On a balmy evening in late June, AD PRO Directory members from across Southern California and beyond gathered for the community’s LA summer social. Hosted at Thús Huma, Directory designer Huma Sulaiman’s new residential gallery in West Hollywood, the get-together was a celebration of connection, creativity, and exceptional craft—presented in collaboration with contractor SilverLining Inc. “As the design world drowns in a shallow puddle of tepid good taste, I’m always happy to discover anything that radiates idiosyncratic connoisseurship,” said AD West Coast Editor Mayer Rus of the gallery, which is located inside a contemporary house on a quiet residential block just off of Melrose Avenue.
The gallery’s living spaces filled as AD PRO Directory members—interior designers, architects, landscape designers, and builders among them—retired from a day of client meetings and site visits. Andre Herrero (Charlap Hyman Herrero), Hema Persad (Sagrada Studio), Jazmyne Crunk (Zeb and Crunk), James Corr (Corr Contemporary Homes), and Lucinda Loya (Lucinda Loya Interiors) were among the members who came out to exchange ideas, expand their networks, and strengthen ties across the industry. Between canapés and conversations, the Directory members roamed the gallery’s furniture, textiles, and lighting, many conceived as an homage to South Asian craftsmanship reimagined through a Western lens.
“The space is chockablock with treasures—some Sulaiman’s own designs, others she's curated—that feel at once timeless and of the moment, global and local,” said Rus. There’s the custom shitol pati (the Bangladeshi art of weaving fiber in intricate geometric patterns) that’s embedded into the surface of the foyer’s pedestal table. Surrounding it is a pair of sculptural walnut and cane Giza chairs, “an ideal alternative to the hopelessly ubiquitous Chandigarh chair that provided early inspiration,” said Rus. The craftsmanship continues upstairs, where jamdani fabrics and wallpapers in the primary bedroom celebrate the ancient Bengal art of weaving fine diaphanous textiles, embodying the showroom’s dedication to materiality, artistry, and the human hand.
Join the AD PRO Directory, AD’s professional network that gives you access to exclusive events and exposure to the future clients. Learn more
Later in the evening, Rus invited members to the gallery’s backyard for a poolside conversation with Sulaiman, SilverLining founder and CEO Josh Weiner, and a few of the featured artists. Perched on the amorphic concrete Kubo outdoor seating, the speakers discussed the power of collaboration and supporting traditional craft techniques. “Mayer has been one of its greatest supporters [of Thus Huma] from the very beginning, believing in the vision long before the doors ever opened,” shared Sulaiman. To sit and share the realized space and to reflect on the journey with AD PRO Directory members, “it was truly a full-circle moment.”
Designed for AD-approved firms shaping the future of the industry, the AD PRO Directory offers unparalleled access and community. Not a member yet? Join today.
Visit the AD PRO Video Library for more business insights and behind-the-design access. Explore Videos
