Chris Fowler and Suzy Moore’s Riviera Village Showroom Fowler & Moore at Home Reflects the Local Design Duo’s Timeless and Tasteful Style
When you walk down Catalina Avenue, in the heart of Riviera Village, there’s a store that’s hard to miss—not just for its striped black-and-tan awning, but for the bounty of furniture, lighting and home accessories on display in its big picture windows.
So eye-catching and polished are these scenes that it makes complete sense that behind Fowler & Moore At Home are two native South Bay interior designers, Chris Fowler and Suzy Moore, who, as a team have been creating elegant residences for over 20 years.
TASTE ON DISPLAY
“We had a room full of stuff that wasn’t being seen,” says Moore. “So we decided, hmm, it’s time to open up a store.”
Aside from inspiring those looking to revamp their home, the store is a touch-and-feel gallery for customers and designers who want to see how a given piece translates in the flesh, versus just gazing at it on a website or in a catalog. “It allows designers to come in and experience how a piece functions in reality.”
The team scours design shows—Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, and shows in Atlanta and High Point Market in North Carolina are favorites—to keep their creative vision sharp and to bring in new items, from lighting and pillows to furniture, fabrics and original works of art.
While the aesthetic of the store leans towards the sophisticated end—with individual set-ups or “vignettes,” as the designers call them, charmingly layered, projecting a classic look that telegraphs that they’ll outlast more than a few fleeting design trends—the atmosphere is welcoming and helpful. The ladies, after all, are in this to share their love of design with others.
COME TO BROWSE-SIT AND TOUCH, TOO
“We get to play with design,” says Fowler, when asked about what she finds most satisfying about having the store. “We take a visual from our minds and make it happen. It’s very rewarding to see how we put things together—and the response from the public.”
The store is so expertly staged—layered with high-end, stylish pieces, including one-of-a-kind items—that it’s worth it to take the time to look around at the individual scenes. Once you start looking, you can’t help but see more.
“You see people’s eyes dart around the room,” Moore says, describing a typical reaction. And despite the elegant look of the place, the designers and their staff encourage visitors to engage with the vignettes. “We urge people to pick things up,” adds Moore.
Not to miss is a stop at the store during the holidays, when the designers’ love of the season expertly extends to Fowler & Moore At Home, which gets decked out with all the trimmings. (The designers also host popular holiday how-to seminars. “It really evolved,” says Moore of their holiday offerings. “Now we have a big Christmas following.”)
No matter the season, if you stop into the store looking for something specific, and don’t see it on the showroom floor, you can always ask staff for the book that holds images of the designers’ entire stock—not all pieces are on display, and many are stored at a nearby warehouse.
“We don’t just present one look, says Moore. “We present all these different options, because we want someone to fall in love with their house.”
Fowler & Moore at Home
1721 S. Catalina Avenue, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310.378.1013 | FowlerandMoore.com
Photography by Paul Jonason