Fifth Floor

What Fifth Floor does

Fifth Floor Gallery is a privately held, founder-operated contemporary craft and design gallery based in Los Angeles. Founded in January 2008 by Robert Apodaca in Los Angeles' Chinatown neighborhood, the business sells hand-made ceramics, furniture, lighting, and design objects curated at the intersection of art, design, and architecture. Both founders hold architectural backgrounds: Apodaca as the original founder and Dolly Wisco, a graduate of Otis College of Art & Design's Environmental Design program, who joined as co-curator in 2016. The curation philosophy emphasizes objects that are simultaneously aesthetically compelling and functionally useful, with much of the inventory sourced from Southern California designers and not available through mainstream retail channels.

The company operates two distribution channels: a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront shipping domestically from Los Angeles via USPS, and a small physical gallery embedded within A.G. Geiger bookstore at 502 Chung King Court in Los Angeles Chinatown, open Thursday through Sunday from 1pm to 6pm. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time retail sales of curated objects, supplemented by an exhibition program hosting bi-monthly shows of Southern California artists and designers, with openings functioning as community-driven customer acquisition touchpoints. Community engagement extends to participation in Chinatown Design Night, Chinatown Summer Nights, CicLAvia, and the Los Angeles Design Festival. After Apodaca relocated to the East Coast in 2016, the gallery adopted a bi-coastal operating model with Wisco maintaining the West Coast presence. The company has no disclosed external funding or institutional investors and operates with one to ten employees.

The technology stack is minimal: a standard Shopify storefront with no proprietary features, no mobile applications, no API integrations, and no disclosed data assets. Distribution is entirely domestic, operations are confined to California with a remote East Coast presence, and no certifications, patents, or regulatory licenses were disclosed. Pricing is straightforward unit retail pricing with a 9.5% California sales tax, 30-day returns, and accepted payments including major credit cards and PayPal; the only promotional structure observed is an occasional 15% discount during CicLAvia events.

Name

Fifth Floor

Legal name

Fifth Floor Gallery

Website

https://fifthfloorgallery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fifth Floor Gallery is a privately held contemporary craft and design gallery selling hand-made ceramics, furniture, and lighting curated by architect-founders from Southern California artists, operating via a Shopify storefront and a physical location inside A.G. Geiger bookstore in Los Angeles Chinatown.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Craft & Design Gallery

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920)

SIC

Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decorative Accessories Retail (Vases, Bowls, Sculptures, Figurines, Trays) (CRAIACAB), Craft Storage, Organization & Display Retail (CRALACAJ)

Keywords

• Contemporary craft gallery
• Handmade design objects
• Artisan ceramics retail
• Designer furniture shop
• Curated design marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Contemporary Craft and Design Objects: The gallery generates revenue through direct retail sales of hand-made contemporary craft and design objects including ceramics, furniture, lighting, and art pieces. Products are available both through the e-commerce website and in the physical retail location.
2. Gallery Exhibitions and Artist Representation: Fifth Floor represents and exhibits Southern California artists and designers, including selling works by artists like Kristen Erickson whose ceramics are available on the website and at A.G. Geiger bookstore.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fifth Floor Gallery curates and sells hand-made contemporary craft and design objects — including ceramics, furniture, and lighting — through both an e-commerce storefront and a physical gallery space. The gallery also operates a bi-monthly exhibition program showcasing Southern California artists and designers working at the intersection of art, design, and architecture.

