A Los Angeles Hotel with a Theatrical Flair

“We didn’t want to craft a space that takes itself too seriously,” says the Palisociety founder Avi Brosh of his approach to the brand’s newest property, Palihouse West Hollywood. He sought to soften the West Third Street building’s stark exterior with an eclectic, layered interior, taking cues from playful California luxury and the unpredictable charm of a stylish European inn. There is a theatrical feel throughout, starting with the check-in desk, which was designed to look like a stage with its curtains drawn. Each of the 95 rooms is adorned with antique pieces, custom light fixtures and artwork in abundance. And while there’s plenty to see and eat nearby — LACMA, La Brea Tar Pits and Caviar Kaspia are all a short drive — the hotel offers its own ecosystem of entertainment. All-day California fare is served in the lobby lounge, cafe and bar; the Pool Lounge offers complimentary refreshments like lemonade and candy; and on the mezzanine floor, you’ll find a sake bar with Japanese-fusion small plates like pressed sushi and a chicken katsu sandwich — with an accompanying late-night takeout window. Palihouse West Hollywood opens Dec. 1, rooms from $295, palisociety.com.

Covet This

Minjae Kim’s Sculptural, Symbolic Furniture, on View in Miami

The Miami-based gallerist Nina Johnson first became acquainted with the multidisciplinary designer Minjae Kim last summer when she saw his work at Marta, a gallery in Los Angeles. She immediately acquired a sculptural floor lamp built of highly lacquered dark Douglas fir with a fiberglass shade. And when she decided to add a library space to her gallery complex in Little Haiti, all designed by Charlap Hyman & Herrero, she knew she wanted to commission Kim to create furniture for it. “I wanted to show an artist whose work would engage with the architecture,” she explains. The New York-based Kim was born in Seoul and his work is often inspired by his multicultural identity; his wood and fiberglass chairs, tables, lamps and cabinets are typically crafted using Korean techniques and are often loaded with references both personal and historic. “The chair that I make can have more meaning than just a place to sit,” Kim says. “I try to hide the fact that the objects I make have a function.” For the opening of Johnson’s library, the 33-year-old designer created an exhibition of unique pieces under the name “IYKYK” — if you know, you know. To Kim it means that “someone with a Korean…