Name: Aya Sumika and Trevor John, President and Co-Owners of Midori Ribbon, with Baby Misa (who is almost 8 months), 2 kitties, and Indigo
Location: West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Size: 1,400 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years
Aya and Trevor were very fortunate to move into a brand new condo building, though the units were pretty plain. As Aya got to know her neighbors, it turned out that one of them was an interior designer. She promised Aya that within 6 months, she could have her dream home. She stood true to her world — Aya couldn't believe the transformation!
Since Aya and Trevor's daughter is still very young, she still sleeps in their bedroom. However, the dark blue guest bedroom will soon be hers. It has special touches just for her, like the closet doors that were turned into a pinboard of Polaroid photos from when Aya and Trevor were kids. I can't wait to see how the room transitions when their little girl settles into the space.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Our style is eclectic, livable, and whimisical, with a dash of French urban flair.
Inspiration: We wanted to create a home that reflected our creativity and warmth, allowing us to have a little cocoon and escape from our hectic days at work.
Favorite Element: The hand painted wallpaper in our powder room and the openness of our layout. The condo was a blank canvas for us to establish many of our favorite elements in each room when collaborating with Knapp Interiors.
Biggest Challenge: Honestly, Trevor and I didn't face many challenges. We had a very clear vision of what we wanted, presenting a large 3 ring binder of many collected references and inspirational images and moods for each room in detail. With this vision along with the organization, professionalism and editing of Elizabeth Knapp Bobo from Knapp Interiors, we walked into a finished home within 6 months!
What Friends Say: When friends come into our building they are always surprised to find our little oasis and have fun discovering the attention to detail throughout our home. When visiting they always comment on how relaxed and calm they feel and what an escape from the hustle and bustle of LA it is.
Biggest Embarrassment: The built-in electric fireplace. We tried to make this eyesore diminish by distracting the eye with the custom built, simple mantel above.
Proudest DIY: The Midori ribbon flower bouquet (DIY instructions here), Midori ribbon velvet pillows, and the sliding door corkboards in our second bedroom. They started out as mirrored sliding doors. This particular room, which was also named "the blue room", had to have many functions. It had to serve as a guest bedroom, so the couch essentially has the firmness a mattress would (we didn't want to do a pull out bed, due to the discomfort). It is a favorite of our friends as the "conversation room", at one point it was Trevor's art studio, and now with our little girl Misa, it slowly but surely will evolve into her space, too.
Changing the mirrored doors to the corkboards has given us the flexibility to display our Polariods from over the years — from our wedding, when I was a little baby, to Trevor's inspirations and references for a project he is working on. And I'm sure we will have art from Misa we want to enjoy soon!
Biggest Indulgence: Chandeliers and lighting fixtures. I spent many hours browsing the internet for light fixtures that were a fit for each space. It really became the finishing touch to bring the whole room together. We also splurged on a few vintage pieces that are definitely statement pieces, like my Italian workman's desk, I can only imagine the history that is within this piece.
Best Advice: To know where you can mix in things at low price points without sacrificing style or aesthetic. We are strong believers that you can't buy taste. We had a budget that we wanted to stick to; there were many places that we found we could spend way less on certain pieces to achieve the same goals or feelings. For example, one of our side tables in our master bedroom came from JCPenney, our dining table from Crate&Barrel, many of our picture frames came from Ross… it's all about the eye! Don't sleep on your local garage sales too!
Dream Sources: 1stdibs - they have everything you can imagine! I spent many hours getting lost on this website. Definitely have a goal and a list in front of you before you begin your search at 9PM at night, or you will look up in disbelief to see 1AM creep up in a blink!
Resources of Note:
APPLIANCES
- Miele
- Northstar
HARDWARE
FURNITURE
ACCESSORIES
LIGHTING
RUGS & CARPET
ARTWORK
Thanks, Aya & Trevor!
(Images: Marcia Prentice)
• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE: Check out past house tours here.
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.
Which Wall Color Gives the Best Sleep?
Marisa and Peter's Playfully Eclectic Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
10 Low-Budget Pantry Items Everyone Should Have
Summer Recipe: Gluten-Free & Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
So incredibly rich and luxurious, yet so laid back! What a wonderful combination.
Love the wallpaper and fabrics throughout this home.
Wonderful!
So great! Love the use of wallpapers. The house really has a ton of personality but isnt too much. and I agree with bejeweled, laid back at the same time.
Amazing that a "plain unit" can be transformed to look so luxurious.
Because of all the vignette shots, I don't have a good sense of the layout. There were far too many vignettes, and that was really frustrating.
Exactly what I was thinking. Really well done.
Really like this - fantastic colours. Can I also ask where your very cool Frida Kahlo bag is from? Thanks!
absolutely pretty. the lighting fixtures are indeed gorgeous! please tell me where you got your hand shaped wall display pieces, i love them! and your baby is adorable!!!!
Stunning and so well put together!
I knew I recognized her from somewhere. Aya Smukia played Liz Warner on Numb3rs.
