Spotlight: Muji Santa Monica
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
When it comes to clean-lined, minimalist-inspired tableware, bedding, and laundry goods, the folks at Muji Santa Monica definitely have it down to a science. The 34-year-old Japanese–based company (whose name “Muji” translates as “no branding, good products”), has now opened doors to a second Los Angeles location on Main Street. The pristine, 6,300-square-foot emporium, outfitted with exposed brick walls, metal beams, custom-built shelving units made from sheet metal and wood planks, and skylights, is a one-stop-shop for a well-edited compilation of lifestyle essentials: plain white tees, aerodynamically-designed mini desk fans, black-and-white gingham slippers, woven baskets made from abaca fiber, ceramic toothbrush stands, porcelain teapots, modern dining tables, wall clocks, and acrylic storage systems. “MUJI Santa Monica is a bit special among our U.S. stores in that there is a strong sense of neighborhood,” says Muji U.S.A Limited President Asako Shimazaki. “A lot of people who come to the store are stopping in during a stroll around the area, or on their way home from the gym. The first thing they are struck by is how nice the space looks. When they leave, they often thank us for opening a store in Santa Monica.”
Inside the immaculate, gallery-like store, don’t-miss items from Ryukyu glass sets crafted from broken and reassembled pieces of sheet glass and bottles in Okinawa, Japan, to cotton oxford bedding made from classic cotton shirting, and modern large-scale items such as the sand-hued reclining sofa and white, armless chair.
By Jennie Nunn
Pictured: The new Muji store in Santa Monica.
Photo by Mor Weizman
