How Glamorous Can Glamping Get? Let L.A.’s Most Stylish Camper Show You
L.A.’s glammest glamper, interior designer Pamela Shamshiri, shares her secrets to creating a chic but functional campsite.
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Pamela Shamshiri, the founder of Los Angeles–based Studio Shamshiri, is an unlikely camper. If you’ve seen her award-winning restoration of the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, glamorous Ojai retreats, or regal estates in California wine country, you’ll be forgiven for thinking she’s not the kind of person who chooses to sleep outside very often.
Dewey Nicks
But the Shamshiri glampsite is a thing to behold, a rustic-luxe, casbah-meets-Orvis immersive nature experience. There are sheepskins and kilims layered over Japanese camp chairs from Snow Peak and shish kebab feasts prepared over portable gas stoves. Word of Shamshiri’s enthusiasm for getting outside traveled to Texino, an L.A. company that outfits Mercedes Benz camper vans. “We’re doing our first-ever custom-designed camper for Texino,” Shamshiri says of the collaboration, which will be released later this year. “It was born out of my love for camping. I can’t wait to share it.”
A Note on Glam Dining
Shamshiri is half Italian and half Persian, and her commitment to good food is strong. “I always pack lavash, feta, good butter, and black tea,” she says. “You can eat it for every meal, and can totally take it on hikes. For dinner, I like to make shish kebab. It’s easy to feed a crowd.”
Pam Sham’s Glamp Jam
Here’s how to re-create Pam’s signature camping experience.
Folding Chairs
“I go Snow Peak all the way,” Shamshiri says of the cult favorite Japanese camping brand, founded in Niigata Prefecture in 1958. “I have sheepskins I throw on them for extra comfort depending on the time of the trip.”
Lovely Layers
Are kilim rugs excessive for the great outdoors? Maybe. But layers of rugs and plush sheepskin make Shamshiri’s camp-mates feel like they’re in a Bedouin oasis. We like this runner from Overland.
Pinnacle Tent
“I use canvas African wall tents from Pinnacle,” she says. “You can really make them feel homey and decorate them like a house. You can live for a month in them!” Pam’s tip: Put a military-grade tarp liner under the tent to keep moisture out and warmth in.
Snow Peak Double Burner Camp Stove
“I’m telling you I’ve fed dozens of people using one of these,” she says. “It’s the best.” The two-burner version is hard to find, but you can’t go wrong with other snow peak models.
