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Add Texture to GoogleIn the hills above Los Angeles, where the lush vegetation seems poised to reclaim the landscape from the architecture, a seven-acre estate embodies a way of life that goes beyond mere horticulture. Flamingo Estate, the estate founded by Richard Christiansen, has quietly opened the doors to its “Prop Closet” for a one-of-a-kind event titled “The Estate Sale.” This isn’t just a clearance sale; it’s a dispersal of the visual DNA of a brand that has redefined pastoral luxury. By offering pieces from its private archives, the estate allows a select few collectors to acquire the objects that have shaped the aesthetic of its photo shoots and interiors.
Radical Design and Organic Sculpture
At the heart of this selection is a piece that single-handedly embodies the boldness of 1960s Italian design: the UP7 sculpture, better known as “Il Piede,” by Gaetano Pesce. This monumental human foot, produced by B&B Italia, is a cast polyurethane foam piece that defies the conventions of traditional furniture. Used by Flamingo Estate as a decorative element, this object—nearly 160 centimeters long—blurs the line between a chair and a work of art. Its price, available only upon request through the concierge, attests to its status as a centerpiece.
The dialogue between materials continues with the Corallo armchair by the Campana brothers. Designed for Edra in 2004, this seat appears to be the result of an instinctive gesture—a tangle of hand-bent steel wire that evokes coral structures. It stands alongside John Risley’s “Couple” bench, a figurative piece made of welded steel rods painted black, priced at $3,500 (approximately 3,180 euros). These objects are not mere pieces of furniture; they are testament to a carefully curated selection where human craftsmanship and organic inspiration converge.
Tableware: Between Postmodernism and Distant Craftsmanship
For lovers of daily rituals, the auction features a series of objects that transform serving tea or coffee into a complete aesthetic experience. The postmodern coffee set designed by Ettore Sottsass for Lagostina’s Accademia collection is a gem from the 1980s. With its mint-green enameled metal and anthracite-gray handles, this set—comprising an espresso pot, a milk pitcher, and a sugar bowl on a tray—embodies the geometric precision and chromatic whimsy of the Memphis Group.
In contrast to this Italian precision, Flamingo Estate presents pieces of a more raw, even mystical craftsmanship. Among them is a ceremonial Himalayan teapot made of gilded metal, its surface richly inlaid with turquoise and coral, typical of the traditions of Ladakh or Kashmir. Another piece, of Tibetan and Nepalese origin, features a handle formed by double carved dragons and a bird-shaped spout. These objects engage in a dialogue with the work of Salvador Terán, a modernist from Taxco, Mexico, whose hammered brass tea service from the 1960s is inlaid with mosaics of bright orange glass.
Classic porcelain is not overlooked, with the “Torse” model from Haviland Limoges—whose twisted fluting in white porcelain remains a hallmark of French elegance—offered here for $750 for a four-piece set.
Historical Curiosities and Cabinet Pieces
The strength of this sale lies in its eclecticism, blending eras without hesitation. A Venetian “grotto”-style armchair in carved walnut, dating from around 1880, evokes the 19th-century taste for Rococo eccentricity. This piece, estimated at $3,000 (approximately 2,730 euros), finds a surprising parallel in an American Folk Art armchair, crafted from welded used horseshoes. These two chairs, though separated by the ocean and by convention, share a common desire to transform a utilitarian object into a narrative sculptural form.
Art Deco furniture is also represented by a set of five chairs with faceted walnut backs, designed by André Sornay, circa 1930. Their clean lines contrast with the fluidity of a Murano glass centerpiece created using the Sommerso technique. This asymmetrical mid-20th-century bowl, featuring layered transparent, amethyst pink, and aqua blue glass, captures the light of California with the precision of Venetian master glassmakers.
Among the other collectibles are a set of brass egg pans (model 4301) by Carl Auböck dating from the 1960s, priced at $2,400, and a large abstract ceramic wall plate signed “Garcia ’87,” whose 60-centimeter diameter creates a striking graphic presence.
The Cosmetics Archive and Luxury Pantry
Alongside these exceptional pieces, Flamingo Estate is holding a sale of its own consumer product archives under the title “Bath & Body Archive Collection.” This is an opportunity for the brand’s loyal customers to stock up on soaps and skincare products with discounts of up to 60 percent. The famous “Heirloom Tomato” hand soap—whose scent of earth and green stems has become the estate’s signature fragrance—is among the items on offer, as are the rosemary shower gels.
The gourmet section features bottles of white truffle olive oil and rare honeys, including manuka and Dzidzilché varieties. You’ll also find the “Prinsesstårta” candle, as well as more affordable tableware, such as the “Medusa” serving cutlery by Michael Aram, priced at $350.
A Custom Purchase Through the Concierge Service
Access to this collection does not follow the standard protocol of public auctions. While some items were quickly marked as “sold” or “on hold” within the first forty-eight hours after the sale opened in late September 2026, the purchasing process remains private. For unique lots from the “Prop Closet,” potential buyers are invited to contact the estate’s concierge service directly by email at concierge@flamingoestate.com. This approach allows for the organization of transactions and the coordination of deliveries, which are often complex for large-scale pieces such as the Pesce pedestal or the Risley bench.
This initiative by Richard Christiansen marks a milestone in the evolution of Flamingo Estate. By parting with its archives, the estate isn’t simply clearing out its closets; it is sharing the cultural references that have shaped its identity. Each item sold carries with it a bit of the atmosphere of the Los Angeles hills—from the refinement of a Mexican tea set to the radical design of a steel-wire chair—thus giving these film treasures a second life in private collections around the world.