Name: Fi Campbell and Olivia Johnson
Location: South Pasadena, California
Size: 700 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year
Fi and Livvy greeted me on a cool Sunday morning with a warm fire and a beautiful breakfast. I instantly fell in love with their small and cozy home and couldn't believe it was only 700 square feet! There were so many special moments in their home and then their backyard topped it all.
Fi and Livvy live in Caltrans housing in South Pasadena. Fi was telling how she acquired the home and its interesting history.
In the 1960's and early 70's California Transit Authority was going to continue the 710 FWY which would send it straight up through South Pasadena and Pasadena to connect to the 210 FWY. It never passed due to pollution concerns and historical preservation. Many of the houses have been left empty for the past 50 years, but some of the houses were sold by the state in order to bring in some revenue. My house had been vacant for almost 2 years. I had just sold my house in another part of South Pasadena and needed to find a rental so that my daughter could continue at her school. We drove the neighborhoods and found this one empty, falling apart, and unlocked! After a ton of paperwork and red tape, we were able to rent it.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Simple and cozy.
Inspiration: My Dutch heritage, my artist friends, and the outdoors.
Favorite Element: The fireplace and the garden.
Biggest Challenge: Making an abandoned Caltrans rental warm and livable.
What Friends Say: "This is exactly like your old house, just a little smaller!"
Biggest Embarrassment: The exterior trim is teal; I struggle with that.
Proudest DIY: The garden. It was a complete mess. There was a teal colored "gazebo," which was crumbling and a lot of dry dirt and debris. During a week of rain in January, my daughter excavated a sinkhole filled with hundreds of medicinal bottles from the 1940's and 50's.
Biggest Indulgence: The kitchen. When we moved in there was only the sink and two small, corroded tile surfaces. I had to re-route the plumbing, lay new floors, paint, and build new countertops.
Best Advice: I like what Graham Hill has to say: Less Stuff, More Happiness.
Dream Source: Lawson Fenning, Sueno, Etsy, Grain, Hernandez Appliance and Furniture, Lost & Found, Freeway Building Materials, and eBay.
Resources of Note:
FURNITURE
FLOORING
RUGS & CARPETS
ARTWORK
OTHER
- Freeway Building Materials
- El Nativo Growers
- Potted
- Antonio and Nestor Campos (Gardeners): (323) 810-4358
Thanks Fi & Livvy!
Images: Marcia Prentice
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Utterly charming. The work you've done to rescue a formerly unloved old house is so impressive. I even like the teal trim!
I love everything about this home. What a special place..! So glad it was rescued from disrepair - and in such a beautiful, artful way, too! Gorgeous.
-maria
Feels like an home full of things loved and cultivated. Simple and wonderful!
AT, seriously, you GOTTA QUIT posting House Tours from California; I am developing a bad case of envy!!!!
Such a charming place, I am so happy for you that you and the house found each other. It was meant to be. So many nice things ... I love the picture of your DD on her bed with the kitty and then the pic of her jumping on the trampoline ... this is a house full of happiness.
Oh, your kitchen has a lovely lived-in feel .... it looks like an extension of your living room (in the sense that there is a lot of living going on in there as opposed to cooking only).
Thanks for sharing.
I love this house it oozes love and charm,especially the teal trim!
I never post here but this is too good! I love this. Simple, beautiful, artful, but REAL. Love this home - you can feel the individuality and the love here.
so sweet. one of my favorite recent tours.
You have done a wonderful job. The abandoned house has become a lovely home. My only worry is that you are renting and can never own this home?
Though as a long term renter myself, I know how it feels to fix a place up only to leave a few years later.
But comfort and making a place a home is the most important aspect of living in a rental and you and your daughter have made it such a lovely place.
So charming and adorable. Love every inch of this place!
This is nothing less than my dream home. Really lovely, many congratulations.
Love it! ...and so cool that you gave a shout-out to your gardeners...
Winslow with whales painting. NEEEEEED. Source please?
Real house, real people, happy home! Wow! You have done an excellent job! Love everything about your home. I think the teal trim looks great!
Every space shows such creativity and warmth of personality - what a fanstastic, beautiful place to grow up. Out of curisoty - how does the wingback work outside? Is it Sunbrella fabric or do you haul it in for rain?
Fabulous home, inside and out!
Beautiful! What is the 'blackboard' paint in the dining room? It looks much lighter than most of the blackboard paints I have seen? Adorable.
i am in love with this house.
How cuuuuuuuute! I think the teal trim actually works well with the style you have going on, even if it wouldn't be your first choice.
I also love how kid-friendly it is and how your daughter's bedroom is more decorated with her things than decorated just to look pretty.
My dream home!!!!
Bright and beautiful- congratulations, ladies! I'd choose your 700 sq.ft.+ garden over a McMansion anyday! Yes, source for the light-looking chalkboard point would be great.
That bathroom is really special.
