Name: Wendi Weger
Location: Silver Lake Hills
Size: 2032 sq. ft
Years lived in: 5 months, rented
When Wendi and I met, we were ditching the same interior design course. We chatted on the street and she revealed that she had only just moved here from New York and was putting her home together in Silver Lake. I asked her to send photos whenever it was finished and not 2 months later I had pictures in my inbox that made my mouth fall agape. Not only was her home finished but it was full of character from collections arranged just-so and fantastic vintage and heirloom pieces. Her brand of Pioneer Modern had me hooked:
Wendi's blend of what she likes to call Pioneer Modern: vintage taxidermy, a vague woodsy or cabin-y feel mixed with mid century furniture, kitschy (in a good way) collections and a certain playfulness, fills her home with character without feeling cluttered or like your favorite grandmother's attic. Clearly shes got talent as a designer but what might speak even more loudly is her willingness to take risks. Take for example the fact that she has been able to fit a 70's inspired reading nook, a nautical style master bath and a mid century bedroom into the same house and make it feel right.
She's also a testament to low impact living. Between digging up great finds at flea markets and antique stores Wendi also finds treasures at White Elephant Parties, tries to buy local and supports small businesses in her community. Wendi is full of wisdom (use baskets!) but perhaps my favorite pearl of wisdom comes from the women in Wendi's family. Read on to find out their tradition in the questionnaire below! And thanks Wendi for sharing your amazing house!
AT Survey:
My/Our style: I've carried a lot of decor with me from New York and the midwest to California so maybe 'Manifest destiny modern'? No, wait. Too savage. How about 'pioneer modern'.
Inspiration: Rural Wisconsin, experimental film, my grandparents, Silver Lake architecture, Little House on the Prairie, a collection of old Domus magazines.
Favorite Room: The reading nook. It's got this crazy modern Italian chaise in it that I acquired when a Manhattan office I worked in years ago decided to redecorate.
Most Talked About Elements: The work bench as buffet table in the living room, the taxidermy collection, and the mermaid coffee table. I don't think the mermaid fits perfectly here (if only there was room in the 80's hot tub bathroom for her), but we needed a coffee table and she was definitely the most compelling candidate for the position. Plus she's my boyfriend's other girlfriend.
Biggest Embarrassment: Certain built-in design elements like the vertical blinds, fixtures and 80s hot tub skew more toward contempo than modern. However I may have a newfound (if slight) appreciation for horizontal blinds. We have all these irregularly-shaped windows and I marvel at how much time and money was spent custom fitting and installing each set of blinds. They really seem like part of the organism of the house, so for that reason they're growing on me. Same with the tub. Somebody really wanted that thing and carved out a huge space for it. Really the whole 'contemporary' aspect made it easier to think about the space as a blank slate that could accommodate an amalgam of styles, perhaps moreso than a stark modern house would. (Or I might just be trying to make myself feel better because we couldn't find a modernist house in Silver Lake at the time.)
Proudest DIY: I'm considering putting fabric or wallpaper on each individual vertical blind. When I've completed that, it will be my proudest DIY!
Dream piece of furniture: Not sure if it's furniture, but hands down, the fireplace that swivels you into the next room (a study, of course) when you press a secret button. Also, I've always wanted one of those tall, cylindrical Scandanavian antique tile stoves.
Favorite Furniture Stores:I don't usually shop at furniture stores, but I like Lawson-Fenning. One of the owners has a great story about how the business just started organically from a studio he rented where he'd put furniture out for sale to passers-by. It grew into a nice operation: not too big, not too small. They have one store in Silver Lake and one on Beverly so I'm guessing he not only makes money (Beverly) but also gets to hang with the art crowd (Silver Lake). What a life. I also like BDDW in New York, but let's just say all I was ever able to acquire from them was the small circular rug you see in the nook photo; it had been used on a film shoot and needed cleaning, so I got a discount...
Where you shop: I can't tell you, but I do interior design work on a contract basis, and if you hire me, I will get you things from there.
