Name: Bradley Duncan
Location: Echo Park - Los Angeles, California
Size: 500 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year
When Bradley moved from Chicago to Los Angeles he looked at multiple apartments and rentals. Nothing felt like home until he finally agreed to look at a newly renovated duplex in Echo Park. The home dates back to some of the first houses in Echo Park and is made from concrete. The space was small, but had original architectural features that sold him on the rental.
When I walked into Bradley's home, I was immediately intrigued by all his collections including the camel skull on the bookcase (that I'll confess I was a little scared of, at first). Even with the small amount of space, his home still felt spacious and comfortable. He maximized every room with just the right balance of furniture and accessories. And the bathroom...I could move right in!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Worldly heritage with natural elements from the Earth and science
Inspiration: Functional workshops, nature, places in which I have traveled, Donald Judd, Axel Vervoordt, Mid-Century Case Study houses.
Favorite Element: The bathroom: floor-to-ceiling white subway tile, three shower heads, abundance of natural sunlight
Biggest Challenge: Space: with only 500 sq ft and one closet for the entire home, every space has to have a purpose.
What Friends Say: My friends are always obsessed with the bathroom and wonder how that can appropriate its elements into their own. They also ask about the terrariums and how to make their own.
Biggest Embarrassment: Not having a formal spaces to entertain.
Proudest DIY: The Table: my thesis project in undergrad. It is a modular system made from 4x4 posts and braces. It can be easily deconstructed and reconstructed in unlimited formations.
Biggest Indulgence: The Furniture: specifically the bookcase, the dresser and the credenza. All purchased together, they function perfectly in their space.
Best Advice: Don't force anything, all will come together in time.
Dream Source: De Vera, Architectural Artifacts, Artnet
Resources of Note:
HARDWARE
FURNITURE
ACCESSORIES
LIGHTING
BEDDING
OTHER
Thanks Bradley!
Images: Marcia Prentice
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Oooh! What nice collections! And plants! And everything seems so well...curated(?).
It feels masculine, but not over-designed. And it's well photographed!
AT: can we get more floorplans with House Tours? I love when they're included - really helps a viewer "figure out" the space.
I really like how organic everything feels. Very nice!
Where is that head from? It's really cool!
I love your terrarium. Where did you get it?
super cool space :) great house tour!
Super organic and "earthy" place!
very nice!
Bradley - I'm pretty sure you and I were separated at birth. I've never seen a home so full of plants and rocks, just like....MINE! My friends just don't get it - they come over and ask, "Why do you have a rock in the bathroom?" and it's not even worth it to explain how excited I am by finding a really awesome rock.
What are you going to do with the crystals shown in one of the pics? My dad wraps the top part in copper wire and makes a loop at the top. He uses them as fan pulls. I've been using them as Christmas ornaments :)
Beautiful home! Thank you so much for sharing - this rock/plant/weirdstuff geek really enjoyed it!
This whole house is beautiful. That plant in the bathroom (the one in the vase) is lovely! Does anyone know what that is? (looks too sturdy to be a potato)
I am in love with this space. Especially the terrariums and plants, but the collections and the way they're displayed are out of this world. Oh, and of course that bathroom. Drool.
i think it is an avocado. amazing house!
I am constantly thinking of fences these days and I really like yours.
This is incredible. 500 square feet and filled with spirit and soul. I love everything he's done with his home. Just beautiful. As for entertaining --nothing wrong with inviting one or two people over at a time. I live in 800 sq. feet with lots of plants, driftwood, stones, beach glass etc... so it's wonderful to see it can be done much better than I do it and in a smaller space. I've learned a lot from this one.
WOW. This feels like a tree house - and that's awesome! So organic! I would be that super annoying house guest running around touching and picking up everything like a three year old child. Love love love. You are one rockin individual, Bradley.
P.S. Bradley, I read your thesis. It was a fun read!
LOVE the open bathroom with the subway tile.
The perfect example proving that less really CAN be more! Excellent work.
where are those bar stools from?
bangs I couldn't agree more.
The "face" somewhat scares me and all that "dead nature" as well, otherwise I think I'll kick Bradley out and get the house for me ;-)
This place is bitchin' and that geometric terrarium is everything I've ever dreamed of.
Also, where in Echo Park does such a place exist?
This home is so beautiful it breaks my heart. Or maybe more correctly, it breaks my heart open. The aesthetic, physical, and spiritual maturity revealed in this little house is palpable on both macro and micro scales. I'm humbled.