Product overview

Fifth Floor Gallery is a contemporary craft and design gallery offering both an e-commerce platform and a physical gallery space. The company curates and sells handmade design objects including ceramics (Kristen Erickson), furniture (Earl Parson, Ali Jeevanjee, Aimee Less), and lighting (Brendan Ravenhill). The physical gallery hosts rotating bi-monthly exhibitions of Southern California artists. In 2016, the company partnered with A.G. Geiger bookstore in Chinatown to maintain a West Coast retail presence while expanding to bi-coastal operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fifth Floor Gallery Online Store E-commerce platform selling contemporary craft and design objects including ceramics, furniture, and lighting from emerging and established designers. Ships from Los Angeles via USPS within 1-2 business days.
• Fifth Floor Gallery Physical Space at A.G. Geiger Physical gallery space inside A.G. Geiger bookstore at 502 Chung King Court, Chinatown, Los Angeles. Open Thursday through Sunday, 1pm to 6pm. Displays rotating exhibitions of Southern California artists and curated design objects.
• Ceramics Collection Handmade ceramic artworks including Kristen Erickson's vessels and other ceramic artists' work, available online and at the A.G. Geiger bookstore.
• Furniture Designs Contemporary furniture pieces including chairs, tables, and functional objects from designers such as Earl Parson, Ali Jeevanjee, and Aimee Less.
• Brendan Ravenhill Lighting Designer lighting fixtures including Cord, Grain, and Pivot families of lamps and pendants.
• Gallery Exhibition Program Bi-monthly exhibitions featuring Southern California-based artists and designers whose work intersects art, design, and architecture. Opening receptions typically held on Saturdays 6-9pm.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AMOCA (American Museum of Ceramic Art)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2017Kristen Erickson's 'Community in Blue' exhibition opened at AMOCA in Pomona, CA on April 8th, 2017. The gallery maintains connections with artists who show at AMOCA, strengthening ties within the Southern California ceramic art community.
• A.G. Geiger BookstorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 May 2016Fifth Floor Gallery operates within the A.G. Geiger bookstore in Los Angeles Chinatown. The partnership allows Fifth Floor to maintain West Coast presence after relocating their primary gallery space. A.G. Geiger, owned by Michael Delgado, specializes in contemporary California artists and rare exhibition catalogs, creating synergy with Fifth Floor's curated design objects. A curated selection of Fifth Floor Gallery's unique items are sold within the bookstore environment.
• Kristen EricksoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKristen Erickson is an artist, designer, and teacher who has been a long-time contributor to Fifth Floor Gallery. Robert has long shown her work at Fifth Floor and the gallery continues to carry her ceramics on the website and in Chinatown at A.G. Geiger. Her 'Community in Blue' exhibition at AMOCA featured 231 ceramic bottle forms, with proceeds benefiting Emergency Fund for Our House shelter.
• Los Angeles Design FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFifth Floor Gallery participates in the Los Angeles Design Festival and hosts events in conjunction with Chinatown Design Night, which serves as the closing party for the festival. The gallery hosted the Craft + Design exhibition organized by The Furniture Society in June 2013.
• Desert XminorOthersFifth Floor staff attended and documented Desert X, an art exhibition with installations scattered throughout the Palm Springs area, featuring work by artists including Sherin Gurguis, Philip K Smith, and Claudia Comte. The gallery blog features coverage of these art events.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Tortoise: Los Angeles concept store curating handmade home goods, ceramics, and lifestyle objects from Japanese and global makers. Same city, same aesthetic, same customer overlap with Fifth Floor's design enthusiast segment.
• Egg Collective: Brooklyn-based furniture and design gallery/showroom founded by three designers, exhibiting and selling collectible contemporary furniture and lighting in a gallery setting. Closely comparable maker-representation-plus-retail format.
• The Future Perfect: NYC- and LA-based gallery retailing collectible contemporary design objects from independent makers. Directly comparable curation model — handmade furniture, lighting, and decorative objects from emerging designers — and overlapping target customer (collectors and design enthusiasts).
• Heath Ceramics: California-based ceramics brand and retailer with showrooms selling handmade tableware, tiles, and design objects. Comparable Southern California design-lifestyle positioning, in-house and maker-collaborator ceramics retailing, and emphasis on the intersection of craft and architecture.
• Areaware: Independent design brand and retailer offering objects, furniture, and homewares from contemporary makers. Comparable business model of curating and selling third-party and in-house designed objects to design-savvy consumers.
• Mohawk General Store: LA curated boutique selling contemporary designer furniture, homeware, and accessories. Directly comparable product mix (designer chairs, lighting, decor objects) and overlapping high-end design enthusiast customer base in Los Angeles.
• Volume Gallery: Chicago design gallery representing contemporary designers across furniture, lighting, and objects. Comparable gallery-plus-retail hybrid, designer-representation model, and emphasis on collectible craft and limited-edition design.

Broad incumbents

• Blackman Cruz: Los Angeles design gallery and showroom with a long track record selling collectible 20th-century and contemporary design. Comparable LA design-collector audience and gallery-retail hybrid, but with a broader, more established inventory.
• Friedman Benda: Established NYC gallery specializing in contemporary design and limited-edition furniture, with a much larger program and higher price points. Comparable gallery-representation model but at a more established, higher-end scale than Fifth Floor.

Others

• AMOCA (American Museum of Ceramic Art): Southern California ceramic art museum where Fifth Floor's long-time artist Kristen Erickson exhibited 'Community in Blue.' Comparable ceramics focus and regional positioning, but as a nonprofit museum rather than a commercial gallery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FifthFloorGallery
• Instagraminstagram.com/fifthfloorgallery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fifth-floor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fifth Floor