→ The Inheritance Collection
Est. in 2011,
How It Started
In 2011, two years after marrying Beks, and moving into their 1940's apartment in East Los Angeles, Stephen became captivated by furniture design. In some ways, it was an escape from his day work as a bag designer, and the result of wanting to furnish their new home with furniture that felt authentic to his design mentality.
One weekend while Beks was at work, he carefully dismantled her vintage vinyl lounge chair—layer by layer—revealing the structure beneath. He took that chair and remade it, building on his deep love of learning through deconstruction an rebuilding. He then set out to create a piece that highlighted exposed construction rather than hiding it.
He enlisted a friend, a welder, to craft a steel frame to his specifications. The first sofa was welded on a sidewalk at the edge of the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles.
For the finish, he collaborated with a local metal shop to develop a warm, oxidized patina we now call Marbled Rust.
During this time Stephen was working as a bag designer producing a collection of travel bags utilizing Vintage Military Canvas, and he remained deeply inspired by the material. He went to an old military supply warehouse and hand selected several WWII era Half Shelter tents to sew into cushion covers.
For the cushion supports, he wanted to use a vintage WWI era “mule belt”, but the length didn’t quite work. These mule belts were originally issued to soldiers to strap supplies to pack mules. They were composed of 2.5” wide natural cotton webbing with two distinctive red stripes, aged brown leather and solid brass buckles. Stephen went to a local webbing mill with the vintage belt and they agreed to replicate the pattern and color.
He sourced oxblood leather from a nearby tannery and sewed the first set of support belts himself. The finished sofa featured an exposed metal frame, military canvas upholstery, and webbing and leather belt supports. Below you can see the original version of the Inheritance Sofa — later revised with central supports and simplified cushions. Design, after all, is an ongoing process of refinement.
Where it is made
The way that first piece came together still informs our approach. Our in-house team handles upholstery, sewing, and woodworking. For metalwork and specialty finishes, we partner with skilled local artisans—many with decades of experience—whose knowledge continues to shape our process.
How it has evolved…
Over the past decade, we’ve continued to refine the collection. Initially, the belt webbing ran beneath the seat cushions, offering flexibility but limited support. We transitioned to a fixed wood base with removable upholstered seats—enhancing both structure and longevity.
While our earliest pieces used vintage military canvas, we’ve since expanded into new materials.
Our standard material selections include a military-tent inspired canvas, wool from Kvadrat in Denmark, and leather from Moore + Giles in Virginia.
We've also had the opportunity to use a range of special vintage fabrics like U.S. Mailbag canvas, ancient Japanese boro quilts, and vintage Turkish rugs.
This collection continues to grow, driven by creative partnerships and customers who bring bold ideas to the table.