OH. MY. I think I am in love. Beautiful, beautiful home. So many wonderful objects.
@mojones I'm pretty sure I am part of that separated family. I, too, have been asked by many--especially my in-laws-- why there are rocks, skulls, natures flotsam, etc. in very room. "Why are you so creepy?" There just isn't any point to explaining. FYI, I am female.
Where might I purchase the geometric terrarium?
Love the whole earthy feel! And the rocks, the plants the terrarium! I could walk into this house and feel like I was at home. Although wood face man would give me a heart attack.
Thanks, art_brutale! That's absolutely it.
Wow. Really wonderful. The rocks and plants are just wow.
Luuurve! Especially the outdoor space. :)
<3!
This is really awesome. I've been trying to find a balance between displaying some of the cool artifacts I have so that my house is interesting but doesn't feel like a museum. I think you've achieved that balance. Love the muted color scheme mixed with colorful details.
terrariums...
http://scoreandsolder.com/
Terrariums-http://areohome.stores.yahoo.net/pifate.html
@k1tsun3 The head was salvaged from an old church. I have been working on restoring it, and added the concrete lift for display.
@talktoearthworms - They were designed by, Design Workshop. ABC Carpet & Home has them for sale http://www.abchome.com/furniture/stools/tabid/215/productId/1311/Default.aspx
Love the bromides and the avocado tree in the bathing room.
This really looks twice the size. I'm SO inspired by his artwork and design style. My gawd...this guy works magic. It's a great space to start with but I can see there were challenges. He makes it look so easy!!!
I absolutley loved this house tour. Bradley your place is such a great mix of Natural History Museum, Curiousity Shop and Botanical Garden. I think your collections are really cool and think the combo of alive and dead is smart. YOU definitely gave me some new ideas and new ways to rework my crazy collections. Much of it matches yours.Thanks!
You really do make it look effortless.
Bradley, your little house looks so very nice and very comfortable. I also really like your bookcase. Would you mind telling where did you find it?
Mojones & milo.delara, I must be the red-headed step-child of the Afficionados of the Odd family, because my house is filled with skulls, rocks, crystals, coral, feathers, sea urchins, horns, insects, etc. My decor has been described as 'creepy,' 'eccentric,' & 'weird' but it feels perfectly lovely to me. I say we enjoy whatever oddities appeal to us & leave the banality of fake ivy, gold sconces, and Thomas Kincaid prints to the naysayers. Thank you, Bradley, for this peek into your unique & lovely sanctuary.
Anyone know where I can find that terrarium? It's perfect, but everything I've found online isn't the right shape/size.
I think you have a wonderful space, Bradley. May I suggest that you one painting with bright colors? I will still love what you've done if you disagree.
"you add one painting"
Really cool stuff!
I think you've hit it right on all fronts! Amazing space. Want to move in!! Great work.
With the exception of the uber rental kitchen, I utterly love this place. It speaks perfectly of its owner.
It helps that the owner shares my taste for skulls, homemade furniture, interesting rocks and random collections of junk :-)
Wow! Incredible space. It has such a blend of functionality tempered by a sense of curiosity. Well Done!
I love everything. This is very close to what my place would look like, had I thought of it first. I really love the oddities and could definitely spend all day looking at cool stuff in this 500sq ft apartment.
Love this. We must compare rocks, botanical bits, and other organic collections someday :). How nice you shared your wonderful space and how nice to have found a kindred spirit. I also get comments like the above posters on why I collect such unusual stuff. Your home and how perfectly everything is diplayed yet lived in is a kind of validation. Thanks
LOVE this house! Simple, organic, well-done. Where did you find the head? It's awesome.
Love it! This place is that rare combination of modern, creepy, funny, mysterious and clean! Great bookshelf, utilized perfectly.
Cute cub!
Beautiful! Organic, tasteful, and masculine. Love it!
Beautiful! I would add more bookshelves and a big table in the back/side yard for parties! The bathroom is awesome!
Just wanted to add my appreciation for this amazing space of alchemical masculinity. I've starred it as a favorite. I love your style.
He's got a sexy clean design sensibility! It's really cool.
What a SUPER COOL way to use plants. It really makes the outdoors come indoors. Lovely place, wonderful decorating. He looks like such a nice guy! A great smile. :-)
Wow - so cool! Well done.
