Latta For the Home

If it exists, there are snobs for it. Even in Boise — where the vast majority of the populace thinks cabriole legs and Windsor chairs are still cutting-​edge — one can find bona fide furniture snobs. These decorators congregate at Latta, the only spot in town for fanciers of ultra-​modern furniture.
Latta’s downtown Boise showroom is bright through floor-​to-​ceiling windows, has clean lighting, and manages to be cozy while allowing for a lot of open space. This is the only place in Boise where you’ll find Scandinavian design — and if, by «Scandinavian design», you think I mean «IKEA», please go and glue your jaws shut with a handful of Swedish fish. The display pieces at Latta teeter precariously on that blurry line between art and furniture. They push the envelope of what one considers a home furnishing. But, characteristic of high-​concept contemporary furniture, most of Latta’s pieces are about as functional as an As Seen On TV product.
Even less functional, however, is Latta’s system for ordering a piece. Clearly, you won’t be walking out of Latta with your furniture in tow that day — everything is custom made to order. The intention of the showroom is to simply piqué the customer’s interests, tickle the brain, and spark ideas. But, Latta’s furnitureistas are so standoffish that the customer must be gregariously proactive about asking after certain pieces or designers. There are no catalogues or literature for the customer to peruse or take home; the only way to see more of each designer’s work is to log on to Latta’s web site, then follow the links to each designer’s site.
It’s ironic that a showroom touting sleek, streamlined furniture would make browsing so needlessly cumbersome. Then again, I’m an efficiency snob… Indeed, if it exists, there are snobs for it.