Name: Chay Wike, fashion designer and owner of Chay, and Mark Wike, musician and music supervisor for film and TV
Location: Lake Hollywood – Los Angeles, California
Size: 3000 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years
Just when you think you have discovered every bit of Los Angeles, it surprises you. I found Chay and her lovely home through a friend, and when she sent along photos of her space I couldn't believe she lived in Los Angeles (the view definitely looked like Ojai). What is even more special is that, upon entering the home, you see design influences from around the world.
I think Chay's house is pretty cool, but her lifestyle is also very family oriented. She and her husband purchased the home from another couple who spent 20 years raising their kids in the house, and they plan to do the same. There is a small guest house on the property that they have turned into a school classroom to homeschool their two daughters. Currently the daughters share the upstairs bedroom with the amazing view of Hollywood, but once Chay and her husband do the last of the renovation that will all change, and the room will be converted back to the master bedroom.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Traditional, modern, and bohemian. We mix all three!
Inspiration: We are inspired by textures and by our families. We are both from the East Coast (New York and Pennsylvania) and both come from European families who traveled overseas a lot. We entertain often and have kids, so we try to make every room inviting, not too precious. There are lots of rugs, and textiles, and books, and dishes…
Favorite Element: The front porch! We have a covered porch that has an amazing view!
Biggest Challenge: The scale! The house has small rooms, so finding furniture that works and accommodates our needs is challenging.
What Friends Say: Honestly, they love it! It's cozy and the view is killer.
Biggest Embarrassment: Both of our desks!
Proudest DIY: I hand scrubbed the ugly varnish off our copper hood above the stove, and it revealed a gorgeous natural color.
Biggest Indulgence: The dishes.
Best Advice: Ask for help and invest in some interior decorating advice. Make sure you only have things in your home that YOU love and not what's trendy! Don't be afraid to find a good furniture maker and design some pieces of your own!
Dream Sources: Traveling is the best way, and most fun way, to find special pieces for your home.
Resources of Note:
APPLIANCES
- Vintage tub and bath
HARDWARE
FURNITURE
ACCESSORIES
PAINT
LIGHTING
- Practical Props on Magnolia
- Noguchi
FLOORING
- I tend to rip up my floors and polish the raw concrete sub-flooring.
Thanks, Chay!
(Images: Marcia Prentice)
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It's beautiful. My dream California home.
Gosh. I LOVE your amazing home. Thanks for the inspiration1
oh my!!!!!!!!!! it's so lovely.
lovely home! where is the pink desk from? so cute.
Holy Moley! What a beautiful space!
That porch! Wow!
Love the rest of the house too.
I was thinking 'Way too sparse for me', but I saved 3 pictures to my idea file. Great place.
Gorgeous! I also would like to know where the pink desk is from?
Love that pink desk, too. Thinking I've seen it in ???? DWR catalogue or Room and Board? Beautiful house.
That kitchen! That view! That dog! That dining table, chairs, and window! Beautiful!
That dog is an identical twin to my mother's old dog. Oh, and a beautiful house. I really like the leather dining chairs.
What ellabee said "That kitchen! That view! That dog!" - Love.
I live in la/hollywood, and it's hard to imagine a house with that spectacular view. Love the kitchen and the bathroom!
All wonderful....but what I want to know is: is it possible to polish the concrete floors room by room, while you're living there? And is it a DIY project?
This home has the exact spirit of old/airy/comfy I often see on old Country Living books from the UK where the homes are ages old, each object has a story, and the spaces are full of stories and memories to be made. Beauty as a result of living. The kitchen island with the weathered cutting board and cut herbs screams French country living... I swoon.
Beautiful! Just stunning.
beautiful! love the orange horse painting matching the dining chairs, and love the subway tile in the bathroom
Lovely and warm. The arched window in the kitchen with the copper and butcher block! Sigh. And the porch! Thanks for sharing your house. PS. Your little furry family member was too cute.
The doggie! The doggie! The doggie!
What a gorgeous house. The window by the kitchen sink made me drop my jaw. I have a nice view of my backyard from my kitchen but nothing as spectacular. Oh, and the porch, and the views!
Please adopt me. I am housebroken and I come with 2 extremely greyhounds who will love your doggie to death.
Th desk seems like something that would come from Blu dot
Yep on the pink desk at Blu Dot:
http://www.bludot.com/modern-desks/strut-table-medium.html
Beautiful kitchen. Love the windows and view throughout, and your school space is great.
Love it, love it, love it! It does look like Ojai! I especially liked the family photograph and the painting in the child's bedroom. Just dreamy.
Really beautiful. Love all the windows throughout the house esp in the kitchen and daughter's room. Feels so earthy and relaxed.
I love the horse painting. Where can I find it or the name of the artist? Thanks!
@SFW1983 It does, indeed, seem like a California interpretation of an English country estate. Lucky children to grow up in such a magical environment.
It's really beautiful, and with a stunning view!
Don't get the homeschooling though, but that's not related to architecture! :-)
House tour heaven! They have impeccable taste and a beautiful home. I am seriously envying that pantry with the glass door.
Thank you! The desk is from Room and Board under the kids section. They have a whole range of colors.
I think that depends on what kind of floors are on top of your concrete sub flooring AND who your contractor is. Our floors were covered in tile that my contractor had to cut up in pieces to remove. It may be easier to lift up wood. We didn't pour concrete and polish. We pulled up the floor and used the existing concrete sub floor which was very cracked and full of character! My contractor smoothed some of the bumps and we just sealed it with a clear glossy finish. DYI....? I guess that depends on you! :)
Thank you! Actually the school space wasn't photographed. The school is in a detached guest house on the property. What you saw were pictures of their bedroom :)
Thank you. The school is actually in a detached guesthouse. Those are photo's are the kids bedroom :)
This is one of my all time favorite home tours. I strive to one day have a home like this!
The perfect California-casual home. Sigh.
Amazing. The whole home, and the kitchen especially. Love the huge window above the sink. Love the metal drawer in the island. Love, love, love.
This is one of my favorites. A real home, with a lived-in look.
Oh, yes. What a stunner. This is my California dream home.
Wonderfully place. I covet your kitchen... is that wrong?
love the bathroom counter. the wood is surprising. do you have to wax it like butcher block? we don't have houses like this in the east.
Wonderful! Is that a pantry just outside the kitchen?
Would love to see more of the kitchen. Then again, I always want to see more of the kitchen! :)
Lovely home! Thanks for letting us visit!