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The landscape of luxury interior design in Southern California is undergoing a significant transformation as Ryan Saghian, a prominent Los Angeles-based designer, formalizes and expands his partnership with the Dutch luxury furniture powerhouse, Eichholtz. By launching Eichholtz California, Saghian has transitioned from a long-time admirer and frequent specifier of the brand to a primary curator and business operator, tailoring a massive European catalog to fit the specific aesthetic demands of the West Coast market. This strategic expansion, which began with a flagship in West Hollywood, is now moving through Orange County and into the high-desert design hub of Palm Desert, marking a new chapter in experiential furniture retail.
The Genesis of Eichholtz California and the Curatorial Vision
The partnership between Ryan Saghian and Eichholtz is rooted in a professional affinity that spans several years. As an interior designer known for his "maximalist-meets-modern" sensibility, Saghian frequently integrated Eichholtz pieces into his high-end residential projects. However, the sheer volume of the Dutch brand’s offerings—which encompasses approximately 4,000 distinct products ranging from lighting and upholstery to accessories and outdoor furniture—presented both an opportunity and a challenge for the California market.
Recognizing a gap in the availability of curated, ready-to-buy luxury furniture on the West Coast, Saghian conceived Eichholtz California. The project is not merely a distribution arm but a highly selective edit. Saghian serves as the Creative Director, narrowing the 4,000-piece global catalog down to a refined collection of approximately 400 items. This selection is filtered through what Saghian describes as a "distinctly California lens," focusing on pieces that complement the light, scale, and indoor-outdoor lifestyle prevalent in the region.
The design philosophy of these showrooms centers on "tension." Saghian’s goal is to move away from the sterile, monochromatic look often associated with modern showrooms. Instead, he integrates antiques, original artwork, and items from complementary brands to create a layered, lived-in environment. By placing glamorous, polished European silhouettes next to raw, organic textures and contemporary art next to collected antiquities, the showrooms function more like curated galleries than traditional retail spaces.
Strategic Regional Expansion: A Chronology of Growth
The rollout of Eichholtz California has been meticulously timed to capture the most influential design markets in the state. Each location is chosen not just for its zip code, but for its specific relationship with the architectural community and the local demographic’s lifestyle needs.
Phase I: The West Hollywood Flagship (2023)
The expansion began last year with the opening of a 6,000-square-foot flagship showroom in the heart of West Hollywood. Located in the epicenter of the Los Angeles design district, this location serves as the brand’s cultural anchor. It was designed to appeal to the trade professional—architects and designers—while remaining accessible to the high-net-worth retail consumer. The West Hollywood space established the visual language of Eichholtz California, emphasizing high-contrast interiors and theatrical lighting displays.
Phase II: The Orange County Expansion (December 2023)
Building on the momentum of the Los Angeles launch, the team opened a second location in Costa Mesa in December 2023. This showroom represents a significant scale-up, occupying nearly 8,500 square feet within the South Coast Collection (SoCo) and The OC Mix, a premier destination for interior design and boutique shopping in Orange County. The Costa Mesa location allows the brand to tap into a different design community, one characterized by large-scale coastal estates and a robust suburban luxury market.
Phase III: The Palm Desert Frontier (Scheduled for December 2024)
The third and most recent development in the expansion plan is the upcoming showroom in Palm Desert, slated for a December 2024 opening. Situated in the Coachella Valley’s prestigious design district, this location targets a market defined by mid-century modern heritage, desert contemporary architecture, and a high concentration of second-home owners. The Palm Desert showroom is expected to deviate from the aesthetics of the previous two, leaning into the specific environmental and architectural context of the desert.
Operational Synergy: The Four Pillars of Leadership
The success of the Eichholtz California rollout is predicated on a diverse leadership team that balances creative vision with operational and retail expertise. Ryan Saghian co-founded the West Coast operation alongside three partners, each bringing a specific skill set to the venture.
- Ryan Saghian (Creative Director): Provides the aesthetic direction, product curation, and brand identity. His influence ensures that the showrooms resonate with the current trends of the California interior design industry.
