This Interior Design Maven's Highland Park Furniture Source

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Los Angeles has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around LA that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.

Image via Vintage Apartment/Facebook

In 2011, Rich Pedine established RPpr, a boutique communications firm specializing in public relations for the interior design industry. He's a contributor to California Home + Design Magazine, is a member of the Us Weekly Fashion Police and a proud father of a five-year-old beagle. Here, he fills us in on the Highland Park spot where he picked up his home office desk.

"When I decided it was time for a new desk for my home office earlier this summer, my first stop was online browsing. I thought I might get lucky with a flash sale site, but I can never purchase big ticket items online. My next step was to check my usual suspects—HD Buttercup, West Elm, CB2—and again I came up empty handed. I didn't think any of the pieces had enough personality or storage. Finally, I stumbled upon Vintage Apartment in Highland Park and it was exactly what I was looking for without even knowing it. Character, personality and storage: check. The best part was finding a piece that truly felt unique. Highland Park is a bit of a drive for me to make on a whim, so my first tip is to browse online daily. If you see something that you like, contact the store immediately with your questions, and then schedule a trip to visit the store right away. The pieces I have seen online and loved the most are often gone in just a few days! Trust me, once you get inside the store, you will find plenty of pieces that you love, and you'll wish you had brought a pickup truck with you!"

· Rich Pedine PR [Official Site]
· Vintage Apartment [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked LA]

Vintage Apartment

106 S. Ave 58 Los Angeles 90042