Name: Alexis Hadjopulos - owner of TINI and lead interior designer on HGTV's Pop Shop
Location: Hollywood Hills - Los Angeles, California
Size: 3000 square feet
Years lived in: 2 1/2 years
It is fun to see how shop owner and interior designer Alexis decorates his own home. Even though his place is clean lined and modern, it is also very personal and definitely reflects Alexis' fun energy. Even his dog (Rocky) fits in with the decor!
I love how Alexis took risks to create the home he loves. The astro turf and customer service letters in the bedroom are a bold move, but it totally works and makes his bedroom unique. Another one of my favorite elements in his home is the graffiti chalkboard wall under the stairs that breaks up the neutral tones of room. It creates the feeling of both a loft and a modern house in the same space.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Modern with fun unique elements.
Inspiration: I guess the architecture of the house itself. Being basically a glass house, the whole design had to be very clean and almost minimalist. Maybe I didn't go as minimalist as other people would have, but I had to add my little touch of crazy in some corners.
Favorite Element: I love unexpected things in a house and maybe because I own a furniture store I change things in my house a lot, but right now, probably my big Alice in Wonderland white chair.
Biggest Challenge: The house is very modern, so it felt that was the way to go, but modern sometimes can feel very cold, or a bit plain. Therefore, I had to figure out ways to add life and uniqueness, so it wasn't like every other modern home. So I added things like the grafitti wall, that over-sized white chair, the silver pig, a parking meter and other things to give it a bit more of my personality. When I design clients' homes I like making it so the place has lots of character by adding a lot of fun, cute vintage pieces — all the small details is what gives it that feel. But I couldn't do that here. So that was a big challenge, especially because I love knick-knacks so much.
What Friends Say: They say they really like it, at least to my face. They say it's very me, but at the same time not as busy or full of stuff as people that know me from having the store would think.
Biggest Embarrassment: Well, I've been embarrassed a few times living here. Being in my bedroom, if the shades are up, people can totally see you. I still forget that I basically live in a fish tank, so that can be kinda weird. Other than that my friends think that my "customer service" sign on top of my bed is something I should be embarrassed by, but that makes me love it even more.
Proudest DIY: I don't know if its qualifies as a DIY, but I'm very proud that most of the stuff in my house, except for very few pieces like my bed and the couch, comes from either a garage sale, a estate sale or a flea market... or thisisnotikea.com (of course).
Biggest Indulgence: My bed wasn't very cheap, but I love it. Maybe also the new added deck and jacuzzi.
Best Advice: Oprah's "Unclutter Your Life" episode was an aha moment for me. The place I lived before this house looked nothing like this, quite the opposite, and that episode made me see that waking up to a house that you're happy with makes you start your day in a completely different mind space.
I'm happy and thankful I wake up to this every day now, so all I can say is make your house a place you want to wake up to, spend the time, and if needed the extra dollars; it really does change your life. Also, get rid of things you don't need that are just taking up space, replace them with things that inspire you. It's good to hold on to things that remind us of people we care about, or moments. However, make sure you're not holding on to too many things that you might not love only because you might have some emotional attachment, to the point that it becomes counterproductive. That is one of the biggest issues I have with clients.
Dream Sources: Flea Markets: Rosebowl, Long Beach, Fairfax, Pasadena City Collage, Santa Monica, Anahaim, all of them!
Resources of Note:
APPLIANCES
Viking, all of it, I lucked out, they all came with the house.
FURNITURE
- White sofa & dining table: Blueprint
- Black sofa in bedroom: tini
- 2 lucite chairs: ocmodern.net
- Everything else - flea markets, estate sales and yard sales
ACCESSORIES
All of the accessories are from www.thisisnotikea.com, flea markets and yard sales.
LIGHTING
- Hanging lights next to bed from West Elm
- Every other light is from www.thisisnotikea.com and yard sales and flea markets
RUGS & CARPETS
- Astro turf in bedroom: White Label Turf
- Shag rug in bedroom: estate sale
- Other big white rug in living room came with the house
TILES & STONE
- Green tile in master bathroom: Bisazza
- Other tiles and stone came with the house
WINDOW TREATMENTS
All window shades in the house are Somfy.
BED
ARTWORK
- Grafitti wall by Abraham (323) 557-7189
- Birds on a wire photograph on top of bed by Alysia Cotter
- Every other art piece came from garage sales and flea makets
OTHER
- Landscape: Michael Crate - (310) 614-8398
- Alexis' pants: Madisonpark Collection (I insisted he share the source because I loved them so much!)
Thanks, Alexis!
(Images: Marcia Prentice)
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Great house and I love the dog bed under the stairs. Where can I find it available for retail?
Every part of this tour is "easy on the eyes"!
Absolutely love it all! The deck railing, however, is what I am dying for. Fabulous! What are the measurements for the horizontal rails and the space in inches between them. Any chance I can get those?
Very cool house. Cool guy too.
<swoon>
Very fund and stylish place. I love the bedroom, especially the astro-turf. That's brilliant!
Also love his store, TINI(This Is Not Ikea).
