Went to check out the new H.D. Buttercup at the Helms Bakery on Venice Blvd. The idea behind the store, brought to us by the guy who helped create ABC Carpet in NYC, is to cut out the middleman by buying directly from the manufacturers. The down side is that the space feels less like a cohesive vision and more like a bunch of unconnected vendors.
The upside is that if you like a one-stop-shop, this is your place, with everything from good Italian kitchenware to Turkish rugs to excellent Lucite end tables. I also saw some great lighting like this crazy, orb-like art piece made with dried coconut strips ($250.00).
Also, once youre at the Helms Bakery you should check out the other stores, like 
I'm sorry, "manutailer"?
Oh. My. Gawd. I finally checked this place out today. I spent 3 hours there and was completely overwhelmed. Many of the vendor's prices are significantly lower since, yes, they are the manufacturer/importer. Plus, today, there was a HUGE sale throughout the entire complex. I had to put back several things and limit my purchases to just two items--a rustic Indian hardwood bowl with a chromium yellow wash from Khyber Pass (thank you, Nicole, you are a blast to hang with) and an original oil by painter Scott Yeskel that was hanging at the BluDot space (where he works). I'm sold. H.D. Buttercup is definitely a destination retailer, regardless of where you live in Los Angeles county.
I thought I found the perfect place to shop until I actually bought a sectional sofa from this place call SKYPAD. It has been 17 weeks and no sectional! The sectional comes from China and they, for whatever reasons (incompetency) can't track the sofa portion of my sectional. They only managed to ship the chaise part. After promising that the rest of the sectional will come soon, I finally gave up after the President of the company went to China and discovered that the sofa portion has yet to be made. Long story short, I cancelled the order after 17 weeks. It was a complete nightmare. The price may be good but the service was awful. You get what you pay for rings true in my case. The whole experience has tainted my experience shopping at HD and I won't be heading back there anytime soon. Now granted, one bad vendor in that place does not make the whole bad but still, I just can't even step foot in that place anymore.
the future in merchandising, situated in the vintage los angeles location
We've been shopping there for a while. A couple of advice though...
1. Their delivery service is through a company call Ukay. Horrible services. They never make an attempt to deliver during the, oh should I say, 6-hr period? For two consecutive days, we stayed at home and they never show up. So if the items aren't too big, buy it, reserve it, go rent a cargo van from Hertz or Enterprise for less. Trust me, it's worth it. Oh, did I mention that the Ukay delivery pple made a dent in one of our walls?
2. The Chinese furnitures displayed in HD Buttercup aren't all antique. Some of the associates will tell you that they are replicas. But even the antique looking ones ARE replicas. The question is how do you know which is which? Unless you're an asian antique aficionado, buy whatever you like and whatever you think is worth paying for.
I walked into the store and thought this was the perfect place to shop. I could not have been so wrong. I placed an order for a sofa set in September of 2006 and today the date is February 3, 2007 needless to say my order is still not completed. The second chair arrived defective with loose stitching pulling away from the top seating. I returned it to the store yet have not received an answer as to the date of the replacement. I have dealt with three managers whose incompetency are beyond measure. I finally asked to speak with someone in Corporate Offices and have been blocked five consecutive times being instead transferred to the same store managers. HD Buttercup lacks quality customer service and the frustration and time invested is equivalent to the savings.
I recently went to HD Buttercup and bought a Coffee table made of 100 year old Oregon Pine. I am in love with my new coffee table and am now going back to redecorate the rest of my apartment to match my new coffee table (sounds stupid when I actually see it written). But I got a great deal (50%) an coffee table that cannot be reproduces because the 100 year old Oregon Pines are not there anymore... The wood was once a large door in an old building that was now made into a coffee table. It looks GREAT! You can find good deals if you look for them. Check out the room in the very back were every item is on sale. See for yourself.