H.D. Buttercup's imaginary, art-filled home

Michael Fuchs creates a fictional, art-filled apartment for H.D. Buttercup — (Image credit: Stephen Busken)

Berlin-based gallerist Michael Fuchs has conceived H.D. Buttercup’s Apartment - an art installation occupying part of a 30,000 sq ft warehouse in LA’s Arts District, which will be the location of the new flagship retail store and HQ of H.D. Buttercup

Ever wondered who lives above the shop – and what their home might look like? Berlin-based gallerist Michael Fuchs is tapping into our curiosity with a sumptuous installation of an imaginary apartment in LA’s Arts District. Fuchs’ gorgeous fantasy, H.D. Buttercup’s Apartment inhabits part of a 30,000 sq ft in a downtown warehouse – the location of the new flagship retail store and HQ of H.D. Buttercup, the Californian interiors emporium, who celebrate a decade of trading this year.

To mark the occasion of their flagship opening, H.D. Buttercup invited Fuchs (who runs Michael Fuchs Galerie) to curate an installation at the site, inspired in part by Fuchs’ own apartment above his gallery in Mitte, housed in a former Jewish Girls’ School.

H.D. Buttercup’s Apartment is presented as the living space of Herbie Buttenscheimer, a fictional figure, who according to the whimsical narrative founded the H.D. Buttercup enterprise. Buttercup is a furniture and art dealer with an impressive and eclectic collection of modern and contemporary pieces. The fanciful biography is loosely based on H.D. Buttercup’s real-life founder, Evan Cole, who once lived above ABC Carpet and Home in New York.

There are other elements of truth in this three-dimensional fiction: a 2013 Douglas Gordon light bulb sculpture and nude painting by William N. Copley are items that caught Cole’s attention when visiting Fuch’s own apartment in Berlin. Other iconic pieces, such as Verner Panton’s ‘Cloverleaf’ sofa and a Muslingestolar 'Clam' chair stand alongside personal pieces from Fuch’s collection – built up over three decades - including a sculpture by Frank Stella, paintings by Nir Hod and a video work by Marco Brambila.

It’s probably as inspiring a presentation of livable art and design as you can ever visit – epitomising the aspirational and loose style of California – and an insight into the homes of passionate collectors.

H.D. Buttercup, a Californian interiors emporium, celebrated a decade of trading this year. To commemorate, the company commissioned Fuchs to curate an installation at the site, inspired in part by Fuchs’ own apartment above his gallery in Mitte, Berlin

H.D. Buttercup’s Apartment is presented as the living space of Herbie Buttenscheimer, a fictional figure, who according to the whimsical narrative founded the H.D. Buttercup enterprise. H.D. Buttercup’s real life founder, Evan Cole once lived above ABC Carpet and Home in New York

The installation features treasures such as a 2013 Douglas Gordon light bulb sculpture and nude painting by William N. Copley erotic painting. Other iconic pieces include Verner Panton’s ‘Cloverleaf’ sofa and a Muslingestolar ’Clam’ chair

There are also personal pieces from Fuch’s collection – built up over three decades - like a sculpture by Frank Stella, paintings by Nir Hod and a video work by Marco Brambila

INFORMATION

Website

H.D. Buttercup’s Apartment is now on view until 26 March 2016

Photography: Stephen Busken

ADDRESS

H.D. Buttercup Downtown Los Angeles Arts District
2118 E. 7th Place
Los Angeles, California

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Charlotte Jansen is a journalist and the author of two books on photography, Girl on Girl (2017) and Photography Now (2021). She is commissioning editor at Elephant magazine and has written on contemporary art and culture for The Guardian, the Financial Times, ELLE, the British Journal of Photography, Frieze and Artsy. Jansen is also presenter of Dior Talks podcast series, The Female Gaze.