Meet Arabella Mcintosh of Palm Beach Black in Venice Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arabella Mcintosh.

Arabella, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in a warehouse style house behind my parent’s antique store in Sydney, Australia. We spent our summers traveling through Europe in a truck, buying antiques to fill containers to ship back to Australia. I secretly despised old things. Our house, as well as the shop was filled with antiques – even our landline phone was a turn of the century – hand-cranked unit. The house was beautiful and often featured in magazines, but I remember dreaming of having new furniture that hadn’t been owned by someone else.

As a tomboy, instead of playing with dolls I spent a lot of my free time in the workshop with my Dad building and restoring furniture. As a master craftsman he taught me how to make furniture without power tools, the way the pioneers did. We taught workshops in Green Wood Working. I grew up to appreciate quality workmanship, to identify the quality of a piece of furniture by its construction and the types of joins used.

With a background of fashion design, furniture buying and now interiors, it has been a gradual sideways evolution that has eventually returned me right back to where I first started. Although now I buy for other people and not for a store, I spend a lot of time crawling through dusty warehouses, shopping vintage markets and buying furniture that’s had a previous life. The process is the same, but my style is very different from my parents. I have a less is more approach. I like to celebrate the negative space. When I’ve spent days, even weeks searching for “the chair” – it deserves to shine.

I spent my adolescence motivated by what I didn’t want and now I’ve flipped it being motivated by what matters most to me – Helping create a culture of sustainable craftsmanship and considered consumption.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely. For me my main struggle has come from balancing finding a balance between design and sustainability. Trying to reach a point where I feel comfortable about my process and the end result, and letting go of perfection.

For a long time, when I looked at my business under the eco microscope it felt like every option or pathway had some detrimental element. There was always that moment of “but what about the…”. Many times I have felt frozen, unsure which way to move forward. I’ve had to forge a path for myself and my business and realize it’s a process of gradual change and not perfection… I have had to work out where I could make the most impact in my sphere of influence. For me it’s making sure the products that I manufacture and procure have the smallest impact on waste as possible – as it’s what I have most control over. That means looking at the way products are packaged, not just the ones I send, but the ones I receive and sourcing vintage over new where ever possible without compromising on design.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Palm Beach Black – what should we know?
I design spaces which feel warm and lived in, without clutter or over styling. I used a lot of neutral colors, organic materials and plants. Maybe it’s an Australian thing but I consider my handwriting a type of “laid back luxury”. I am best known for sourcing unique vintage furniture and decor. I guess it’s my heritage. It ensures my clients get a bespoke look that’s authentic to them. I follow my instinct and not trends, and my design evolves as I get to know my clients rather following a pitched finished look.

What sets me apart? Probably my approach to buying. My motivation. It sounds like a lofty idea but for me it’s not about margin. It’s as much about the design as it is about being part of and encouraging a circular economy. It’s by no means the easiest approach to design but the most rewarding for me. I like to involve my clients in my procurement process and let them enjoy the narrative behind each piece. I believe the more conscious we are about where something comes from and why we are choosing it, the more we feel connected to the item. The more joy it will bring, and the more chance they will live with us for a long time or be handed down for generations to come. I do the hard work so that my clients and customers can feel good about their homes and the products they are buying.

One of my current projects is a 7000 square foot home in Venice Beach. So far, I would say 95% of the items I have sourced are vintage. For the basics like rug pads, I look at the whole lifecycle of the item. Is it made from natural or recycled materials, how long will it last, and at the end of its service can it be recycled or can it biodegrade?

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The obvious answer for me is the flea markets and furniture stores. Australia is known for our emerging designers, however we don’t have the history or the range of vintage furniture like what is available here. I also like the diversity in the architecture and people’s tastes. It really pushes me to new places.

My least favorite thing? The June gloom. Which is now creeping from April through to August! But by the time you enjoy the magnificent sunsets and an afternoon swim, you’ve already forgotten about the gray morning you just had.

Contact Info:

• Website: palmbeachblack.com
• Email: [email protected]

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