Is this to make up for the cat-fu house posted the other day? I love your bully breed mix. Go bullies!
I loved this at the get-go starting with the white piano (welll...after the dog, to be honest), continuing with the pig (I want one), and onward to what appears to be laminated glass doors hung on barn door hardware for the bathroom (never seen that in glass). The whole place is fun and original. And it looks comfortable. the counter chairs are even the right height for the counter. Excellent job.
My male dogs would be utterly confused (entrapment!) by the AstroTurf and traffic cone, though. Accidents would happen.
Question on the glass walls: I live in a house with window walls and have been battling heat gain and glare for years. Are your windows filmed? Is your sun exposure to the north? How do you manage the heat?
This is perfect. What do I need to do to live here? Or even just visit for a few days. I could totally sleep outside on one of those chairs. There is so much to love I can't list it all, I couldn't even summon the hate for your "eat" text art that I usually feel because I'm so in love with everything else.
The art and the plants really make this place look much warmer than one would expect from the decription of "modern" and "glass".
The way this house is decorated does not reflect his TINI shop. These look more like DWR or Room and Board showrooms.
Very interesting space. Like it all, but wish the dining room table and counter bar chairs were different. Too much of a good thing can still be too much sometimes.
Awesome house! Never seen anything like it before and I'm totally inspired. I actually love the "Customer Service" sign! Love your patio as well - nicely done!
Not a fan of the decor or the store. Every time i went in there they ignored my requests for prices and see certain pieces that were stacked by color (?!?) Flea markets were easier and cheaper.
I like the customer service line over his bed. Does anyone know where I can get a self service one for mine?
This place is so bright, modern, clean and organized. Happy guy and doggie.
I find the "Customer Service" sign on the headboard a bit disconcerting, though. Maybe I'm being too literal.
Is that a Tarantula on the coffee table?
Oh wow! What a wonderful, inspiration home! I'll have to come back when I have more time and see if the date of the house is mentioned. I love all of the windows, and the bedroom is fabulous. I have a telephone pole in front of my property, and was fascinated to note how the pole and wires in front of your place become part of the view and almost appear to be a work of art. Thank you for sharing your beautiful space with AT.
@wazzit2u- exactly my thoughts!!
OH-LA-LAA!!!
Very groovy. The way to my heart always includes a dog. Love the picture of the two of you at the kitchen island, that is totally priceless.
My dogs have the same chicken.
Absolutely gorgeous (everything).
This looks like my dream house. I wouldn't mind living in a fish bowl but the thought of waking up at night with someone looking in on me scares the beejesus out of me. Why don't more people have glass homes? Is glass very expensive or is it because it takes a lot of money to heat or cool it?
What a beautiful home...I have a non-descript ranch in the SFV and have been looking for a way to tie eco-friendly, mid-century modern aestetic into both my front and back landscapes. Yours is perfection! Concrete and astro-turf..the planter boxes and the slated fencing.. Love Love, Love !! Great job on reducing your carbon footprint!!! Is that one large slab of concrete in the rear or concrete blocks?
Thank you for sharing..Can't wait to visit your store.
Sunny..
This is so stylish and Unique Glass House.
Gynexin Alpha Formula
Beautiful Space! Love your dog.
that is a whole lotta awesome in one house.
Wow, what a cool house. Of course I want to make the joke he shouldn't throw stones. Haha. Like the little quirky tchotchkes. Except for the giant pig. I'm terrified of pigs (crazy, I know). I am, however, in love with the doggie! What a sweetie!
Absolutely STUNNING place! I for one find the 'customer service' sign hilarious. Life is short... let's laugh. Great job.
I'm a girl and I just love it, esp. the doggie. I'm SoCal born and bred so my first thought at the vista of the hills was it would be really interesting to watch them burn from those great Barcelona chairs (4 seasons of SoCal: Earthquakes, riots, fires and flooding). And love love love the artwork, you really got lucky!
This is my "DREAM HOUSE"! LOVE the artwork!!
Great artwork. Laughed out loud of the picture of you and the dog "reading" the paper. Gorgeous view. Love all the glass and windows, but would hate cleaning! Thanks for sharing!
LOVE the dog and the house! Hate the poles. I know it's a part of living in L.A. but that would kill me with those gorgeous windows.
Handsome guy has fantastic house with sensational views and great decor, adorable dog, thoroughly raid-able wardrobe AND he plays piano? Wow!
Every aspect of your home is amazing (-: There's so much to comment on, but I especially love the white piano against the graffiti wall backdrop. The dog is a favorite too!
Wait, what? It's 3000 square feet but the bedroom is still open to the dining room? Weird.
Also, it's too bad he has to look at all those telephone poles outside the "fishbowl." Such is life in LA, I guess.
But he seems like an interesting person, and I love his dog.
One of my absolute favourite tours. So much personality and creativity that is clever & humorous. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing ,beautiful!!!! My favorite tour.
Great tour, the bully breed dog is the best!
Love the stairs, and the way the wall under the stairs...I am going to copy your design on that....lovely house!! I could live there.