LA-based, Canadian-born furniture designer Stephen Kenn Opperman is appreciative of what’s been given to him. For “The Inheritance Collection”, Opperman uses local repurposed military fabric to create sleek, masculine and durable fine seating that is simple and transparent in its design—a very modern idea—and also nostalgic, transcendent and emotionally evocative. Both the locally-sourced repurposed military fabric itself and the symbolism it carries reminds us to be aware of what we have around us, and to not take it for granted. His pieces pay homage to the people and the industries that have fought and died. “People are blown away that you can make things in the city that you live in.” says Opperman, who creates his pieces with his wife, Bek, and with the help of local leather-workers and vendors in Los Angeles (Process Creative did a great video detailing the background of the furniture and all the people involved with its creation). In admiration of his grandfather and the generation of bravery and sacrifice, he values hard-work, quality, and thoughtfulness in his life and his work. Fans of his Temple Bags ( now owned by McManus) will appreciate the carried-over Opperman aesthetic. In addition to their furniture collection, the duo hosts a neighborhood coffee shop at their workshop/showroom space on weekday mornings from 8-11am. It’s called _Backdoor Coffee Club _and is open to the public, but if you plan on stopping by it’s best to follow them on Twitter (@backdoor_coffee) to make sure they’re there.
Stephen Kenn/Backdoor Coffee Club, 1250 Long Beach Ave., Suite 120, Los Angeles