Vibe Shift- With confident vision, designer and activist Aurora James takes an ever-evolving approach to making a vintage LA house her very own

Aurora James has a strong sense of intuition, and it often pays off. In July 2020, James-who counts footwear designer, activist, and investor among her myriad of titles-was gearing up to make an offer on the first house she ever toured in Los Angeles. After scouting the listing on Zillow, she scheduled a viewing and hopped on a plane from New York. It was hard to resist the sweet Laurel Canyon cottage with a towering redwood out front, tucked away off a winding wooded road. For James, it was immediately a yes, though the friend she had brought along begged her not to pull the trigger so quickly, even calling the place a "tragic disaster." But James, as usual, trusted her instinct and bought it. "I think I always see potential in things," she explains. "I just saw that there were some easy tweaks that could make it better, and I felt at home."

- By Carly Olson

Aurora James has a strong sense of intuition, and it often pays off. In July 2020, James-who counts footwear designer, activist, and investor among her myriad of titles-was gearing up to make an offer on the first house she ever toured in Los Angeles. After scouting the listing on Zillow, she scheduled a viewing and hopped on a plane from New York. It was hard to resist the sweet Laurel Canyon cottage with a towering redwood out front, tucked away off a winding wooded road. For James, it was immediately a yes, though the friend she had brought along begged her not to pull the trigger so quickly, even calling the place a "tragic disaster." But James, as usual, trusted her instinct and bought it. "I think I always see potential in things," she explains. "I just saw that there were some easy tweaks that could make it better, and I felt at home."

A mixed-media artwork by Mickalene Thomas overlooks the living room. James wearing a Miu Miu dress, sits on a Le Bamboléanos sectional sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia. 1950s French cocktail table; 1960s Percival later MP-115 chairs.

James is the founder and creative director of shoe and accessories label Brother Vellies and the founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, a nonprofit calling for major retailers and corporations to commit a minimum of 15 percent of their annual purchasing power to Black-owned businesses, among other workplace-equality initiatives. After living in Brooklyn (where she still has an apartment) for years, James felt drawn to LA for more space and privacy.