Lauren & Danny’s Calm, Comfortable California Cottage

updated Feb 20, 2019

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About this tour

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Home Type

House

Location

Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California

Style

Bohemian

Bedrooms

Square feet

1200

Sq ft

1200

Name: Lauren, Danny and their dogs, Mr. Belvedere and Junebug
Location: Mount Washington — Los Angeles, California
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented

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Salon owners Lauren and Danny’s comfy cottage is like the brick-and-mortar equivalent of a breath of fresh air. High ceilings and interesting, multi-level mid-century architecture allow natural light to flood in from every direction, bouncing off the simple white walls. Keeping things organic, the California natives have adorned this gorgeous structure with handmade treasures, intimately personal (and often humorous) pieces of art, two adorably sophisticated pups, and lots and lots of plant life.

(Image credit: Jessica Isaac)

Situated in the cozy hillside community of Mount Washington, Lauren and Danny’s home bears striking resemblance to a cabin in the woods. Located only 10 miles from their salon, Stag Hair Parlor, in West Hollywood, this home feels like an easily accessible vacation from the city. Quaint homes pepper the surrounding wooded hills, offering this neighborhood some killer views and plenty of privacy.

The couple have been careful to keep their decor and furnishings clean and streamlined, letting the home’s architecture shine and often looking to sentimental and vintage pieces to add warmth to its bright interior. Knickknacks and art are neatly corralled onto carefully organized shelves and sills, keeping walls and walkways open and airy. The result is a perfectly peaceful abode with great flow, full of conversation starters and plenty of inviting space in which to start them.

(Image credit: Jonna Isaac)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: [Lauren] I’ve always been a fan of Mid-century modern furniture and art and decor from the ’60s and ’70s. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve refined my style and have a “less is more” approach to my decorating. Danny likes things clean, simple, and functional. We both enjoy decor that has quirk and a sense of humor.

Inspiration: Danish modern and clean silhouettes. Lately I’ve been drawn to Turkish textiles and handmade pottery. I pull a lot of inspiration from lifestyle blogs that I read. My favorites are Making Nice in the Midwest, Emily Henderson, Katie’s Pencil Box, and Bluebird Vintage. And I love Pinterest!

Favorite Element: The dining room! The tall ceilings really make the room feel open and bright. And the double doors lead directly to our front yard. Perfect for a summer barbecue or a fun indoor/outdoor cocktail party. It is the heart of the house. The house was built in 1923 but had a modern overhaul in the ’80/’90s. Architecturally, it’s beautiful.

Biggest Challenge: Definitely the living room—there is no real solid wall. The fireplace’s tile base is fairly big and made it hard to orientate the rug and 10-foot orange sofa.

What Friends Say: Friends say the same thing we said when we first visited the house: “This place is awesome!” Some friends of ours rented the house before us and were kind enough to post its availability on Facebook when they bought their home, and we jumped at the chance to live here.

Biggest Embarrassment: The furniture in the den. We’re still looking for the right pieces for the room. The couch in there is on its last leg and was originally purchased for our hair salon. It has good bones but it’s not very comfortable. And there is often dog hair everywhere.

Proudest DIY: There is a DIY in every room. The dining room table we built. The hairpin leg benches in the front yard. The kitchen lights were a fun recent addition. Finding track lighting that we like was a huge challenge for us so we decided to make something we liked, and it was a lot cheaper than store-bought pendants. Our favorite DIYs come out of necessity.

Biggest Indulgence: We shop on a budget. Truthfully, our biggest indulgence is our bed! And my vintage tall boy dresser. We shop around a lot and get nice deals most of the time. You’d be amazed at the bargain prices we’ve gotten for some of our pricier items.

Best Advice: I don’t consider myself qualified to give others decorating advice, so I’ll approach this question as though I am speaking to my younger self. “Don’t buy it cause it’s cheap and has an owl on it.” DIY your art! It’s usually cheaper and you can customize it for each room.

Dream Sources: Schoolhouse Electric, Modernica, Organic Modernism, Lawson Fenning

Resources

(Image credit: Jessica Isaac)

PAINT & COLORS

Walls: BEHR Pure Ultra White
Bathrooms: were painted before we moved in—we don’t know what brand or color they are.

(Image credit: Jessica Isaac)

ENTRY

Macrame: vintage
Honeycomb boxes: DIY

(Image credit: Jessica Isaac)

LIVING ROOM

Couch: purchased from friends Sophie and Isaac of Sophie & Isaac’s Eclectic Minimal Home fame
Grey chairs: Overstock.com
Entryway table: Blu Dot for Target
Rug: Rugsusa.com
Marble tulip coffee table: Amazon.com
Vintage credenza: Emily Henderson’s studio sale—we searched for over a year for a credenza that large/color. We were so thrilled to purchase a piece we had admired on her blog—and on my birthday, no less!)
Pottery: Kat & Roger, Natan Moss, Heidi Anderson, some unknown vintage pieces
Faceless woman on gallery wall: Katie Stratton
Zodiac killer cipher: we printed it from online
Vintage paintings and postcards: various flea markets
Lady portrait paintings: Michaela Zapell
Woven wall hanging: DIY by Lauren