I love this, it's a home, it's clean, charming and has lots of personality throughout. For my money, I'm with Larsie, I'd choose this over a McMansion anyday of the week.
Love that you restored an old place! Very cute!
I love your space and i don't even like chalkboard paint and you make it ok! I like the teal trim too, beautiful home.
Really wonderful, one of my favorites. Real, charming, full of life.
Even before I look at the entire tour, I know I will love it. I echo the amazement that this is a rental--
to all the people who don't renovate because "it's just a rental"—take note!
such a charming house. great tour, thanks for sharing !
Wow - fantastic job! Especially with that tile in the bathroom - you really complimented it!
Your place is so warm and inviting, I just want to visit and linger over some red wine with bread and cheese! :)
Hope the recent winds are treating your home gently! I love how unique and personal the space is - it looks like it's full of life and fun!
I love your home. It is beautiful. So charming and cozy. Thanks for the tour.
I love pretty much everything about this sweet, comfortable looking home.
I have to admit, when I saw the Caltrans reference, I had a mental image of a sweet home, situated along a never-ending, pothole infested driveway that never shows up on GPS. But this was a completely pleasant surprise. :)
lovely home! i adore the pillows and bed spread in the master bed room. any ideas of where i could pick up similar pieces?
thanks!
Like all the previous posters have stated: wonderful, cozy, REAL... gotta ask though- what's with the wingback chair outside? Just for staging? Can't imagine leaving it in the patio
The "Winslow" painting is by my good friend Caitlin Wylde.
The green wall paint in the kitchen is Pratt and Lambert flat interior. ( you can draw chalk on all of their paints, and wash - very durable )
The garden wingback chair is upholstered in naugahyde vinyl - so washes easily. I do bring it inside though, and plan to have it recovered for my bedroom.
The bedroom linens are from American Rag Cie and Target.
Thanks to the help of my gardener and landscape partner Nestor Campos, the garden was cleaned up after the nasty winds broke many branches and left a HUGE mess of debris.
Thanks everyone for your kind comments.
The "Winslow" painting was done by my good friend Caitlin Wylde.
The green wall paint in the kitchen is by Pratt and Lambert. All their flat interior latex paints are good for chalk drawing.
The wingback chair in the garden is covered in naugahyde vinyl. It lives in my office on rainy days. I plan to recover it for my bedroom.
The bedroom linens are from American Rag Cie and Target - Fieldcrest Luxury collection.
Thank you everyone for your kind words.
so charming!
Love it all! Who is your sofa by? And by the way, the teal trim totally makes the house say"fun" - it's a keeper!
lovely!! such a home...
WHEN did moving ads start appearing on the side of house tours?
BEYOND annoying and distracting.
Wow. THIS is what we need more of on Apartment Therapy. Not 6000-square-foot showcase homes in the West Village.
There is so much love and personality here. It is fantastic.
I love that big painting in the living room - it's exactly my style. The elegant bedlinen is a winner too.
Hi Fi, we've met a few times (at Sequoyah and around town) and I'm proud to see your South Pas home represented on AT! What a sweet little oasis for you and your daughter.
I think this is my favorite house tour ever - such a cozy, happy home, and such a great philosophy on making it that way!
This is very comfy looking. Love the art on the walls too.
I would have loved to see all the pictures but I was so distracted from the massive ad covering the title and part of each picture that I couldn't finish. Is there any way to get rid of those ads?? So annoying.
Beautiful. I actually love the teal trim. And love that the house looks so lived-in, but still really lovely.
Another rare 'small home for a family' tour that so many of us long for. More please!!. This is lovely, inspiring, and no more than a family needs. Proof that there's small home stock in America and you know what to do with it!!!!
Like....Simple, Beautiful, Warm & Cozy. Great job!
<<WHEN did moving ads start appearing on the side of house tours?
BEYOND annoying and distracting.>>
My question as well. I couldn't see some of the photos entirely because the left side was obscured by these drop-down ads. And I wanted to see - wonderful home clearly inhabited by creative people. I am so tired of staged interiors, I want to see Real and this is it. Love it.
@sally305- I couldn't agree with you more. I keep on seeing all these tours of grand spaces that are absolutely beautiful, but completely out of reach for most folks living in apartment sized spaces with apartment sized budgets. This is such a welcome reprieve.
It's beautiful but looks very much like somebody's home, not like a stylized layout by some designer.
Super cute little house. The kitty looks just like my kitty! :-)
I'm noticing that I'm attracted to the smaller square footage spaces. I find that those with yards really optimize the lot so 700 doesn't feel like 700.
You did a fantastic job Missy :-)
I *WANT* the dining chairs!! I have two similar ones with wooden seats/back that I'd love to find siblings for someday :)
Love that you made intolerable peach tile completely live-able by using the grey paint. Quite a coup there!!
The whole home has great character and charm.
