The next morning, drive inland to old-money Pasadena and adjacent San Marino, home of the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. The former estate of railroad magnate Henry Huntington, the grounds are covered with 120 acres of diverse, themed plantings, including one of the oldest collections of cactuses in the world and a recently reconstructed Chinese garden. Down the hill from the windowless library—which holds a vast book collection, including a Gutenberg Bible and Shakespeare folios—Huntington's former residence reopened this spring as an art gallery. Amid the European art are antiques such as eighteenth- century tapestry-covered side chairs and ornate Sèvres porcelain (626-405-2100). For some vintage pieces of your own, head over to the Pasadena Antique Center. A low-rise warehouselike structure, it is home to more than 100 independent dealers selling everything from engraved silver tea services to miniatures of world monuments to decades-old theme park mascot costumes (444 and 480 S. Fair Oaks Ave.; 626-449-7706). A block away, Antiques on Fair Oaks is equally wide--ranging, with terra-cotta busts, Craftsman chairs, and slightly tarnished soup tureens (330 S. Fair Oaks Ave.; 626-449-9590).

Return to L.A. proper and the design shops lining Beverly Boulevard south of the Beverly Center. Blueprint specializes in used modern furniture and custom models of its own design. Lighting fixtures, which hang wired from the store's rafters, are a good choice here (No. 8366; 323-653-2439). Empiric focuses on the Art Deco to mid-century era: Think lots of smooth wood, chrome, glass, and leather. This is the place to go for framed black-and-white photos of old Los Angeles or vintage anatomical charts (No. 7918; 323-634-7323). Carla is equally sleek. Come here for tulip dining tables, Aalto stools, or framed photos of starlets like Ann-Margret or Mamie Van Doren (No. 7466 Beverly Blvd.; 323-932-6064). If you know just the vintage Herman Miller or Vitra piece you're looking for but don't want to spend the time to hunt down an original, Modernica is a licensed reproducer of some of the companies' most famous pieces. Order brand-new copies of Ray and Charles Eames's famed fiberglass chairs, or peruse the shop's lineup of new pieces inspired by yesteryear minimalism (No. 7366; 323-933-0383).

Where to Eat: Yamashiro has served Japanese food on a hilltop above the Sunset Strip since 1914. Make a reservation for a window seat just before sunset to watch the city lights twinkle below, or grab a seat at the bar to gawk as Hollywood types meet and greet (1999 N. Sycamore Ave.; 323-466-5125; entrées, $19–$68). Not far from decorator mecca Pacific Design Center, Madeo turns out Northern Italian classics like risotto and roasted veal for Tinseltown power players in a low-key, low-slung room lined with wood paneling, brass, and mirrors (8897 Beverly Blvd.; 310-859-4903; entrées, $15–$26). Several blocks away, BLD is minimalist but warm; its expanses of white walls are broken up with blond wood shelves holding miniatures of twentieth-century furniture icons. Grab a table on the sidewalk and watch the design-savvy set stream by as you nibble your way through the charcuterie plate (7450 Beverly Blvd.; 323-930-9744; entrées, $14–$28). Pasadena's Madeleines Restaurant turns out dependable bistro fare. Antiques lovers will be charmed by the main dining room's timbered ceilings and outsize fireplace. Science nerds will love the building's brush with history; it's here that scientists worked on the Manhattan Project's atomic bomb, and Albert Einstein is said to have had an office across the street (1030 E. Green St.; 626-440-7087; entrées, $19–$35). If you get to Venice Beach early enough for breakfast, stop by 3 Square Café + Bakery and pick up a pretzel croissant to nosh on as you window-shop. If it's lunchtime, order chef Hans Röckenwagner's signature pretzel burger (1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-399-6504; entrées, $9–$16).