Lovely home! Beautiful family. I'm especially fond of the white vanity in front of the giant mirror (with a lovely carved wood frame). The first pictures are a bit dark though AT. Brighten those puppies up if you can.
I stopped viewing because I was frustrated with the close up shots of things they own rather thant he rooms themselves.
What's up with the chopped photos of the bathroom?
Sensual and Lush
I get so frustrated when I read that an interior designer was used in these house tours. I can buy design magazines to see interiors designed by professionals. I like to see homes created solely by the people who inhabit them.
Wow...if I didn't see the husband in the photo I would've thought I was viewing a single gals pad! Very feminine & very pretty...
Love the shelves around the tub. I might have to try that in my home. Plus the wallpaper in the bedroom. Of course the sweet little rainbow crawling on the bed was the best accessory of all!
They've certainly done a good job of masking the blandness of a brand new condo, though it's a little too fussy for my taste. It would be interesting to follow up in a few months to see how the space has changed as their baby gets older and more mobile. (I trust the pin board closet doors will be made pinless before she starts crawling around in the blue room.) I can only imagine how many cheerios will get lodged in all that button tufting!!! :-)
That bathroom! Wow! I've never seen shelves like that above a bathtub - so unique and amazing! This is the perfect inspiration for my bathroom makeover.
What is that tiny envelope pinned above their bed in the first photo? I love that magnolia wallpaper.
There is too much going on for me. My eyes didn't know where to land. Is the refrigerator too big for its space? It looks like it is blocking the closet or pocket door. That type of thing would drive me insane especially if it occurred at the hands of a decorator.
LOVE the painting of the blue plaid guy! Love the high backed velvet couch(the red one too,not together though) the wallpaper in the bedroom,loved pretty much all of it.Except that blue fridge,cute though it is,just doesnt fit. Shame in about six months its going to be stripped bare,all that lovely upholstery is going to be stained,tassels pulled off,etc! Once they get really mobile its all over with but the crying.They can reach places and somehow break things that defy the odds of logic !
I agree. I'm not really getting a sense of the decor or the overall theme of the home because it's just closeups. I'd like to see the whole room and then a couple closeups of unique features.
What a beautiful way to light an otherwise ordinary space. I'm struggling with the same thing. Thanks for inspiring!
Love the magnolia wallpaper, love Trevor, lol.
I have a 1930's vanity I love but would gladly switch with you as the floor length side mirrors on yours made me gasp. Honestly. Love the turquoise fridge whether it fits or not.
Oh, what a feast for the eyes! I love all the colors and textures ~ But I am so curious how you do it with 2 cats!? My cat's have their own preferences for what to claw at so I feel so limited in my furniture choices. Slip-covers are a must, they just kill chairs. Baskets too, sadly. What is your secret? Do tell! :)
@visualizestacy - it's clear the owners worked WITH the decorator to get the result we see here. Why is that a problem? I feel like inspiration can be found in a home that one person designed on a shoestring budget over time and even those that were done quickly or on a higher budget.
Design and inspiration should transcend this issue and I think if you're open to it, you can find beauty or interest in any origin of design.
Really enjoyed seeing this beautiful home. Love the shelves above the tub. And I love the blue fridge. Depending on what kind of wall is behind the fridge, it could possibly be set into the wall to gain a few inches and not have it protrude quite as much. But love the color with the black counters.
Nice!!!!
1. This house is a lot of things (and I like it a lot) but it's not sophisticated. Not in any sense of the word I know.
2. Has this post been reposted since yesterday? It's showing as the newest post even though it's not.
Looks wonderful! Esp. love the wallpapers and the powder room and bathroom. QUESTION: In the full bathroom, is that wallpaper or tile on the wall?
I ask in case it's wallpaper, to try to find out the source. ... My condo bathroom has a tile-effect wallpaper that I really like, but the prior owners didn't do an esp. good job of putting it up, and then my 2 cats, when kittens, scratched it up, since they adored the thick texture of the paper (equally as much as they liked their multiple scratching posts). I found another, different Moroccan-influenced wallpaper design I like but I really prefer the tile effect (tiny white tiles with a super-thin gold band in between them, like a subtle mosaic.)
i know...using interior designers for anything other than changing the the bones of the house is cheating! i wish there were some more 'male' aspects in the place, considering there's a husband! i like the tan bathroom.
I love the look, the textiles, the colours, the beautiful wall treatments! I would love it even more if there were a few more open spaces, it's a tiny bit claustrophobic but maybe that's just the photography :)
Love the wallpaper in your bedroom!
I think it's beautiful, but the Polaroid pinwall for a kid's room is a disaster waiting to happen. Little fingers are going to pry those tacks right out and scatter them on the floor (sharp side up no doubt). Then those little fingers are going to gleefully rip the pictures to shreds.
Speaking from experience (luckily without the tacks).
THE. BLUE. FRIDGE.
i am also bothered by the envelope thing above the bed.
