Empiric

Not only is this store a go-​to place for unique and beautiful furniture and décor, but the customer service is A+. We had a problem with the fabric on a sofa we purchased from empiric last year, and Annie went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied. We received our new sofa yesterday and it’s absolutely gorgeous and so comfortable.

Great merchandise…

I used to make every gift I gave, put a lot of time and effort into them and shit. But then my 12 year old niece cried when she opened the painted clay Justin Beiber doll I made her, and I thought it may be time for a change :/
A special friends birthday was coming up and I wanted to get him something he would really enjoy. I made him a fantastic little DIY present and was thinking about something store bought to go with it. I decided on a vintage camera, since he’s a photography aficionado. I did a lot of research and found that Empiric was the only place who could get a hold of what I wanted. They were super easy to talk with, eager to track it down, and assured me it would be there within a few days.
3 days later, a friendly voice at Empiric called to tell me that my 1950s Ansco Agfa Solinar Camera with case had arrived.
Say wuuuuuuuuuut?!
PRAISE ALLAH! HALLELUJAH! GLORY BE TO BABY JESUS!
Kristen and I threw on our Sunday best and headed over to pick it up.
Once we arrived, we were assaulted with temptation! So much good stuff!
All of their pieces are unique, beautiful and elegant. They’re also very intelligent pieces; meaning both that they exude a certain level of intellect, and that there’s obviously considerable thought put into procuring them. My favorites are the light boxes — manufactured somewhere between the 1890’s and the 1940’s, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
The small staff here is excellent. Very friendly, helpful, personable and they give you their full attention — boys, you could take some pointers from these fine folk. They brought out my ordered camera and it was really stunning. They gave me a run down of its history (love that!) and seemed just as excited about it as I did. Even when I had to return it a week later (yes, a special order item! *gasp*), they were so great about it and took it back with no trouble. Magnifique!

I have been buying things from empiric a long time. Great stainless steel pieces. This last time it was a great orange lamp. The store is bigger now, and have more pieces that they are manufactoring themselves. But still they find amazing unique pieces. Not the cheapest, but it’s in line with what everybody else charges.

My «go to» place for funky, unique pieces that are pre-​screened for coolness. Found a fairly-​priced authentic «magic lantern» here for an important gift, and the owner and a colleague went to great lengths to help us research its vintage and understand what light source it might need. Another time we found a unique pedestal-​mounted set of wooden «stereoscopic glasses» with a special card (think the earliest form of 3D imaginable). While their collection of «one of a kind» pieces is vast and they often have fabulous booze-​related antiques, they also do reprints of vintage photos and posters (which can be found from time to time on
at a discount).

This place is so incredible. The owners are really nice and super helpful and everything they have, whether it is a vintage find or a new piece, is spot on. It is easy to want to spend money there. Plus they are generous with their time and open about sharing their resources (posted on their blog).

I started shopping at Empiric, which I came upon purely by accident, back in 2002 when furnishing my new condo.
Quite frankly, I can now say that seven years later ¾ of my home is furnished with items from Empiric, and chances are more will be gracing my home as the years go by! Each piece is completely unique, beautifully restored and/​or restyled, carefully designed with perfect lines and excellently upholstered.
Although the vast majority of the furniture I have bought from Empiric has been of their restored vintage variety, their production pieces are equally as exquisite, elegant and of superior quality.
Michael, the owner, is probably one of the nicest, if not THE nicest which makes for a wonderful shopping experience, as is the rest of the small staff. When I walk through the front door I feel as if I am the only one in the room and am treated like a guest in someones home — this is the kind of customer service that is rapidly disappearing in this day and age.
Bottom line — if you are looking for quality, excellent design, unique pieces plus the benefit exceptional customer service, Empiric is the only place to go!

As a «coming home» present my husband surprised me with one of Empiric’s life-​sized Phrenology heads that maps all the lobes of the brain and labelled with their function or module (Phrenology, while controversial, is certainly an interesting science /​pseudo-​science). The head itself is heavy, and beautiful, with blue etching. It occupies a prominent spot on our shelf of antique books with pretty spines, japanese fishing glass floats, and my grandmother’s old cat’s eye glasses. I absolutely love it. Thanks, husband!
Also: I love this store all the more now that I can say «my husband bought me head at Empiric.»

An excellent shop to pick up that Erlenmeyer flask or acupuncture pressure point model you’ve been dreaming about in that wonderfully twisted head of yours. Other fabulous oddities include a wreath covered in peacock feathers (I wanted it bad), taxidermy animals under bell jars, a metal table inlaid with bike chain under glass that can be cranked, lots of antique pharmacy bottles, large apothecary jars, and beautifully lived in furniture.
It’s the type of shop where if you walked out with anything it’s surely something that will make house guests comment, smile and look at you like they wish they were so cool. Such pride in your awesome home comes at a steep price though, which is why they only get 4 stars from me. I more than appreciate the uniqueness of everything they carry but some of those items are simply cool vintage finds and are beyond marked up.
Still, I picked up a glass measuring beaker to use as q-​tip holder in my bathroom for a mere $ 7.50 and while it doesn’t quite give my home the crazy science professor vibe that’s working at Empiric, give me time… that peacock wreath will someday be mine, overpriced or not.

My desire for one of their steel cabinets is approaching the 2 year mark. Before moving to LA, I stumbled upon this store and made it a regular stop on visits. Now that I live here I can’t decide if purchasing will ruin the fun.
They have the coolest collection of steel/​medical/​glass furniture and trinkets that I have ever seen. The people that run the place are very nice and if you visit the Culver store to find that it is locked — just knock, wait a few minutes and someone will open up.

California cool… definitely! Love the owners, they seem very down to earth and friendly. They were very friendly and helpful. I actually first saw their Culver City storefront but could never get there when they were open. I just happened to wander into the Los Angeles location on Beverly. So glad i did. Fabulous home décor and furniture that is more classic than trendy. I felt like i was in the coolest science classroom out of the 50’s but with touches of modern design elements if not sometimes quirky thrown in for fun. You can get some great conversation pieces there. Stuff you won’t find anywhere else. The store has an academic feel but it’s also very chic. I LOVE the lamps… gorgeous and timeless all at once, real pieces of art!

This is a furniture and home décor store but is so smart and well-​done it feels more like art than commerce. Classic American is the foundation for these pieces, but with a unique modern, California spin in the way of clean lines and slightly unusual shapes. There is a slight academic theme going on. Dark, warm colors. Tasteful and subtle but still fresh and interesting, this place encapsulates my tastes better than any business I’ve come across.

If you like mid-​century modern with a flair for the «scientific», head on to Empiric to spruce up your home, office, room or desk with gizmos, props and art objects reminiscent of 1920’s laboratory… One of a kind. Unique. Think erlenmeyer, florence and volumetric flasks, beakers. Original lab chair, stools, glass and metal cabinets.
Roam around and you just might get inspired to discover the next wonder drug we all need.