A coastal conversation: Los Angeles and its transformative view on wellness

Emphasising Eastern-inspired well-being rituals, the internationally-acclaimed Ayurvedic guru Martha Soffer presides over the Surya Spa. Here, guests can collaborate on custom-designed programmes that improve holistic wellness, leaving them refreshed and renewed to explore the city around them. The hotel also offers a private wellness suite, with a cold plunge pool, private sauna and even a Hyperice system to improve circulation. Sessions here also give guests access to the Ammortal Chamber, a technologically advanced experience to help support cellular regeneration. After experiencing all the amenities Santa Monica Proper has to offer, one might opt to visit a farmer’s market and a variety of cafés to suit any mood. The Daisy Cafe with its hearty açai bowls or Café Demitasse for a delicious cup of Kyoto iced coffee both offer a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

The architectural scene of Los Angeles is almost synonymous with mid-century design, known for its focus on functionality, with clean lines and organic shapes setting the stage for contemplation. Studio Keeta’s renovation of the Beachwood Canyon Treehouse is one such example. Constructed in 1957, the two-story home features floor- to-ceiling windows, exposed wooden beams and panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills. Tasked with maintaining the home’s flow with its outdoor area while bringing it into the 21st century, the Studio Keeta team created an eclectic mix for a musician to balance inspiration and entertainment.

Mindful of the sunlight permeating the home, the Studio Keeta team emphasised unexpected colour combinations with different shades of green, echoing the vintage hues of light sage on the home’s exterior. The floor plan is unusual, with the two floors accessible from both outdoor entrances.

More from Tatler: Home tour: a renovated neoclassical home with modern flair in Los Angeles, California

On the second level, the Waka Waka seating by the windows immerses guests in the meditative sway of nearby palm trees. Heading back downstairs, the living room features a Stahl and Band pouffe sofa to add biomorphic flow. Meanwhile, the Soriana chair by Tobia and Afra Scrapa for Cassina can be found in its original striped fabric from the 1970s.

A key area of collaboration between Leff and the Studio Keeta team is the media room, which plays on different tones of deep hunter green. Leff ’s existing chaise sofa was formerly nestled in his music studio, as the foundational piece. Now reupholstered in rich velvet, it matches the room’s walls, while the ceiling is clad in a metallic abalone wallpaper that adds unexpected visual interest.

The home is a study in colour and texture; neither Leff nor Studio Keeta is unafraid of whimsical materials, shapes and forms. Both maintain a deep respect for the home’s mid- century bones, ensuring that the interior and exterior maintain a fluid harmony while still upholding the functionality of daily life.

Another key renovation in Los Angeles occurred in the former home of A Quincy Jones, a California-based architect whose prolific work came about during the 1960s. For Joelle Kutner and Jesse Rudolph of Ome Dezin, working in tandem with Claire and Sam O'Connor of O'Connor Estates, renovations in historic Los Angeles sites must be grounded in the homes’ rich history, while expressing modern design sensibilities. Jones’s work was anchored on a fusion of the indoors and the outdoors, with spaces that evoke images of a light-filled atrium.

The California landscape takes centre stage in the home: warm palette, high ceilings and glazed windows with expansive views of the garden. A 40-foot waterfall surrounded by verdant scenes offers a stunning view; indoors, a central floating staircase made of soft white oak stands in the middle of the home. The materiality of the staircase laid the clues for the renovation, with Kutner and Rudolph using light timber, natural stone, plaster and metals for the structural foundation.

Apart from paying homage to Jones’s architectural impact, the Benmore home celebrates the works of other iconic designers and artists. A sculptural, custom-designed table by Ben Willet commands attention in the dining room, while the living room features tall doors inspired by Jean Prouvé. Pops of mid-century design can also be found in the den, with Charlotte Perriand wall lights and an Isamu Noguchi Akari floor lamp adding a playful twist.

The Sheats-Goldstein Residence, designed by John Lautner in the early 1960s, is one of Los Angeles’s most famous residences. Having been featured numerous times in films, television shows, music videos and more, the home is a pioneer of modernist architecture. It highlights concrete forms and glass walls, which stand in stark contrast with the warmth and organic flow of the homes renovated by Studio Keeta and Ome Dezin.

Adjacent to the space are the entertainment facilities, for which owner James Goldstein commissioned Conner + Perry Architects. Construction first began in the early 2000s, expanding to include offices, a library, an outdoor terrace with dining and kitchen amenities, a pool and a spa. The architects, James Perry and Kristopher Conner, strove to balance the property’s long history of development with the space’s wide array of new uses, from creating a guest house to a theatre in the coming years.

