Name: Cate
Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California

My house is a small (roughly 700 square feet) 2 bedroom 1 bathroom 'California cottage' in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. It's a Sears kit home from 1926, as are the next 4 or 5 houses next to mine.

I've owned the house now for just over 2 years and have decorated with swap meet finds and 2nd hand furnishings. I love color. I didn't hold back when I moved in and painted almost every room in house. The colors range from bright orange to dark brown.

My inspirations stem from magazines, blogs (Apartment Therapy is a fixture in my RSS feeder!), the artwork I've gathered over the years and a general desire to live in a comfortable, inviting space. I also love living by myself and allowing my mildly girly touches to flourish as I imagine there will eventually come a time when I have to consider a male perspective on my house's appearance.

Like anyone who lives in a small space, the problems with the house stem mostly from a lack of storage and general 'smallness'. But finding furniture that doesn't overpower a space and living by the 'one thing in the door, one thing out the door' rule has been fun. It's a challenge, but I would much rather figure out solutions to space issues than live in a giant house. I love my adorable little place and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Thanks, Cate!

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