The house is beautiful but the dead fox is a big no-no (sorry :) )

I LOVED the chandelier hanging from the tree and was surprised that the interior style was so different. I think the outside sets a different tone than the inside -- I would have expected something a little more whimsical (think the Hudson hotel in NY).

I love the incredible outdoor spaces, but the decor seems very disjointed. And the fox creeps me out. However, you're so fortunate to have a historic house like this one to add to throughout the years.

Boy would i luv to feel like i was in the clouds all the time!! Fabulous House!!

Lovely exterior, bland interior. I understand that renting sets limitations on paint and wallpaper, but there should be more colour introduced. Even if those colours are serene blues and greens.

Yeah, Elysian Heights is a wonderful place to live!

I love the deck and the view, of course! I would really like to be there at night to see what the view of the city lit up looked like. Seems like a really nice relaxing place to get away to.

I like the exterior of the house and it's setting - gorgeous. One thing I don't get is the fireplace on the deck - why it is mounted so high? Also, I don't find how the bar stools can be comfortable (although that's clearly personal preference) - I prefer chairs with a backrest and armrests.

Is the fox even real? It seems like it's supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, no? I could be wrong... If it's real, ugh. If it's not, the frame is hilarious.

The outside is amazing beyond belief! The inside is underwhelming in comparison.

Dead animals, bird silhouettes.. keep calm and carry on, mariquettesf! ;)

I love the idea of an outdoor chandelier! I assume the wiring was modified for outdoor use...can you tell us how you did it? Thanks!

Swoon! I would never have thought to put a chandelier outside! Great idea-thanks for the inspiration. On a different note- I know many people find taxidermy offensive but it's not all cruel and wasteful. I can't speak for everyone obviously but many people who hunt and have taxidermy use the WHOLE animal. My uncle is a hunter and he would never kill an animal JUST for a trophy head.

Just a question: since it's a rental, are you allowed to paint? I looked through the tour a second time and I agree with Yvette- the walls are screaming for color. If your landlord won't allow you to paint a dramatic color, ask if you do something subtle that will some color but will also appeal to other renters. Have some swatches handy to make it easier to convince him/her.

I would have guessed it's more like 800 SF which makes your place even more impressive. I love the flow of your indoor / outdoor spaces which is the hallmark of great SoCal housing. Considering it is a super small, old cabin, the outdoor space is really well integrated with the indoor space. I am really impressed that the house doesn't maximize its square footage on this sensitive hillside site.

Lovely nature exterior!

I'm sorry the fox just kills the whole thing....especially if he was shot simply to stuff...I don't get it

Some taxidermy artists these days only use animals that have died of natural causes - car accidents, sickness, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case here, since it's only part of the animal.

Anyway, I think it's neat they have a dwiseman piece! I've looked through that portfolio before from some art blog, and I loooove his ceiling art.

I could live here, quite comfortably.

Personally, I have to say, I LOVE the fox.

Spectacular exterior! Inside, just ho hum. It's got such potential. I agree with the others here: it needs a major infusion of color. Stat.

There is a lot you can do in a rental, even if the walls cannot be painted. There is a wallcovering called "temporary wallpaper" made expressly for renters. It can be peeled off easily without damage to the wall.

There are interesting wall graphics made from removeable, resuable vinyl.

How about gorgeous fabric panels,stretched on wood, patterned window treatments.

Anything!

PS: the fox doesn't bother me. That's the least of the decorating issues here.

What an AMAZING house. I could totally live here, maybe for forever. The chandelier is genius. Agreed that the interior could use a (small) shot of color. At the very least some more interesting bed linens. Wow, still enamored overall though.

I agree with some people that the interior is a bit blah for me. But here's me weighing in on the fox - and I say this as someone who hangs out in museums a lot - it sure does look real.
Judging by its funny-shaped head it could be an old piece with a lumpy straw/clay interior (rather than the plastic or fiberglass ones they use nowadays) that's been found and re-framed, so to speak. I find it humorous rather than vile or offensive, assuming that's the case.

I also want to point out that they've decorated with various animal skulls, mounted insects, and other natural specimens. To me it's a package deal. They're all animals that have died and are now part of your decor.

