Name: Emma and Habib
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 1000 sq. ft.
Years lived in: Owned for 2 years
I first spotted this house on Flickr and immediately contacted Emma to see if I could come and see it and ultimately photograph it for a house tour. The 'fred flintstone' fireplace, the sunken living room, the mid century furniture, the view! Perched on top of a hill in East LA, this house remains true to the era it was built in. Emma and Habib painstakingly matched the paint for each room of the house so that it would remain original and they've decked it out with thrift store finds, heirlooms and great art:
Emma and Habib's house is a great tribute to mid century style with a breezy deck that extends from the sunken living room and great stone and brick details in the living room and kitchen. Almost secluded on the top of a hill they have incredible views of LA and a clean breeze that sweeps in from the ocean adding to the oasis/retreat vibe the house has.
With all the great furnishings and definite penchant for mid century style, we wondered how they had amassed so many great pieces. Well, Emma's got a thing for recycling. And we're not talking bottles and cans (though she recycles those as well). Most of the furniture in the house has come from different thrift and consignment stores or off the street, which goes to show that you don't need to be a trust fund kid to afford mid century style, just a keen eye and some patience. You can follow her on her thrifting adventures on her blog my marthas and me. Not only does Emma save money and retain charm by searching out thrift stores, but in her garden she constantly propagates plants and does plant swaps with friends and family. This way nothing is wasted and almost nothing is spent either. You may also notice that Emma and Habib have quite an eye for artwork. Habib used to run the Post Gallery Downtown and has artwork from many of the artists and friends that he showed there. Many were graduates of Calarts (our alma mater!) so the work is experimental and forward thinking, a great contrast to the history in the home.
Thanks Emma and Habib for opening up your home to Apartment Therapy!
AT Survey:
My/Our style: economically minded mid century with a focus fine art
Favorite Room: the living room and adjoining deck
Inspiration: Eichler homes and interiors, Metropolitan Home, friends and family
Favorite Element:
Biggest Challenge:
Most Talked about Element: the original "Fred Flintstone" fireplace built by geologists, the living room and deck
Biggest Embarrassment: ceilings with florescent tube light fixtures (not the kitchen) with popcorn ceilings
Proudest DIY: taking out two closets to make a real dining room, and learning how to work with the previous owners paint choices.
Oldest Item you Own: Habib: Persian rugs and a gingerbread dinette table from the 40's or 50's. Emma: a mushroom lamp and low cabinet/coffee table from Danica which my parents purchased new in 1967.
Best advice: when in doubt, do nothing.
Cleaning or Organizing Tip: If you live on a boat, and you bring something home, something else has to go.
Dream Piece of Furniture: A Hans Olsen round table with the tucked in chairs (we don't actually have any room for this).
Favorite Store: Grot, in the South Bay. They refurbish furniture, which is green and keeps the prices down. They also do upholstery.
Place You Actually Buy Things for the Home: Furniture: flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales. Home accessories: West Elm, Ikea, and Crate & Barrel for entertaining
Inspiration:
Ellen's Thirties Style Small Space
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Commercial Flour Sa...
10 Picnic-Ready Salads to Eat Outside
Recipe: Thai Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
100sf??
100 square feet??? BULLSH*T!
Yes I think that has to be a typo, 1000 sq.ft. more likely.
yeah... that probably should say 1000
awww, i was all excited to see a little apartment.
I like this, but it seems dark to me. I think the basic rule for taking photos for a house tour should be turning all of the lights on and opening all the curtains. it makes all the difference.
Is that a geodesic dome on the floor? What's the story?
It was a typo! Should have read 1000 sq feet! Emma, do you want to explain the domes?
I also was looking forward to seeing a small apartment. Far too many large apartments and house tours. I'd like to see more for under 500 sq. ft.
I like this place. It looks like real people live there.
Where'd ya get the couch?
I love that red couch!
Cool stuff. I never find anything good on the street or in thrift stores, so every time I see one of these tours that makes it seem so easy, I get a little depressed.
