WestEdge Design Fair came back to Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar October 29-31 for its 11th edition, and I walked it as press. Three days, more than 150 premium brands, and a fair that keeps getting sharper about what design is actually for right now: furniture, lighting, kitchen and bath, outdoor living, textiles, and fine art, all under one hangar roof.
This is the West Coast’s design fair, and the 2026 edition felt like it. Designers, architects, makers, builders, and design enthusiasts packed the floor for discovery, sourcing, and conversation. Here is what stood out.
Rising Design Steals the Show
The headline debut this year was Rising Design, a new platform spotlighting six emerging Southern California interior designers. Each designer took on a 10-by-10-foot blank space and turned it into a full room, guided by designer, educator, and Home Renovation School founder Julee Ireland, using products from a roster of leading brands including sponsor Sherwin-Williams.
Their creative journeys played out in a 10-episode short-form video series, then came to a live reveal at WestEdge on Opening Night. An expert panel selected the overall winner, and attendees voted for the People’s Choice Award. For six designers at the start of their careers, that is a real stage: visibility, relationships with major brands, and a live audience.
A Fair That Shows Up for Los Angeles
As Los Angeles keeps rebuilding after the 2025 wildfires, WestEdge expanded its partnership with Team Palisades into the ReBUILD Connect Zone, a hospitality-focused resource hub for homeowners rebuilding after the fires. Architects, designers, builders, and trusted brands gathered in one place, offering expert guidance, fire-conscious products, and resilient building solutions. Daily programming and one-on-one consultations gave homeowners practical help for building homes that are stronger, safer, and designed for the future.
Opening Night carried the same spirit. The Thursday, October 29 party welcomed approximately 2,500 members of California’s design community for cocktails, bites, discovery, and early access to the fair, while supporting the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles ReBUILD LA Recovery Fund.
The Connoisseurs’ Club, Designed to Elevate
The Connoisseurs’ Club returned with a new 2026 concept, Designed to Elevate, curated by Summer Jensen, founder and principal designer of Hawk and Co. The hospitality-driven space explored design and healthy living through a biophilic, wellness-minded lens, with curated products, conversations, tastings, and gatherings built around a more considered way to live, work, and recharge.
Conversations on the Main Stage
The Main Stage, presented by Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home and produced in partnership with Convo By Design, brought leading designers, architects, makers, and industry voices together for a full program of conversations. The 2026 program covered rebuilding and resilience, wellness, materials, business, and the evolving ways we live and work. The conversations continue after the fair through the Convo By Design podcast.
More to Explore on the Floor
WestEdgeXTERIORS returned as an expanded open-air destination for outdoor living, with the latest in furnishings, outdoor kitchens, fire features, shading, lighting, and entertaining. MADE:MODERN celebrated independent designers and makers with limited-production, custom, and one-of-a-kind furniture, lighting, sculpture, and accessories. The IIDA x WestEdge Awards once again recognized excellence in booth and product design, with IIDA design professionals evaluating entries onsite and winners celebrated during Opening Night.
Professional organizations and design communities hosted networking and educational programs throughout the fair, including AAPIDA, ALMA, ASID, IIDA, NKBA, AIA, NEWH, WILD, The Golden Hour Society, Pacific Design Center, and the ArtCenter College of Design alumni community.
The Details
WestEdge Design Fair 2026 ran October 29-31, 2026 at The Barker Hangar, 3021 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Opening Night took place Thursday, October 29, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. The fair ran Friday and Saturday, October 30-31, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets were $25 in advance and $30 onsite for Friday and Saturday. Opening Night was $135 in advance and $150 after October 1. VIP All-Access was $175.
The 2026 edition was supported by Snyder Diamond, House of Rohl, Monogram, Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home, Fleetwood Windows and Doors, Sherwin-Williams, Duravit, Epic Stone, Finneran, CocoTurf, Corston, and Southwest Greens.
For more on the fair, visit westedgedesignfair.com. And if you missed this year, last year’s 10th anniversary edition set the bar high. Read about it here: https://davidsguide.com/westedge-design-fair-10th-edition-drew-2600-design-enthusiasts-for-opening-night/
Photos courtesy of WestEdge Design Fair.