Sometimes you work with a designer because you don't have the time to source products or you don't have access to items you want or to contact workmen and oversee installations, etc. It doesn't mean you had little say in what happens or that it's not your inspiration. Interior designers have many roles and exluding any apt. or home from AT because an interior designer was used is silly.
Love this tour!
Love the wallpaper and the fridge!
Not my taste, but I like several elements - the mirrored pieces, the shelving over the bath tub, the light fixtures, and overall the home looks so comfortable and warm. Cute baby too!
Some nitpicky commenters (babies, cats, decorators)! Lovely place and tho you are embarrassed by the electric fireplace, I'd still be thrilled to have something -- I think a fire makes a place look so cozy (I actually put on my holiday wish list a DVD of a crackling fire, LOL!). I love your choices of wallpapers as well. Great job, I think it looks luxurious and sensual.
Im betting the envelope above the bed is a blessing of some sort.
Love the glam meets lived-in vibe. Love every pic except the family photo gallery wall (the framed ones) above the chest with even more framed family pics. Too much going on there. Your eye needs white space to rest on and there should be consistent spacing either in between the photos or along the implied lines along the edges. Love your style so much!
Some serious style-function infusion! THE FRIDGE <3<3<3 the bathroom, mirror, ceiling lamp & wallpaper are :O Amazing. A lot of things turned me off, but overall I respected & loved the space Aya & Trevor created for themselves, To Each Their Own.
Intelligent blending of different design styles with a lovely choice of color schemes, light fixtures, and paintings. I could move in as-is and feel quite at home here!
this is a hold up, give me everything in your apartment right now!
i LOVE this. i ESPECIALLY LOVE your bed! where is the frame from?
@Jane Jones the refrig not fitting would be my biggest embarrassment not the electric fire, and would bug me every time I entered my kitchen, but if you read the comments, that is a minority view.
One of the most useful bits of advice I read by a designer was "you have to have some discipline, you can't buy everything you love." This apartment seems filled with everything the owners love without too much concern whether it works together or not.
With all the beauty and glamour of your home what touched me the most was the omamori (prayer talisman) above your bed. It displays a sense of spiritual value.
Love the power room. Nice shelves above the bath. A lot of the rest of it seemed mighty out of place: the idea board behind the dining room table. That fireplace is just plain strange and I would have thought a designer could have done a better job of integrating it into the space so it doesn't leap out at you so much. I think some better window dressings on that wall would do wonders. There is so much visual distraction in this home and then nothing there at the fireplace.
Love the aqua refrigerator!
I'm surprised this is the work of an (professional?) interior designer--too many items that are too large! Namely, media console that blocks a window; fridge that blocks a doorway; Victorian settee thing that's bigger than the adjacent wall; the side table next to it.....gah!!
I posted several days ago and my post consisted of NO NO... some how that post was removed. Well now I will tell you what I think of this tour. It gave me a headache. I could not fix my eye on one thing because all I could see were a thousand things. OVERLOAD AND NOT TASTEFUL AT ALL.
The wallpaper on the first photo is the same udes on one chapter of HOME HEIST. Love it!!!
WOW!! What a transformation from a plain Jane condo. No hint of that here. This decor is outstanding!! Love it all. Sumptuous and delicious textures and colors and such well appointed furnishings. Aya & Trevor, does your neighbor travel?
@surfjack is right about about the comment from @visualizestacy
"it's clear the owners worked WITH the decorator to get the result we see here.Why is that a problem? I feel like inspiration can be found in a home that one person designed on a shoestring budget over time and even those that were done quickly or on a higher budget.Design and inspiration should transcend this issue and I think if you're open to it, you can find beauty or interest in any origin of design."
Yes! I also like how @surfjack used the word decorator, not designer. Please, please, know that there is a difference, yet they are equally as valuable as professions.
@lanamal I am confused by your comment. What do mean by "using interior designers for anything other than changing the the bones of the house is cheating!"
I just want to understand what you are saying. Is this in reaction to another person's comment. It is unclear.
Your place is fab, fab, fab. I feel your pain with the fireplace. Fireplaces often have metal screens in front. Okay, yours is covered with glass. So is mine. But, a decorative screen can add a little more depth. I'm picturing something metal with pierced cut outs. From Mexico or Morocco ? Hinged on the sides of the fireplace ? Or on metal legs ? This could be an art piece waiting to happen ?
Where is the fridge from?
Love, love, love those fabric flowers in the entry. Do share where they are from. The velvet pillow, on what I think is an entry chair, is wonderful as well.
Love the wall papers in the bedroom(pink and blue flowers -magnolias???) and the powder room (brown with flowers) would anyone know the names of the patterns and who makes them? Love...Love ...Love them. Over all love the combination of midcentury retro glam meets modern livability! Love it.
I love your house.....the fridge....I love it...gotta have it!
There is alot going on in your home..but to me, that 's what makes it lived in..ya gotta love it! It's way cute!
a few nice floral fabrics,
http://www.fabocity.com/index.php/curtains-drapes.html?pattern=49