“Design makes my life better,” says Ron Robinson, founder of Ron Robinson and Apothia.

“It enhances my life as well as the life of many other people because it’s stimulating.” When you walk through his store in Santa Monica off 5th street, that message is clear. Struck by the sheer beauty of the store, you’re almost afraid to touch anything.

Jason Trotter’s geometric based art is exhibited at the top of the walls for his residency alongside air plants and a stainless steel QLOCKTWO displaying the time. Neon painted garden gnomes are sitting pretty next to rows of art and fashion books. Jewelry from local designers encased in small rectangular containers against a white background sits across from an apothecary and beauty section that houses brands, large and small, including his line Apothia.