After exploring the unique homes throughout the city, an exquisite meal is in order. The Michelin-starred Camphor restaurant, located in the Arts District of Los Angeles, is known for its distinctive blend of French and Southeast Asian cuisine. Chef Max Boonthanakit emphasises clean, light flavours with thoughtful presentation, best exemplified through dishes like rigatoni stuffed with artichokes, Swiss chard and Comte, and the steak au poivre. The latter features a perfectly-seared exterior laid over a bed of Cognac cream, a sumptuous combination that leaves guests in awe.

The restaurant represents the spirit of Los Angeles: refined yet laidback. “We wanted to blend that urban, Arts District energy with a French touch,” the Camphor team mused. They implemented warm wood with soft, layered lighting to establish a lively yet elegant environment. Camphor’s open layout features communal seating and shareable plates, building a connection between guests and the staff throughout the unforgettable meal.

A trip to Los Angeles would not be complete without a vegan meal, and Pura Vita is a must-visit. This plant-based Italian restaurant is helmed by Chef Tara Punzone of New York, who has spent the last 30 years transforming the Italian dishes of her childhood into vegan delights.

First opened in 2018, Pura Vita in West Hollywood blends the ambience of a New York City wine bar with the warm comforts of a southern Italian menu. The team prides itself on using the most organic, sustainable ingredients, along with many gluten-free options for all guests to enjoy. Fresh-made pasta, Neapolitan-style pizza, and calzones pepper the menu. But their most popular dish is the vegan carbonara. Punzone first dreamt up this vegan iteration by substituting the guanciale with bacon made from shiitake mushrooms, while the cheese was replaced with housemade macadamia romano cream. She found herself puzzling over a replacement for the rich, creamy egg before dreaming of including avocado in the dish. This instinctive push has made Pura Vita’s vegan carbonara one of its most iconic dishes.

To complement the carbonara, the polpettine and peppas are a must-order. The former, soft mushrooms and lentils smothered in marinara and parmigiano made for a meatball dish. The peppas, named for Punzone’s father’s pronunciation of the word “pepper”, blend hot Italian peppers with almonds and raisins for an unexpected bite. Pura Vita also has a wide selection of vegan wines, boasting biodynamic selections from Italy, France and California.

Yet the best way to end a meal here is with a scoop of vegan gelato, which maintains the smooth custard of its cow-based counterpart. To further round up the meal, make sure to grab a slice of the Chocolate Fudge Cake. Its swirls of frosting are paired with a bright raspberry coulis, turning even the most ambivalent diner into a dessert enthusiast.

For an introvert such as myself, the nightlife scene can often be overwhelming. Luckily, Tea at Shiloh reinvents what a post-dinner celebration can look like. This late-night teahouse has evolved into a creative hub for events such as candlemaking, poetry studies, integrative healing exercises and more. The founders of Tea at Shiloh have recognised a deep need for community gathering, embodying compassion and curiosity, standing in stark contrast to a world that prioritises efficiency at any cost.

In response, they have curated a space that encourages slow, sustained communing with people from all walks of life and with oneself. One recent event blended scholarly research with somatic grounding, encouraging participants to connect with blue lotus medicine gathered from the shores of Sri Lanka. To restore balance to one’s heart and soul, guests were immersed in a sound bath healing and multisensory meditation exercise, finding a new way to engage with ancient herbal wisdom in a soothing environment.

Aside from nourishing one’s body, no trip to Los Angeles would be complete without an enrichment of the mind. I made it a point to visit as many museums as I could, enthralled by the unique displays of pieces ranging from early American settlements to bold encapsulations of pop culture.

One such museum is the Getty Center, a museum and research institute established by oil tycoon J Paul Getty for his expansive collection of European artworks and captivating international photographs. On my first time at the Getty Center, I was captivated by Richard Meier’s design, which features clean, white lines in a gridlike layout to maximise the property’s hillside location. The travertine used throughout the property was sourced from the same region as the Coliseum in Rome, hearkening back to the Getty Villa’s collection of Roman art and architecture. The result reveals a fossilised texture, which adds contrast to the glass walls permeating the space without damaging the art.

Another notable museum is the LACMA, which has several paintings by the Cubist icon Pablo Picasso and Pop Art figure Andy Warhol, along with works by Surrealist painter Frida Kahlo, among others. One of my favourite pieces spanned an entire wall: it featured an interpretation of Mulholland Drive by David Hockney, whose bold use of colour breathed new life into the bustling streets of Los Angeles.

During my trip, I was able to see Josiah McElheny’s Island Universe in the Resnick Pavilion. The five hanging chandeliers took inspiration from the light fixtures at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, an icon of mid-century modern design that coincided with a growing interest in the cosmos. The installation punctuated the room with its metallic forms, causing the viewers to question their own place in a chromatic, unfolding universe.

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