The Asian-inspired aesthetic of the Charles Jacobsen showroom at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles is a person vision of beauty and discipline. The antique pieces from Asia and India are chosen, in part, for their architectural appeal. Beauty of wood, finishes and personality are also important. This is mainly domestic furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries: the pieces show their age and one is comforted by these beautiful objects from other times and cultures. Recently, we have added some pieces of Ming furniture to our Chinese offerings: they are more unusual and expensive that the Ching furniture and have a different character. Over the years, we have designed lines of soft seating, mainly sofas, chairs and ottomans, which marry well with the antiques in their simpicity of line. Since the upholstery is custom, any variation on our presentation can be made. Fabric is important in the presentation of the aesthetic, and nowhere is that better observed than in the choice of fabrics we use. Since we sell our soft seating off the floor, there is an ongoing change of dimension and fabric that one sees on subsequent visits. We are continually rethinking our presentation, which keeps the showroom a fresh teaching platform for designers and their clients. In addition, we sell reproduction furniture that we call new forms. The Lines are clean and show off the beauty of the wood we use. We do custom work and provide clients with exactly what they desire within the framework of the new forms aesthetic. Finally, we sell textiles: most are antique, like Japanese obi and Indian metallic embroidery work known as zardosi. We also sell custom-colored, vegetable-dyed Tibetan rugs with no patterns--they act as tranquil backgrounds for the furniture. There is great cohesion among the various parts of the inventory; everything is chosen with a sense of campatibility. The result is calm and beauty. Since its relocation from Chicago to Los Angeles fourteen years ago, the showroom has expanded to over eleven thousand square feet. The warehouse in Culver City is slightly larger and is enhanced with lovely gardens and plant containers from India in both marble and metal. The combination of venues allows for both beauty of design and display of a large inventory.
