co-founder of the fashion boutique Tenoversix and Katy Burgess was commissioning public art in London. But thanks to the magical alchemy also known as great taste, the childhood friends have since designed gems like the pastel piano we showed at OFFSITE this year and a growing roster of hip commercial spaces in L.A.

What is American design to you, and what excites you about it?

In L.A. specifically we see a lot of hybrids – designers with overlapping disciplines. No one feels confined by expectations, and it creates a lot of space for collaboration. We love how informal and accessible American design is at the moment. As new designers, we’re amazed at how open others are to sharing their expertise. Nothing feels too precious or safe.

What are your plans and highlights for the upcoming year?

All of our clients to date have been female entrepreneurs, and two of our favorites have spaces opening in early 2019. For The Things We Do, a beauty concept bar at ROW DTLA, we wanted to inject the space with as much confidence as the owner herself has. Using her heritage as a focal point, we referenced traditional Filipino textiles, architecture, materials, and craftsmanship through a very California lens. In addition to her branding, we created all of the waiting room furniture and retail displays, as well as featuring our first foray into lighting design.

We’re also working with one of LA’s most iconic female-led brands, Moon Juice. In February we’re renovating two of their locations, inspired by the stone facade of the Venice shop and the ingredients used in their signature dusts.

As we continue to create custom furniture and fixtures for our commercial products, this year we’re excited to start producing some of our quirkier pieces for a wider market and making them available for residential projects.

What inspires or informs your work in general?

The piano we conceived for OFFSITE was a big moment for us. Designing a musical instrument was the culmination of so many things that inspire us – collaboration, nostalgia, unconventional furniture. We used that piece (and the reaction to it) to inform the way we’ve tackled subsequent projects. How can we present a functional object in an unconventional way? How can a space feel as good as it looks after the inevitable addition of an Instagram filter? But the less-philosophical answer is glass block. Specifically, peach glass block. It’s an unapologetic nod to our ’80s childhoods and reminds us of the thrill of receiving the Esprit catalog in the mail.