- Anthony Checetto (Head of Retail Operations): A former antiques dealer, Checetto’s background in unique finds and historical pieces informs the "collected" look of the showrooms. He oversees the day-to-day retail logistics and ensures the inventory remains dynamic.
- Michael Webster and James Lunsford (Retail Executives): These partners brought the necessary infrastructure to scale the business. As experienced entrepreneurs and retail executives, Webster and Lunsford manage the financial and strategic growth of the network, allowing the brand to expand from a single boutique concept to a statewide retail presence.
According to Saghian, the addition of Webster and Lunsford was the catalyst for the brand’s rapid growth, providing the "complementary strengths" required to think beyond a single flagship and toward a comprehensive California network.
Market Analysis: The Resilience of High-End Physical Showrooms
The expansion of Eichholtz California comes at a time when the broader retail sector is grappling with the shift toward e-commerce. However, the luxury furniture market continues to demonstrate a strong reliance on physical, experiential spaces. High-end clients and interior designers often require "tactile verification"—the ability to feel the texture of a fabric, test the comfort of a sofa, or see the true scale of a chandelier—before committing to a purchase.
Eichholtz California addresses this by maintaining an "always in flux" inventory. Unlike traditional furniture stores that may keep the same floor models for years, Saghian’s showrooms are designed to be refreshed constantly. As pieces sell off the floor, new arrivals take their place, ensuring that the environment feels new to returning visitors. This strategy encourages repeat foot traffic and creates a sense of urgency for buyers.
Furthermore, by curating the collection down to 400 pieces, Saghian mitigates "decision fatigue" for his clients. In an era of infinite digital catalogs, the value of a trusted designer’s edit cannot be overstated. This "curation-as-a-service" model is a key differentiator in a crowded luxury market.
The Broader Impact on the California Design Landscape
The arrival of Eichholtz California in Palm Desert is particularly significant. The Coachella Valley has seen a post-pandemic surge in permanent residents and a corresponding boom in high-end residential construction. By establishing a presence in the desert’s design district, Saghian is positioning the brand to be a primary resource for the "Desert Modern" aesthetic, which often blends European luxury with the rugged, earthy tones of the California landscape.
Moreover, the "California network" approach—where each store responds to its specific market—reflects a shift away from "cookie-cutter" retail. The West Hollywood store caters to the urban, trendy professional; the Costa Mesa store serves the expansive coastal luxury market; and the Palm Desert store will address the unique requirements of desert living. This localized strategy allows the brand to maintain a cohesive identity while remaining relevant to diverse micro-climates and architectural styles.
Background: The Eichholtz Legacy
To understand the impact of this expansion, it is necessary to look at the parent brand. Eichholtz was founded over 30 years ago by Theo Eichholtz, who was inspired by his travels to create a brand that offered a "complete interior look." Based in the Netherlands, the company has grown into one of the world’s leading wholesalers of luxury furniture, lighting, and accessories.
The brand is known for its ability to reinterpret classical styles through a modern lens, often utilizing high-quality materials like brass, marble, and velvet. While Eichholtz has a massive global presence, including a significant presence at major trade fairs like Maison & Objet in Paris and High Point Market in North Carolina, the "Eichholtz California" venture represents a more personalized, designer-led approach to the brand’s distribution.
Conclusion: A Living Showroom Concept
As the Palm Desert location nears its December opening, the focus remains on Saghian’s "unfinished" showroom philosophy. By treating these spaces as living galleries rather than static retail environments, Eichholtz California is redefining the relationship between the furniture brand, the designer, and the end consumer.
The expansion serves as a case study in how luxury brands can successfully navigate regional markets by partnering with local tastemakers. Through the combined efforts of Saghian, Checetto, Webster, and Lunsford, Eichholtz has not only found a home on the West Coast but has been reimagined to suit the specific, sun-drenched glamour of California living. With three strategic locations soon to be operational, the brand is well-positioned to remain a dominant force in the state’s high-end design industry for years to come.