Any cleaning or organizing tips: All the women in my family have hired someone else to clean, no matter how much money they made. Who am I to break their tradition? Re: organizing, get lots of baskets. Store items in the baskets and POOF! You're instantly organized.
Best advice: Find a neighbor who's enrolled in the UCLA Architecture/Interior Design Program, borrow all of the syllabi for his/her classes, and read all the assigned books. Not that that's ANYTHING I would ever do...
Resources:
I was partially raised by midwestern grandparents who (like most midwesterners and most grandparents) didn't like to waste anything. If I unwrapped a birthday present, I was told to "save the paper". So there's that side of me. It's trendy to say reduce/reuse/recycle, but for me it's just Midwestern grandparent-ism. And of course it shows in my habits as a consumer, i.e.:
Appliances: I try to find new(ish) appliances on Craigslist, like when someone's moving. Why create more stuff when you can use what already exists? Except ceiling fans; old ceiling fans are all gross. See below.
Hardware: I try to support small neighborhood businesses like Baller Hardware in Silver Lake.
Furniture: Lawson-Fenning, BDDW, antique malls, flea markets, estate sales, White Elephant parties (when you swap pre-owned stuff that you don't want anymore, but that someone else might)
Accessories: See above.
Lighting: Vintage lighting on eBay, and I like the ceiling fans at Design Within Reach. Check out: http://www.dwr.com/product/cirrus-hugger-ceiling-fan.do?keyword=ceiling+fan&sortby=ourPicks
Rugs and Carpets: These should come from all over the world, if possible. I have a reindeer pelt from Finland, a Turkish rug, and a branded cowhide from upstate NY. (The animals were vintage, not new, so don't throw paint on me). They're great souvenirs and they give a space, you know, more cultural depth.
Window Treatments: I hate these two words in succession. Descriptors like 'Window Treatments' were invented to legitimize and industrify interior design and, to me, that process removes the creativity and playfulness from it. Anyway, I like vintage curtains with lace, crochet, and/or needlepoint. Preferably those that bear the initials of the woman who made them. These are also great to find abroad, or sourced internationally on eBay. It's dorkily fun to find a textile or linen with something cross-stitched in another language, and then when people come over you translate it for them and seem really smart for a few seconds. Decor should be experiential like that, full of conversation pieces...
Beds: I'd like to commission a platform bed made from log cabin logs that fit neatly into each other's grooves, like Lincoln Logs. Can someone make that for me?
Artwork: From painter friends directly like Kristen Schiele, Philip Vanderhyden, Kime Buzzelli and Elizabeth Huey
(Thanks, Wendi)
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Stanley Console by ...
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
The mermaid and the taxidermy creep me out a little bit but the wall paper looks nice.
Thanks for sharing.
What is it with AT featuring so much dead animal decor? The percentage of rooms heaving with skins, skulls and lifeless bodies on this site is out of whack with the real world.
Maybe AT knows displays of animals who died for someone's narcissism will stir up comments. So here's mine: it's sickening.
I like the dead animal decor. This apparently makes me a horrible person.
I also like the tree wallpaper. Trees were sacrificed to make this paper, but I'm ok with this too.
Please, please somebody tell me where I can get that wallpaper in the living room with the trees and the birds! I must get some right now. Cool place.
I LOVE it! I love seeing natural history inspired decor. I don't love dead animals, but I love Audubon prints! What is that tree/bird black and white wall paper?
Amazing. It is so cozy and quirky.
wendyj: bird wallpaper http://www.designpublic.com/shop/cavern-home/11957
agree with you, Holland....
Me thinks these posts featuring taxidermy, antlers and skins are just a way to garner views and comments.
So, since when did AT become the biggest troll in the room?!
Read my lips, no new taxidermy!
As an aries girl, I want those crazy ram lamps!
