If you walk into Liz Gordon’s shop, Liz’s Antique Hardware in Los Angeles, you might think you’ve entered a cave of treasures. Shiny brass doorknobs, large skeleton keys, drawer pulls with just the right patina, Art Deco hinges and hardware, milk glass light fixtures and intricately carved switchplates – this panoply is neatly arranged over every inch of the shop’s walls and counters. The hardware store salvages the graceful remnants of years past and unites them with consumers who reuse the elegant items in their homes. Liz commented, “The beauty of the store is that it encompasses two hundred years of design, which reaches even further back, as many of the objects’ motifs reference the Greeks and Romans.” The store’s importance extends beyond its design offerings, as creating a market for antique hardware keeps the material out of the garbage dump.

Liz entered the hardware business unexpectedly, “I met a guy when I was twenty-one who had a warehouse full of stuff in Chicago and wanted to get out of the business. So I borrowed some money from my grandmother and bought him out. All of the hardware items were in buckets, a jumbled mix and mess,” she said. She eventually moved the inventory to L.A. and conquered the chaos. Her well-appointed shop even has a searchable online inventory where one can find, for example, a pressed iron Victorian doorplate.

For years, Liz didn’t have to sit in L.A.’s notorious traffic to get to work since she lived in a spacious loft above her hardware store. But, when she bought a home, she saw an opportunity to transform the loft into an art gallery. Now called “The Loft at Liz’s” the gallery displays contemporary art with shows curated by Liz herself or an occasional guest curator.

Many of the Loft’s exhibitions support public interest causes. According to Liz’s web site, The Frostig Collection is a “series of sculptures and works on paper created by renowned artists to benefit children with learning disabilities, Asperger’s, and autism.” Liz commented about the collection’s opening, saying, “It was fantastic. We had a wonderful crowd fully engaged in the art.” The show ran through June 14 and was curated by Kate Stern.

Diverted Destruction is an annual event demonstrating the synergy between Liz’s hardware and art endeavors. Diverted Destruction showcases the work of celebrated artists who use castoff materials for their art installations. The event’s audience is encouraged to follow suit in a special artist workshop on July 16 from 2-4 P.M. Liz puts hardware items on a table that are either broken or too new to be sold in the store and encourages the participants to make art from objects that would otherwise be destined for the trash. “We want to keep the objects on the land in lieu of in it,” Liz says. Diverted Destruction runs from June 18 through September 6.

Liz proves that art, philanthropy, and environmental sustainability can all have a place within a thriving business. For women who dream of owning their own art-related business, Liz gives this advice: “Plan on working hard and staying focused. Expect the challenges of running a business, whether it’s an art gallery or store. Love is your product. Love your work and be passionate about it.”

For more:
Location of Liz’s Antique Hardware and The Loft at Liz’s:
453 S. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Web site for Liz’s Antique Hardware: www.lahardware.com
Web site for The Loft at Liz’s: www.theloftatlizs.com