The Last Book Store, located a block away from our studios in Downtown Los Angeles, is, when the moon is right, a treasure trove of vintage, and what I like to call, pre-vintage, design tomes.  One has to arrive at the right time, as the store’s selection is constantly being suffused and then quickly consumed (the latter is our department). The store buys books too, on location. But the red meat supposedly comes from an enormous Citizen Cain style warehouse on the outskirts of downtown.  The aptly named, dream-like emporium is our favorite downtown purlieu is perhaps best described by Casey Cep in the Paris Review:

The Last Bookstore is equal parts mausoleum, shrine, and warehouse. If it were to be the last of the great commercial enterprises we know as bookstores, then it would be a fitting end to the legacy of booksellers, going all the way back to the ancient scribes.

In an effort to share in some of the toothsome booty we’ve managed to proffer from this magnificent establishment, we’re going to periodically build on a continuing series of posts tagged, ‘Last Books’.  We realize we’re kind of giving away our trade secret, so much of our design inspiration comes from the very shelves which we we’ll be divulging. But we’re indulgent when it comes to design, there’s enough for everybody.