The stupid thumbnails option STILL isn't working for me! This new slideshow program sucks; I wish y'all would go back to the old way. I almost never look at house tours anymore becuase I don't always want to go through every picture, but I can never see the thumbnails. Am I the only one still having problems??
Most DEPRESSING house tour ever. The interiors are dark and oppressive. This is real turn-off to mid-C modern.
OTOH, incredible deck and view. Perhaps spending lots of time on the expansive sunshiney deck needs to be balanced with a dim, tight feeling interior? (I'm in NY, so I have the opposite problem...)
Wow! Didn't give that editor much of a chance! Obviously 100 s.f. was a typo.
It's neat enough to be a museum piece, personal and modern enough to be a comfortable home.
Great job on the outdoor space as well.
kushkush, I find your comment mean spirited, but if you have a spare new york minute, you might try and to turn up the backlight on your computer. It looks fine on Macs but on an HP it is a little dark.
jenzoe, that was purchased at a store near Beverly on the east side of La Brea. You know the place that stores half of it's merchandise outside.
I built this dome for a flash animation piece "Flying Dome" for a recent show at SolwayJones in LA.
Where's the ceiling fan from? I've been looking for one with a light like yours, but haven't found it yet.
Hey Emma!
Nice to see the whole place. The inside's just as nice as the view from your deck!
cinema, the fans are Hampton Bay, Romano II. I think they are discoed, but you can try looking on-line! We bought them from Home Depot.
Emma, your home is lovely. I particularly like the black slate you have on the upper landing. Don't worry about the negative comments you see, sometimes the internet brings out the worst in people.
Thanks Gigi818, if you want to see an awesome black slate kitchen floor look in the "retro renovation" pool on filckr. Look for the house in Des Moines.
emmajay--I wasn't criticizing your house. I like it, it seems very real and thoughtful. I was just commenting on the pictures themselves (and yes I am on a mac). I have looked at a lot of house tours online, and I really do think that turning all of the lights on makes a real difference.
Icg, The house faces south so the lighting changes dramatically through out the day from east to west. The pictures were shot at 2pm so the sun comes in from the same side as the fireplace and blasts in from the deck during August. Also with a wide lens and such a open plan one area
is bound to be dim. The wide angle lens is used so that readers can see how the spaces flow together. If you care to see more pictures, you can go to the ATLA Group Pool on flickr, the house is there also.
the dining room is stunning. absolutely perfect. also the drop leaf table and bent wood chairs against the red bricks and green walls in the kitchen has knocked my socks right off. you have found so many great pieces. the wire lamp thrills me.
all in all, an elegant and comfortable place to live.
that is a great space to live in! Thanks for sharing.
any more info or better photos of the picture that is hanging on the wall behind the couch in the very first picture on this post. Looks intriguing to me and i'd love to see it a little closer.
Jmorey, the print is Haystacks #5 by Roy Lichtenstein and the sculpture is by Takashi Murakami.
love the tea/serving cart and all the Lane pieces. I have the same coffee table!
Please tell me about the flooring in the dining room. Is it cork? If so, did you have it installed? do you recommend it?
Yes NYS, it is cork. We went the economical route. The double tiles are glued the concrete slab to match the level of the original slate in the entry. The slab was skim coated prior to installation to make it even. Under the dining room table and especially with the chairs being moved around, the cork suffers from pressure dents. I have dinged it twice already by dropping heavy objects on it, though gratefully they are hard to see. As far as cleaning goes, I swiff, sweep, and use a damp cloth with a diluted 'green' cleaner. We still like it, and would do it again. It balances well with the original oak parquet floor in the living room. Is there a post on AT about cork? Research is the key. Good Luck!
Jenzoe, We bought the red couch at Nick Metropolis on La Brea. Abby just posted about it!
great pictures! I really like that couch !
I hate the new slideshow program too. It's awful to navigate and runs really slowly for me.
I'm so bored seeing the same DWR stuff in every so-called "modern" home. Thanks for letting us into your refreshing, real home.