Natural history decor pleases me. Not so big on trophy heads, even vintage ones, because I fear their large, reproachful eyes, but that old squirrel display is to die for (pun intentional but unavoidable). Ditto the meticulously assembled, ur-kitsch nautical bathroom and, of course, the wallpaper(s). I'm also really loving the way you mix new tchochkes/objets with antique technology, maps and wood & leather furniture -- as in ye olde sewing machines, the recycled work table, the display cabinet, the two club chairs. The mermaid coffee table is hilarious (gold nipples, baby), and you've done an admirable job of incorporating its... er.... specialness into the landscape.
Two questions: Where did you find the brown oval rug? And are dracaena marginatas as hard to kill as I've heard? Having dispatched every houseplant I've ever owned to the great green beyond, I've been craving one of these for its legendary hardiness.
Cute cat! And not stuffed!
Enough with the stuffed animals...its getting old.
It's not at all my taste, but I love the audacity. You can tell that an interesting person lives here.
Eh..... it feels contrived. As most of the homes on AT do. I prefer homes that look less staged and more lived in, even if that means they're not "perfect." I'm attracted to the more rustic/earthy/worn looks but this house doesn't really do it for me besides liking that funky work bench/table in the first picture
the only thing getting old is the whining about taxidermy. it's called freedom of choice. you have the right not to like it just as much as these folks have the right to like it. so...deal with it.
back to the topic at hand, this is a very original home with some cool, unexpected touches. These people have some serious design savvy because in the unskilled hands of others 70's style decor could come off dated but these look very modern.
Thanks for sharing your home with us.
I would never choose to put taxidermy pieces in my home either. But, keep in mind that the deer or the squirrel in this house tour is no more dead than the cow that gave its life to upholster the beautiful lounge and ottoman that so many on this site "ooh" and "aah" over. (Of course now it's popular to trash those pieces as well.) So unless your home and closet is entirely leather-free you might want to be a bit less judgemental. That's all. Great house!
Greta -- great post.
I really covet your mermaid coffee table. Fabulous piece.
what's with the popularity/obsession with dead animals? bad bad karma!!
Karma? Can we talk about decorating please. Jesus, people! Relax.
The picture where the mermaid table first shows up, it's sort of only a glimpse, scared the crap outa me. It's a really neat place though.
Isn't the comment section for people to say what they think about a place? And if a place has dead animals and someone doesn't like it, don't they have the freedom to say so?
Me personally I'm glad that seeing dead things doesn't leave everyone cold, it would be a sad world otherwise.
As far as the place, some nice touches (like the all ready mentioned wall paper) but all in all not my cup of tea, and not just because I can't look past the dead animals all over the place.
really, really, really not doing it for me. as someone with allergies, the house makes me want to sneeze. And the mermaid under the table is just creepy.
I love the sceen in the living room, love the wallpaper, the whole setup in the room with the yellow bed... yet for the life of me I can't grasp that someone who can appreciate those design elements I mentioned can also have a mermaid coffee table.
Some artful mixing going on here. I like it. Wouldn't want to live with so many "pieces" myself, but they are well arranged. The overall look is very original. Challenging space to start with.
Some how, nothing grabs me here. And I prefer stuffed human heads. Now that would be an audacious grisly statement, about killing life to accessorize a home.
"Forgive them for they know not what they do."
i love the plant stand in the reading room anyone know where I can get that or something simular?
thanks!
This is too much wannabe well-traveled colonialist who has settled down mid-century. Something does not work, the rooms don't live, they loom...something wrong with the energy, if you know what I mean. The places where the person shows through--the bathroom sink, the bedroom, the staircase, sewing table--is eclipsed by the attempt to be wide and open in the rest of the house. Each of the elements that 'pop' (not in a good way)--the mermaid table, especially, could have been integrated more smoothly into the ethos .
Have to applaud the owner's attempt to recycle and reuse but one has to find what's worth keeping and making in the first place.
Nah, I wouldn't want to visit this.
I like the stuff and where/how it's arranged, but this is a prime example of the amazing difference a little paint on the walls could make. A muted gray/blue maybe?
