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Name: Daryl & Jenna (Jagger, Hayden, Thelonious and Muffin)
Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years lived in: 2 — owned

Daryl bought this house about 2 years ago and completely rehabbed it into the eclectic, modern place you see in these photos. It was a hot mess when he first moved in — but in a short amount of time he has really gotten to work.

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When he first moved in he took down the popcorn ceilings, sanded and stained the floors, completely gutted and upgraded the bathroom, and painted, painted, painted. The walls, the baseboards, the kitchen cabinets, the ceilings, the entire exterior — everything and anything that could be improved by a little paint, has been! This past October Daryl's girlfriend Jenna moved in and added some of her style and sensibility — but the couple was lucky in that their tastes were very similar and combining their households was a breeze.

"Modern Comfort" is how Jenna described the style of their nest and every space reflects that — from their comfy sectional in the living room, to their spare but cozy bedroom. With four animals — two dogs and two cats — roaming around, they aren't too hung up on perfection. Both Daryl and Jenna are serious about design and compromise is not in their vocabulary — if a must-have piece seems out of their budget or the wrong shape or size — Daryl will make it himself. The steel and glass dining room table is a great example of this. Daryl spotted a similar one at CB2 that he loved, but the proportions were all wrong, so he DIY'd a smaller one (amazing!).

One thing you might recognize about Daryl and Jenna's pad (that is if you're an avid HGTV watcher) is the basement. When he moved in, Daryl was desperate to finish the space into the "man cave" it was meant to be, but with a dwindling budget he knew he would need some help. He applied online to HGTV's Hammer Heads and within two weeks his space was approved and the crew came out to renovate the space into the coziest, funkiest little media room in Highland Park! So lucky!

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: Mid-century modern but with an eye towards comfort (usually)

Inspiration: HGTV, Architectural Digest, friends' homes, anywhere I travel and find inspiration (hotels, etc).

Favorite Element: 350 square feet deck with shade sails. Instantly enlarges the house with usable square footage off the kitchen.

Biggest Challenge: Dealing with the "upgrades" the previous homeowners made — horrible paint choices, cheap materials, poor DIY efforts.

What Friends Say: After seeing the before and after, they're all shocked at the transformation. That, and how do I keep it so clean with so many pets.

Biggest Embarrassment: The backyard. Right now it's a patch of dirt with some concrete strewn about.

Proudest DIY: The bathroom. I took it down to the studs, insulated, laid the subfloors, concrete board, in-floor radiant heating, tiles and installed the tub. I left the subway tile in the shower to the professionals, but did all the rest of it myself.

Biggest Indulgence: Probably my artwork. That and the frames for the artwork — that stuff is expensive!

Best Advice: Don't go cheap on something because you can't afford it now. If you want to do it , wait til you can afford it or you'll just end up angry that you did it cheap in the first place.

Dream Sources: Design Within Reach

Resources of Note:

PAINT & COLORS

    • All primer is kilz 2 (latex based)
    • All paint is Behr, colors I'm not certain of anymore, except kitchen, ceiling and all white trim is Behr ultra white semi-gloss. All other walls are matte finish, except the bathroom which is an eggshell to deal with moisture better.

ENTRY

    • Door: custom made from eBay seller, paid $675 shipped
    • Floors, original oak, sanded and stained in ebony
    • All original moulding

LIVING ROOM

    • Side chair: reupholstered mid-century piece from Danish Moden LA
    • Couch: from Jenna's house, but originally from Macy's
    • Banksy "grannies" artwork: from Pictures on Walls (Banksy's sole printer)
    • Lamp: CB2

DINING ROOM

    • Table: custom made from ⅛" steel, modeled after CB2 "rivet" table which was too big for space
    • Secretary: antique passed down from Jenna's parents.
    • Chairs and bench: CB2
    • Rug: CB2

KITCHEN

    • New appliances: Sears Kenmore (because they're cheap, good-looking and durable)
    • Painted all cabinets by hand (Behr oil-based paint, custom color based on magazine cutout I brought in)
    • New ceiling fan: Home Depot)
    • New patio door (Home Depot, Masonite brand)

BEDROOM

    • Case study queen bed and nightstand in walnut from Modernica, but purchased on Craigslist
    • Dresser: danish modern LA (refinished mid-century piece)
    • Mirror: CB2
    • Duvet set: Anthropologie
    • Laundry hamper: CB2
    • Lucha Libre Chihuahua print from S/N from China Mike, a contemporary of Banksy's who also sells through Pictures on Walls (based on London)

BATHROOM

    • Kohler archer soaking tub
    • Kohler archer faucet set (for tub/shower) (bought on eBay)
    • Sink/vanity/medicine cabinet/shelf from IKEA
    • Sink faucet found on eBay (never seen it since but only paid $99 for it)
    • Heated floors (installed by me along with tile, vanity, tub)

OFFICE

    • 50s Mcdowell and Craig secretary desk: Craigslist
    • McDowell and Craig file cabinet: Craigslist
    • Original Eames rocker: Craigslist
    • Case Study daybed form Modernica: Craigslist
    • Shelves from IKEA, bookcase from West Elm
    • small Warhol is original, signed/numbered from edition of 1000
    • larger Warhol is a Sunday b morning (made from Warhol's screens, but not part of original run of prints)

BASEMENT

    • Remodeled by HGTV
    • 7 Bowers and Wilkins speakers hidden in walls, ceiling and closet (subwoofer) (all purchased on eBay or CL)
    • Pergo natural tigerwood laminate floors (necessary since below ground)
    • All cabinetry is custom
    • Shelves welded custom by me
    • Stairs removed and de-carpeted and then stained with Cabot stain
    • Ceiling lamp: IKEA
    • In staircase, 2 original Shephard Fairey S/N prints

Thanks, Daryl & Jenna!

Images: Alison Gilbert

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