Your guide to: Going retro in Los Angeles…Discovering Victoriana in England's Cotswolds…Finding Southern charm in Savannah…Unearthing Americana in Ohio

From the West Coast
Los Angeles, California

Why: It may be counterintuitive to think of Los Angeles as an antiquing haven. But although much of the city dates from the past few decades, there is plenty of demand for furnishings of older provenance, thanks to set designers who troll shops and flea markets, as well as obsessively house-proud Angelenos.

What You'll Need: Make sure you spring for a rental car equipped with a GPS. The weather in November is sunny and still warm, but after dark the air turns cool—expect temperatures that hover around the low 70s during the day and dip into the 50s at night. Keep your look trendy—you can't go wrong in designer jeans and jersey-knit tops.

How to Get There: Those in the know avoid congested Los Angeles International Airport and fly through Burbank's Bob Hope Airport; it's about a 30-minute drive to Hollywood or Pasadena, traffic permitting. Alaska Airlines flies six times daily from Portland and nine times daily from Seattle. From Oakland, Southwest Airlines has 15 flights a day.

Where to Stay: On the much-in-demand Sunset Strip, a 1929 apartment building (and former residence of such luminaries as Truman Capote and John Wayne) was reborn a couple of years ago as the Sunset Tower Hotel. The edifice's Art Deco details are still there, but the furnishings and finishes have been updated in sleek lines and subdued browns. The clubby, walnut-paneled Tower Bar restaurant (occupying Bugsy Siegel's former digs) serves old-school classics like lamb T-bone steaks and roast chicken (323-654-7100; doubles, $300–$450; entrées, $23–$45). A few miles away, star designer Kelly Wearstler converted a 1970s condo complex into Chamberlain West Hollywood, a chic, eclectic retreat filled with characteristic clean edges and well-edited bric-a-brac: Asian horse statues, Regency chairs, framed engraved prints of architectural details (310-657-7400; doubles, $300–$380). A budget-friendly option, Villa della Stelle, a few blocks away from Sunset Boulevard's Hollywood & Highland shopping and restaurant complex, has five individually decorated suites, each of which takes its inspiration from an old-time star. The detached bungalow, with a private patio in back and sweet front porch and 1950s-appropriate chenille bedspreads, has Lucille Ball as its muse (323-876-8100; doubles, $225–$285). In Pasadena, the Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa, a 1907 grande dame abutting posh San Marino, has traditional decor—stately carved furniture, lush oil paintings—and fastidiously manicured grounds (626-568-3900; doubles, $300–$400).

What to Do: L.A.'s surf-and-sun sensibility and design sense intersect on Venice Beach's Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Allot much of a Saturday or Sunday here; the beach is near enough for a break on the sand, and many stores and restaurants are closed early in the week. Outfit your French country estate—or just make your house look like one—with picks from Bountiful, which sells goods like saint statuary and wrought iron gates (No. 1335; 310-450-3620). Amid the Danish modern coffee tables and round, mod fireplaces at Surfing Cowboys are original pieces of art and used long boards (No. 1624; 310-450-4891). Mid-century vintage dealer and refinisher Turquoise and modern-inspired custom furniture designers Loja Designs share a shop. Browse their wares (rehabbed cane armchairs, low-slung minimalist sofas), or order a one-of-a-kind creation of your own (No. 1409; Turquoise, 310-578-1722; Loja Designs, 310-450-6940). Tumbleweed & Dandelion's look is high-end beach shack. Come here if you're looking for distressed doors and sconces and aged mirrors to dot your backyard, or vintage chandeliers and crisp linen slipcovers for your dining room (No. 1502; 310-450-4310).