I would really love to know exactly how many animal-based products those ATers who complain about taxidermy have in their homes. Leather is easy to identify; how about the paint in your homes and on your furniture/tchotchkies and the glue which keeps them together, the alcohol and food you consume (do you examine each item to avoid gelatin, coloring, flours?), your cosmetics and toiletries (just because it was not tested on animals, does not mean it does not contain animal parts), your means of transportation, etc? Each and every person who complains here on AT about taxidermy has adopted a vegan diet, I hope?
Most of the animal-based products you use (and believe me, you likely use them) no longer have 'reproachful eyes' to make you feel guilty, but you nevertheless live in a world full of the ghosts of once-living creatures sacrificed to make your life easier. "Let he who has not sinned..." and get over it.
There are plenty of human beings in the world--never mind other species of animals--who suffer because of your lifestyle. Why don't you direct your energy toward those injustices, rather than complaining on a home decor site about cow hide rugs and such?
Everyone's entitled to their opinion yo. Count me in with the rest who don't want to be looking at dead squirrels in my home.
Back to decor - the chaise in the "reading nook" is AWESOMETASTIC. Also the ram lamps.
I like it. Not all of it is my cuppa, but basically, I like it a lot. Actually it looks like at least two people live here. And they've figured out how to live with both of their stuff and their tastes in a way that looks like its own new thing.
That reading nook is amazing!
Everything about this house makes me giddy and happy. I really love it! You have a knack for making themes work without looking "theme-y".
This is so not me -- deer head, fish nets, Wisconsin lodge look--but nevertheless, I love this place. I like the richness of the woods in the living room, and I love the personality. It's got a style but also looks totally comfortable and fun.
It's not the usual AT urban look, but that's OK. A great job on creating a unique look.
Great post Nina79.
This place left me cold, too. I think the real disconnect for me was that there's SO much kitsch and quirk that it feels like it's trying too hard to be "interesting". I'm curious how much of this stuff has any real, personal meaning or sentimental value to Wendi and how much she actively collected specifically to accessorize her home. (Though I do appreciate her eco-friendly manner of collecting, especially her support for local businesses.)
I've always found that homes decorated with items that have come into the residents' lives organically (e.g., as gifts, family heirlooms, souvenirs of their own travels, or mementos of their own experiences), just ooze warmth and originality. Effortlessly. Vintage or not, dead animals or not, character is something you just can't fake. Not even in LA.
Dear Wendi, I am so glad I saw this tour. You have a strong, unique voice. Visually stimulating is not easy and you have done it with conviction. Organic modern to some is new, like anything different sometimes it's misunderstood. So pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! When I saw the Adams Family chair I knew I had to write. Please do a search for Kevin and Greg's Sugar Shack. I think we need to talk. Again, let me say your voice is very clear and appreciated. Hollywood Forever, Kevin
Nice mix of furniture and wall hangings. I agree with some of the other posters in that I'm not crazy about all the dead animals, but if you look past that, this is a wonderful and unique home. One question...where did u get that mermaid coffee table! That table is something else! For some reason I like it! I'm sure that it is a conversation piece.
I must say, I'm at a loss with the dead animal obsession.
Love the bedroom...in spite of myself...I don't favor symmetry...but this is lovely. Love the woods in the main living area, the reading nook is great, the display cabinet, tables; and isn't it great that we are all free to choose what we place on our walls/tables ~ wouldn't it be nice if we could be kinder and less intensely opinionated about others' choices?
I really liked the bedroom and the living room.
As to the "dead animals" I think how you react to them is more about where you live. I lived in Tx. for 20 years and Michigan for the other 22. We have cow skin rugs, deer heads, deer horns, steer horns etc.... all vintage pieces. I think anywhere there is a large hunter population you end up with trophies. Maybe in NYC they would look out of place and more kitchy than they do here.