Oh my, am I jealous or what... if I lived there I would probably spend half my time on one of those barstools with a mojito or glass of wine in my hand. The other half of my time would be spent on the steps leading down into the garden.

Wow! Such a FAB house! Love the views and the outdoor areas. The chandelier outside gives it a magical feeling. But as many have said already, a bit of color could do wonders for the interior. I do like the blue pillows on the sofa though, they just need to inject some more color into the rest of the home with accessories.

Beautiful deck and outdoor area...I've just never seen 1,600ft2 look so small - does that include the deck? As to the interior, I can see what they are going for, but something is missing.

Can we have a moratorium on the taxidermy comments? These people didn't kill and stuff the fox. Get over it.

And it's a nice space, but I don't think it's really a house tour.

"I'm sorry but to me it's very average."

Daylight says: In many ways, I think, that's the charm of this place.

I have mixed feelings about AT's approach to house tours of late. On the one hand, it's nice to know I'm not the only one with a work in progress. On the other hand, I want to be inspired by fabulousness.

Afore to now, house tours were only of spectacular, even hyper-designed homes. These days they run the gamut, but seem to be focused on "real" homes, e.g., how the average person makes the most of what they have without a designer and a million bucks.

Perhaps there should be categories:
House tour, rental, budget-living & saving to buy
House tour, rental, more money than sense
House tour, owned, work-in-progress but getting there
House tour, owned, more money than god ain't life sweet?

i do love the outside chandelier (and my blog is all about "outdoor living: www.lagunadirt.blogspot.com) but hate to say the inside is a bit, well, ho hum. but i'm sure the owners are just warming up!!

The outdoor space is spectacular. It's as good as it gets to have such a large outdoor space in LA, and it's a rental?! Luck dogs!

I agree with previous posters that the fox head sends the wrong message. Also the raccoon tails hanging in the other room.

"Chosen pieces of perfect scale"...not in the artwork. The piece next to the wall heater in the living room doesn't work because it is hung too low and there is that weird pendant in front of it. The 3 bicycle pics over the bed are hung too high and their size fights the window beside them...would be better to fill this space with an image or textile at least as large as the window. The small pic on the wall in the bathroom next to the shower might be best with a longer piece (or stack the 3 bikes here in a vertical formation).

I can see the three bicycle pics in nice inexpensive frames hanging over the bed.

Spectacular setting, like the simple, unpretentious decor... But why on the taxidermy???? I do not care if the fox, the animals who donated the tails in the bedroom, and skull on the outdoor table died died of natural causes. They are awful!!!

The fox had to die a horrible death. It wasn't a head shot, and it wasn't shot in the heart. It must have been shot in a leg artery and allowed to bleed out, to have an intact head and chest. It's a torturous death, chased to death while bleeding out, the hunter following the blood trail.

I hope it's fake.

Seriously? More comments about a fox on the wall than the house itself?
Ultimately the "head shot/leg artery/humane/vintage/ use the whole animal" discussion is ridiculous anyway. Shall we discuss how our leather shoes came into being?

The nonstop negative comments here about taxidermy have completely sealed it for me- I would never put my apartment on AT. This post has taken such a left turn that it's not even about the house tour anymore. It's reading more like an advertisement for PETA. As for Village's comment- clearly you're a caring individual but hand out leaflets if it's that important to you. This forum isn't the place for that.

I love the chandelier...and the fox, it sets a whimsical tone that is not followed up through the rest of the space which kind of falls flat.

Good job inside and out...inviting, comfortable, awesome views. Just the right amount of decorations. Yes, it would be nice if the landlord would allow some color on the walls.

Ditto medusa12120.

The outdoor space is great! Unfortunately the interior is a bit dreary.

how can some people enjoy looking at dead animals. i dont get.

Did anyone actually read the "sources" list before spouting off about the fox? It was purchased via eBay Taxidermy, which most likely means that fox has been dead and stuffed for a long time, and that Christian and Meredith's acquisition of said fox did nothing to take its life. Some antique stores sell secondhand taxidermy, too.

I don't get how some people enjoy overly austere "living" spaces or the color beige, but that doesn't mean I rant about every house tour where I don't agree with every single design decision. Eek.

I love the fox. I say incorporate a few more items like it and the whimsically placed chandelier. I'd live there.