Shows what a little creativity and personality can do for 700-sq.ft! Charming!!
Really special, much more so than the huge, professionally done spaces becoming so popular. A happy home!
The ads are annoying, but the comments on them even more so...Coletta (you who rhymes with Velveeta) and Lauryn T. Snowdog Maine did it right...focused on the wonderful space not on the negativity of the ads.
@Lauryn, you could install a plugin for your browser called AdBlock. It gets rid of all the ads.
Oh my ,gosh I love this site ! I get so much pleasure out of looking at wonderful ,beautiful homes such as yours . simply lovely .
The house I grew up in was a white rancher with sea foam shutters. So, I have no problem with the teal trim. In fact, I like it!
Love this house - esp. the livingroom.
Love!
Shout out to South Pas! I live in northwest Alhambra, right at the South Pas border! Love seeing something really local in AT. Your brick fireplace border is exactly like my mom's in El Sereno, as are your curved edge kitchen cabinets, the house must have been built in the same era. Love your house, it looks happy!
Oh boy your home makes me feel wonderful. Sure wish NY had some small spaces (that we can afford) like this. You did a wonderful job!
Such a happy space happy happy!
Aww, I really like the teal trim! :)
wanneer kom je mijn huis doen?
Could it be my Dutch heritage too that made me look at this apartment at least 5 times and save it in my Saved Mail???
So wonderfully done, Fi, and wishing you many years of happiness in this lovely and cozy home for you and your adorable daughter. Cute cat too. Well done!!!
What an awesome success story. Adorable place. Congrats!
There is something special about a person who will take a neglected, unloved empty house they don't own and put their own sweat and money into making it a home. Cheers to you for making your little corner of the world a better place. Love the teal, by the way!
This home gives me hope for my small dwelling. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the tour. Your home is so adorable. I live in a 800 square foot house in Northern California and you gave me some great ideas for mine! Wish I could transplant your backyard up here to my house :)
I like this house a lot! I've often complained on this site that everyone has battered wooden tables underneath ornate crystal chandeliers, and I'm so pleased to see that you have a stark, metal overhead light over a clean, modern, well-preserved table. The fireplace is terrific! I like the artwork in the living room, and the clean, uncluttered feel throughout the house. Nice job!
I hope that you are in the design industry. You have amazing vision!! I absolutely LOVE what you have created. What a beautiful home.
I have to say this is my favorite tour ever!! I agree with others when they say this is tour is so comfortable and much better than the recent 6000 sq ft homes that look staged, cold and not really lived in. I like everything you have done...I can tell LOVE lives here. I actually like the teal also.
What's your daughter reading?
I recognized about half the titles (same as we have!) but the other were unfamiliar - might make good holiday gifts!
Thanks!
The Mousehunter - Alex Milway
The Name of This Book Is Secret - Pseudonymous Bosch
All the Moomin Series of Graphic Novels
Beautiful and charming house. I especially love the locker cabinet in your daughter's room and the wood "x" chairs in your back yard. Care to share where you got them?
Chairs and cabinet are from IKEA.
So charming - every space in this home. I love the daughter's room - adorable and cozy. I just love everything about this house and the way it is decorated to reflect the family. Thanks for sharing :):)
I just love it. It really makes me happy.
love. please let me move in?
Great home and outdoor space.
I want to live there! So adorable :)
Actually, I like the teal trim! Such a cute house!
This is my favorite AT house tour ever. The space is cheery, airy and inspiring. And it is one of a kind.
I live in a similar style of house in the bay area -- 900 sq ft. Looking through these photos felt so familiar and homey. I love what you've done with it. A home full of happiness.
Beautiful, warm and welcoming. I agree with the poster who said there's something special about someone who does this much work to create a home. She also has an expert sense of space, color, light, and texture- as soon as I saw this I thought she must be a design professional. Everything fits perfectly and is a sensual delight while being understated. Thank you!!
Beautiful home. And GREAT art collection. Loved " take your car to the city"
You have a great sense of style!
I love everything about your home, but my favorite thing is the bat drawing! Thanks for sharing!
So fabulous that you renovated a rental! It shows such care and passion, to create a space of beauty for your and your daughter, even though you don't own it.
Your taste is so cheerful, yet calm. And I raised a family in 900 sf. Small homes are very cozy and loving, but I sure developed my creativity for storage and decorating!
May your home be a source of joy and peace for you both!
What a sweet cute space! And more impressively how clean and uncluttered even though you have a 'tween on the premises (mine is not so neat). Loved the textiles.
Komfy><Kozy!
lovely place!
does anyone know what plant/flower/thing is in the vase on the kitchen table?
The vase has Red Winter Berry branches
Things I love: The teal pillows on the bed. The chalkboard in the kitchen. The little bottles lining the window sill. The back yard (ALL of it!). The drawing of the bat is awesome. And the little girl's kitty looks just like one of my cats. :-)