If you frequent Abbot Kinney, you have no doubt seen Knibb Design’s space across the street from The Brig. You may have also noticed that the space has recently been undergoing some changes. To learn more about what’s going on at Knibb Design, I sat down with owner and Venice local, Sean Knibb at his space on Abbot Kinney.

Sean is in the process of moving his design and landscaping office to a space at 822 Lincoln and is transitioning his space on Abbot Kinney into the showroom for his new furniture line SK1.

The SK1 line has a host of different pieces, but is centered on tables and chairs for both indoor and outdoor use. The pieces are built in environmentally sound ways, including using recycled wood, and the showroom is set to open full time in late February. Knibb said that one of the themes of the line is to take everyday items such as burlap, and turn them into precious pieces of furniture, giving the pieces a “sensibility of recycled.”

Even with the new furniture line, Sean says landscape design is still his greatest passion and you’ll notice many of the SK1 pieces are designed for use in the garden. If you aren’t familiar with Sean’s landscape work, then stopping by his new space on Lincoln once it is open is a must. His work is uniquely progressive on many levels, including what I found to be very interesting: inter-mixing ornamental plants with vegetables and fruit trees.

Sean has worked on high-end homes with celebrity clients, and also on smaller home gardens here in Venice. You can get a sense of his work by going on the Venice Home and Garden Tour, which typically features at least one garden he created.

On top of all he does with furniture and landscaping, Knibb also does interior design for businesses. Stop by Venice’s newest restaurant Sunny Spot, Roy Choi’s newest creation, to see what his design work looks like.

After asking a long-winded question about whether Venice – and Abbot Kinney in particular – was the perfect place for Sean’s progressive landscape, design, and furniture firm, he simply looked at me and said “No.” And that’s Sean, honest, straightforward, and direct – which I found to be refreshing, particularly for someone in a creative business.

He candidly told me that the cache of Abbot Kinney wasn’t really a factor in his decision to move his office here. He had previously held an office in Brentwood, but since he lived in Venice, it was more the thought of having an office close to home that drew him to open his business on Abbot Kinney.

Knibb is a Venice local and remembers what the community used to be like back when he was 14 and used to come here to skateboard. He feels much of what Abbot Kinney has become doesn’t reflect the nostalgic Venice that he remembers, and that is part of the reason why he is moving his design and landscaping business to Lincoln.

Sean said that Lincoln feels like Abbot Kinney used to before all the popularity – when it was more of a creative space with fewer tourists – and thinks that Lincoln, not Rose, will be the new Abbot Kinney.

Knibb is a pretty busy guy and currently has a few projects going on. He is working on remodeling The Brig for owner David Reiss. The new style will have an old, vintage California feel, with the use of a lot of wood. He is also doing the design for new hotel in Korea Town, which should be interesting.

With all that he is involved in, it is safe to say Sean Knibb’s influence in being felt all over Venice, and really, all of L.A. To connect with Sean you can stop by the SK1 showroom at 1522 Abbot Kinney, his new office at 822 Lincoln, or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.