Bryce Toney knows his audience. The environmentally conscious entrepreneur, tastemaker and self-taught furniture craftsman, opened his home décor boutique in the dire 2009 economy and managed to not only stay afloat, but to actually expand his business twofold. Now including a furniture workshop and an interior design service, in partnership with Shanna Shryne of Shryne Designs, Curious… is a popular South Bay destination for vintage and repurposed home furnishings.
Toney attributes the boutique’s success to its affordability and its appeal to local sensibilities. “It’s the Hermosa Beach style,” he says. “It’s green and it’s based on recycled materials. …That’s the kind of concept that has kept me in business.”
Customers can watch Toney at work on custom-made pieces through a window, actually a recycled glass door, linking the furniture workshop to the boutique.
Curious…: 128 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach. 310-372-8452. www.curiousworkshop.com
Runner-up: Living Spaces, 1519 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach. 877-266-7300. www.livingspaces.com
