Nevels Pellet Stoves: Casa Perfect: A Modern Retail Concept Perfected by David Alhadeff

The trending retail concept where you can shop in a storefront that’s actually a living room or an apartment isn’t new, but New-York based The Future Perfect has taken it one step further with Casa Perfect, a fully shoppable, by-appointment-only midcentury modern home located high in the Hollywood Hills. (Sadly, the house itself isn’t available for purchase. I checked.) The 3000-sq-ft home was designed by Korean American architect David Hyun in the 1950s and now operates as a backdrop to showcase the latest in contemporary design.

In a truly unique, quintessentially LA setting, Casa Perfect offers designers and collectors a chance to privately view an impeccable collection of works (some of which are debut designs and not available anywhere else) from designers such as: Lisa Eisner, Adam Pogue, Christian Woo, Eric Roinestad, Lindsey Adelman, De La Espada, Michael Anastassiades, Bec Brittain, Calico Wallpaper, Piet Hein Eek, Dimore Studio, Pinch, Roll & Hill, Kasthall Carpets, Lex Pott, Christopher Stuart and more. Today, we chat with The Future Perfect founder David Alhadeff about his vision for Casa Perfect and the biggest lesson he’s learned since opening the store.

Why did you pick this location versus a traditional storefront?

It’s been a long personal dream to do something in LA. I love the city and you could say this is a “dreams do come true” moment for me. The Future Perfect is a destination-type shopping experience, which fits because LA shopping is a destination driven experience in general. So the idea of creating a space that was a by-appointment-only, very private shopping experience made sense to me.

Where did you get the name for your store?

The Future Perfect says something about the people we represent. When I had first started almost 15 years ago, we were working with an emerging group of designers that nobody had ever really heard of. I hoped that this group may someday turn out to be our industry leaders. It certainly has proven true now looking back! I really like The Future Perfect as a grammatical tense. It means, “I will have done that then,” which is to say, when we speak in the future perfect, we are speaking in the past tense about something happening in the future.

This tends to be the way creatives speak about their work. And on top of all that, I loved (and still love) the inherent optimism in the phrase. Now more than ever we need to work for the future perfect.

Casa Perfect is our affectionately titled name for our Los Angeles outpost since it’s in a home.

What’s one of the challenges you have with the business?

Finding great people to work with is the hardest part. I mean this both for our staff and the designers we represent. The Future Perfect is a family at this point and adding a new member is more than just adding a head or a title or great work to the mix. We are adding someone to a close knit group of friends (in and out of work).

What’s your favorite item in the space right now?

I cannot pick a favorite amongst my children! Sorry, but that’s real. Every item is very personal to me. Some of them are commissioned by me or created in collaboration with the people I work with.

What is the theme?

For the opening of Casa Perfect, I selected a group of work that’s quintessentially The Future Perfect. I chose work from the three categories of work we present, all of them contemporary in nature. The first category is the limited or one-of-a-kind pieces that are part of our gallery program. We have work from local designers Eric Roinestad and Kristin Victoria Barron on display as well as work from Lindsey Adelman, Michael Anastassiades, Lex Pott and Christopher Stuart from this group. We also have work we exclusively represent in the market from Dimore Studio, Pinch, Hagit Pincovici and Rooms, among others. And finally we are showing work from the contemporary production lines we represent including De La Espada, Gubi, Arflex and more.

Are you carrying any new products and/or undiscovered gems you’re particularly excited about?

A lot of the work at The Future Perfect is new to Los Angeles. There’s such a large part of our program that’s exclusive to us, so that what we have here at Casa Perfect is truly unique to LA. In addition, we have brand new work from Eric Roinestad, Lisa Eisner for Commune, Adam Pogue for Commune, Jonathan Cross, and an entirely brand new collection of outdoor pieces by Christian Woo.

Since opening, what’s been a consistent best seller?

Eric Roinestad ceramics.

Do you have your own line?

Yes – we have the Kent and Goddard upholstered seating collections that we make. The Kent is designed by Jason Miller. Goddard is by Russell Pinch.

Any special events/exhibits/pop-ups/collaborations coming up?

We are doing special events with Sonos, art curators and swimwear companies! We will also be doing presentations of new work with Marta Sala in early April. And we have a ton of collaborations and presentations in the pipeline.

Do you have anything from the store in your own home?

So much! My house is like an archive of past and present The Future Perfect. I just recently redid my house actually and it was a huge point of inspiration for me to create new work with the people I work with, specifically for that project that is now part of our offering. Like, the lighting designs by Eric Roinestad or the stools by Reinaldo Sanguino with gold and platinum glaze.

What’s next for you and The Future Perfect?

We have our hands full right now with the 3 galleries, but we are always launching new work and thinking about new locations. Marta Sala is the next line of contemporarily produced furniture we are presenting in all 3 spaces. The work is designed by Lazzarini & Pickering and is an incredible example of a quiet and sophisticated collection of modern pieces for the home. Standouts include the Elizabeth sofa and the Miro desk. Also the Murena chair, which can be used outdoors and is so elegant. I daresay it may be the single most elegant outdoor chair on the market!

What’s one lesson you’ve learned since opening your store?

It’s been 15 years of lessons. But I think the biggest ones is simply round pegs fit into round holes. I don’t force things. Either they work or they don’t.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to follow a similar path to yours, what would it be?

There’s too little time to work with people who live in fear.

What is good design in your opinion?

Good design solves a problem, in a way that’s unique or better than the solutions that came before it. The kind of design I’m looking for solves the problem artfully with a clear sense of direction.