In today's difficult and changing economy, people are down-sizing like never before. In Los Angeles alone, we have studio executives now moving into studio apartments, so we set out to find you some scenery to showcase at your place, without breaking the bank in the process.

As we ventured into Los Angeles Convention Center, the room looked vastly different from the last time LA2DAY was on the scene. Instead of scantily-clad women and their admirers, we found some of the brightest and forward-thinking people on the planet, all showcasing their latest creations and designs at the Dwell on Design 2009 show.

Some of the standouts for us were the creations showcased by the good people at Hold It Contemporary Home. The owner, Michael McAllister, took over the business in 1995 and by 2001 had completely changed his business plan after losing his battle with the big box retailers.

"We started to bring in some contemporary furniture, a couple of lines out of Denmark because I love both design and architecture, and it was an easy fit. It's also very enjoyable and that's when we saw our business really grow," he explained.

With his San Diego-based business growing in both Orange County and Los Angeles, they displayed some simple, sleek and affordable pieces that would make a home of any size "pop." Our favorite had to be the unique ottomans, which came from the burlap bags of organic, free-trade coffee beans. "It's just good all around," said his associate, Lauren Clifford.

Right next to their display were the brightest colors of the show. All this energy belonged to Daniel Cytrynowicz, the owner of Lamp-in-a-Box. His unique and colorful designs caught our eye but it was his infectious personality that really made people take notice.

A musician by trade, he now makes his living as an artist, specializing in designs that are both stylish and fun at the same time. His custom lamps caught our attention, as these affordable fixtures come complete with custom-made shades from the likes of The Beatles and Bruce Lee. Daniel has even commissioned some of LA's finest local artists to make their own lamp shades, which he has teamed up with them to distribute.

"I think that collaborating is life," Daniel explained. "My plan is to pool a lot of artists together, do a show and make some lamps on the spot!"

We took him up on his customization offer and he promises that some LA2DAY lamps will be launching on our site soon. We can't wait!

"I want people to buy these lamps because they dig them, not because they need them," he added.

Before we knew it, we were bumping shoulders unexpectedly with Anthony Kiedis and Rick Rubin, who were also looking to spruce up their pads.

Certainly they could have used some IdeaPaint, which has the ability to turn any surface into a dry erase board. Marcus Wilson, their Head of Marketing, told us that "we must be doing something right if children are crying when they have to leave our booth." We even engaged our new IdeaPaint friends in a virtual game of LA2DAY-Ideapaint Hangman, via our @la2day Twitter feed.

Throwing our budget concerns temporarily aside, we also got to sit in a relaxation pod from Alberto Frias. These futuristic creations look like something out of a Stanley Kubrick movie but were also incredibly comfortable and just the sort of reprieve one needs in these stressful times. We could have sat and gazed at the color-changing lights inside, while floating on the enclosed water pad for hours on end, but that was more suited for our next journey.

Before we headed back towards the Electric Daisy Carnival, we felt a surge of Zen wash over us, as we now knew there were just as many like-minded warriors in the home world as there are in the music world. It's just our job to unite them all.

THE DETAILS:

Hold It Contemporary Home
http://www.holdithome.com
619.295.6660

Lamp-in-a-Box
http://www.lampinabox.com
310.838.8844

Alberto Frias
http://albertofrias.com/

IdeaPaint
http://www.ideapaint.com
617.714.1057

Story by Ryan Simoneau and Alex Storch.