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Name: Christopher & Natalie
Location: Downtown Los Angeles, California
Size: 1,010 square feet + 300 square feet of rooftop deck
Years lived in: 8 months

Christopher and Natalie whipped together their loft in 8 months. When they moved in the loft felt like one big white box, which sent the engaged couple on a mission to create a home filled with personality, color, texture, and everything they love. They even created a "green" outdoor area for the dog.

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The best thing about the new loft? It can hold a table with seating for 16. Christopher and Natalie love to entertain and have friends over for dinner. The loft is one big open space with dividing walls only for the master bedroom. Their outdoor space has become an extension of the living area and is very comfortable as soon as the hot sun sets.

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Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: I am still trying to figure out exactly what our decorating style is. I think I have a good idea and then I fall in love with an image on a blog or Pinterest and suddenly want to own/make something that is totally different than our current décor. I think our style can best be described as modern, diy, vintage with a touch of Hollywood Regency.

Inspiration: We get a lot of inspiration from blogs that show real people's homes (like Apartment Therapy Home Tours!), Elle Décor, & Boutique Hotels.

Favorite Element: My absolute favorite element of our place is being able to live in an open industrial loft space in downtown LA, while still having outdoor space with our rooftop deck. Los Angeles has wonderful weather almost year round, so it would be a shame if we didn't have a space where we could truly enjoy it.

Biggest Challenge: The biggest challenge with the loft was making the large open space feel cohesive across the different "living areas." Also, this particular loft building was just renovated so everything in the units is brand new and WHITE. White everywhere: white travertine floors, white walls, etc. It doesn't have that charm that many downtown lofts have with exposed brick or the floor-to-ceiling windows. So we had to bring in the color and charm ourselves. Another challenge with this loft is that our bedroom is located in the back of the unit with no windows. It felt a lot like a cave when we first moved in and it is still a work in progress to make it feel cozier.

What Friends Say: People are always surprised at how much outdoor space we have in Downtown LA.

Biggest Embarrassment: The dust. It is seriously constant with the 19 foot ceilings and industrial air conditioning. There is almost no escaping it.

Proudest DIY: My proudest diy is the bubble chandelier above our dining table, which was inspired by a previous Apartment Therapy post! You can see the entire step-by-step process here.

Biggest Indulgence: The biggest indulgence in our home is the custom made oversized kitchen island. We entertain at our place all the time and people always want to congregate in the kitchen, so we knew we wanted the biggest kitchen island the space could afford. Unfortunately, islands of that size don't really exist so we went the custom route.

Best Advice: The best advice I have ever received in regards to decorating is if you haven't used something or you don't absolutely love something then get rid of it. It is wonderful advice and I still struggle to follow it, but in our loft we can't afford to have clutter as we barely have any storage as it is.

Dream Source: Our dream source for decorating would probably have to be Room&Board, but realistically there is nothing we love more than a really good estate sale. The "hunt" is half of the fun of decorating!

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Resources of Note:

APPLIANCES

HARDWARE

FURNITURE

ACCESSORIES

  • All white ceramic vases and pots are purchased from the Original Flower Mart in LA
  • White tray on coffee table from CB2
  • White Ceramic matchstick holder from Jonathan Adler
  • Boston Terrier Statue from Urban Outfitters
  • Apothecary Jars throughout home are from both Michaels Crafts and the Flower Mart
  • Rod that holds kitchen items from Ikea
  • Silver Cocktail tray from Ikea, product name "Groggy"
  • Jadeite Cake stands from Etsy
  • Drink Dispenser from Costco
  • Black Porcelain Apothecary Jars by Jonathan Adler
  • White Ceramic Apothecary Bathroom set by Jonathan Adler (discontinued)

BED

LIGHTING

  • "Industrial" hanging lights in entryway from Ikea
  • Bubble Chandelier is DIY
  • Wood lamp on side tables was a family hand-me-down from the 60s

RUGS & CARPETS

  • "Chain Link" carpet from Pottery Barn Outlet
  • Black/White stripe rugs from Big Lots

ARTWORK

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Thanks, Christopher & Natalie!

Images: Marcia Prentice

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