Love your home! It's really cool and masculine and natural. The plant over the toilet in the bathroom: is that a real plant?
What a great tour! I was begining to wonder if this site should be renamed MansionTherapy after seeing so many huge homes but this tour is awesome and has the sq. footage that a lot of people live in. I have 15 plants in my living room so I can relate to Bradley's love of plants. Great job, don't change a thing.
Incredible place!
Absolutely love this!
One more vote for your manliness. That is, always great to see a masculine view of home-making. In the best sense of the word. Granted, we see plenty of men with enviable style in AT house tours, but we don't see as many that aren't inspired by life-sized paintings of hairless pectorals or accents of ribbon and hollywood regency reflective surfaces. There, I said it! Bradley, I don't care who you sleep with, but thanks for striking a balance of styles on AT.
Ok, I'll shut up now.
Well done.
Love this space...
hey, bradley! where did you get your boots that you're wearing?
nice apartment, too.
xoxo
amy
From one Chicago person living in LA to another, love that you mentioned Architectural Artifacts. I miss that place as well as Salvage One.
i have a plate of rocks that i pick up from places where i feel moved. most don't get it, but it brings me joy...and how can one resist one of them big dead beatles? i thought your house was perfect! i would love to read your thesis..where can i find it?
From another Midwesterner in SoCal, I am shocked that a young guy has a home like this! You should see what most 20-something guys houses look like....
I love how natural it is. It looks lived in too, but not a sloppy way. It also doesn't look like he is a millionaire like some of the places on here. Oh, and he's also pretty cute! :)
good looking place.
not his fault at all, but i wonder what happened to the former tenants. this building was redone in the last few years, and people who were living there, in the building's former condition, seem to have been cleared out. i do not know if the building changed hands or what--but it was definitely occupied, up until someone decided to improve it--and let's just say, apparently did not decide to keep the former tenants. anyone in the neighborhood know details about that transition?
Well done. Designed with a clear point of view without being trendy or obvious (think Color Splash and other HGTV programs). And finally someone who knows how to use plants effectively and elegantly (vs. random pots of lucky bamboo, spider plants, weeping figs)
¡♥ verde, verde, verde!
Another influence might be cabinets of curiosities.
Wow! I saw how you made everythng looks so easy,,looks like a man's place,, very clean and neat,, the brown helps alot too... nice going Brad..
Fab place Bradley... and well done to outing all the rock/skull/bone/plant/weird and interesting objects collectors... yep, I'll put my hand up in the mix.
Have you seen The Slug and Squirrel website... http://slugandsquirrel.com/home.html
I think you'd like it!
So super! Love the tile selections in the BA...
@ JD2002 - I bought the bookcase in a warehouse in South LA. It is made from Iron and Mango Wood. Restoration Hardware has some similar shelving units.
Boring question: what's your white? From the pics it looks warm but not too creamy.
@ Kathryn1123 - Always have my eye open for an opportunity to bring color into my home. Have not come across art with color that has spoken to me, or that I would like to live with. A Rothko, Ruscha, or Donald Judd would be fitting..... : )
@ insaniteee - The plants hanging in the bathroom are real. They are Staghorn ferns. In nature they attach themselves to trees, thriving in partial sun. They love the humidity from the shower and the skylight.
@ bulbkit - Boots are Abingtons by Timberland
@ pucknc Thesis (download pdf) http://bradleyduncan.com/work.html
@ TML - It is standard apartment beige.... Painted before i moved in. Do no know the specific color
BD...I like where your head is at!
I am so curious...what are the dimensions of your bathroom? I think it's similar to my bathroom and I'm planning a remodel.
Thanks!
I love your bathroom/wet room, very European. Can you share more about your experience with an open shower? I see you have a handheld sprayer, but do you also have a regular shower head? Do you have to let the bathroom dry for a long time (with fan?) after?
Love the ferns in the bathroom! Love the whole space :)
I love this home, and may have developed a small crush on Bradley just looking at the place.
...and Arcade Fire is playing.
Love your bathroom and the skull/head. Love those tiles that look like subway tiles. Well done!
Well i like all these designs. Thanks for sharing. I am impressed with this work.
http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/spokane-wpblog/2008/09/25/eight-superfoods-for-your-daily-diet/
I am so inspired by your home! Gorgeous! And I love all of your branches of Pitanga. I never though to bring pitanga inside and present it that way. Genius! Thanks for sharing this!