For the Love of Locally-Owned Hardware Stores

We love a good hardware store. We're not talking about the big-box stores with people who barely know a wing nut from a molly bolt...we're talking about the small, locally-owned places where you meet neighbors and get real, knowledgeable, expert advice.

These places are crowded with products and have narrow isles. They might be in an older building that has some dust. They use every square inch and might, if you're lucky, have older products (like that 1950's light fixture you need to match the Mid-Century Modern fixtures you have). No matter how deep the shelf or how crowded the dusty corner, they know what they have, and where you can get what they don't.

On the occasion when we need to actually invent a solution to a problem, these people are an excellent source of ideas. For real, we recently had a strange, old electrical box problem that could be only safely fixed with a plumbing part. Go figure. Who else is going to help you figure that out?

These stores are handed down through generations. And if you're a regular, they know your name. Sure, some might be a little gruff at the start, but you'll earn your conviviality and there's nothing like it when you do.

Most of these small business owners are super-involved in their communities, supporting schools and their neighborhoods. Just like Real Estate Agents, they're small businesses, so shop local and support their families as the will support yours. Here are six of our favorites on the Westside:

  • B&B Hardware | 12450 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066 | Long-standing neighborhood hardware store carrying tools, plumbing supplies & home repair items.

  • A-1 Hardware | 11119 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232 | Neighborhood, family-owned hardware store offering standard products plus screening services.

  • Emil's Hardware | 2533 S Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034 | Longtime hardware store carrying plumbing products, electrical supplies & other home repair items.

  • Dick's True Value Hardware | 12216 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066 | Neighborhood hardware shop for tools, paint & home supplies, along with key duplication services.

  • Anawalt Lumber | 11060 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 | Family-operated local chain offering hardware, paint, gardening needs, lumber & building materials.

  • Culver City Industrial Hardware | 5429 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230 | Hardware store selling tools, keys & more in an old-school, straightforward space since 1972.

Business, Neighborhoods, LifestyleCecilie Korst///