I would never hunt any animal just for the head, I despise big game hunters or canned animal hunts. But the hunters that I know hunt to eat. Some mount their deer and others don't, but I don't think of it as a social statement.
i grew up in a part of the country where everyone hunted and fished. that house had birds on the wall - ducks and peasant. i never cared for them, though i love a good game dinner.
modern taxidermy artists, and their strange assemblages, certainly qualify as art, but i prefer a more tranquil home. castoff stuffed animals, on the other hand, rarely look fresh. even the ones in most natural history museums eventually show their age. it is a rare victorian diorama that still looks compelling as opposed to dusty. patina is not a descriptive to use for a carcass.
i don't get mounting others trophies in my home. (i also don't really get hanging portraits of other people's ancestors, professionally painted or not). this kind of kitsch too often carries a whiff of condescension. with so much reasonably priced art in this world, why resort to gimmicks?
all that said, i could never make that 70's interior architecture work, and in places she really has. nice living room and reading nook.
Nancypants' comments are a cry for help. Can we all pitch in and get her a little *real* therapy?
Terrific space, so intriguing in its warm and wooly idiosyncrasies and its utter difference from every other ordered-from-a-catalogue assembly line pad.
Full of quirk. I love it.
I also love how it creeps out people. That titillates me to no end.
i really liked the pic of the chandelier and the small pictures of women in puffy dresses. that's more my speed. but it seemed totally out of place with the style everywhere else. i could see how visiting the house could be interesting- looking at all of the unusual pieces. but i wouldn't want to live there- too much "stuff." i like a more minimalist look.
"typicalstudent" --Thank you. You speak of practicing a mindful life. Exactly.
In the words of Charles Darwin, "the love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man..."
I understand...
Just think of the suffering of which we spare ourselves the sight. If you saw with an open heart & mind the cruelty and atrocities that occur behind closed doors, it will certainly brand your soul for life.
The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men...
"God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages"
I am vegan, as are so many other AT readers. I choose thoughtfully to practice respect for all living creatures; I strive to live a life rich in benevolence, love, kindness and empathy.
Truly people can be judged by the way they treat the world around them, including animals. To become wholly compassionate in all areas of life requires us to open our eyes and hearts, to behold the pain and exploitation our culture obscures, to arouse deadened emotions, and to rise above our egos.
I passionately believe you must be the change you wish to see in the world. Thus I choose not to turn a blind eye to the exploitation of animals which occurs in all realms of our lives. Yes, typicalstudent, I agree. We *can* be the movement for change and every one of us is so important. Without any one of us, the movement for a more compassionate world is weaker and poorer for the loss; without all of us, the move to a better, kinder world ceases to exist.
We can set an example by simultaneously working constructively to alleviate suffering by the choices we make, while leading joyous, meaningful, fulfilled lives. It's about educating ourselves and others, and being *fully aware*.
Bettering the world starts with oneself.
Tis the perfect season...
Be mindful, considerate and merciful with an open heart.
Practice compassion & unconditional love in *every aspect of life*.
May there be Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All. :)
~ Namasté
Does anyone know where I could find a similar plant stand to the one in her reading nook? It looks like it could be some sort of ultra-modern curio cabinet.
Original and different. Just the way I like it.
Please someone, anyone: Read the post signed "ilovebc" (all of it); then read the one immediately following it (by "So Raven!"). Now imagine this is a conversation that has actually taken place. So "Woody Allen movie". I mean no disrespect to ilovebc...I just couldn't help noticing this.
It looks like a white trash yard sale exploded in Wendi's home.
I thought this was fun and expressive of an unapologetic sense of style. The mermaid table was fascinating--what a unique piece--and the decor was a wonderful combination of rustic and retro with kitsch that didn't go into campy.
By the way, it's great reading everybody's reactions to this home (and I wouldn't want anybody not to say anything). Obviously, the comments say more about the person and his or her values than it does about the place.
By the way, paintings by Audubon usually involved him shooting the bird, stuffing it, posing it, and then painting it (he didn't have a camera to get a reference photo that didn't move). A lot of contemporary natural history illustrations also involve using taxidermied subjects found in natural history museums and science labs.
We all have personal value systems. Some people don't mind having seashells or starfish in their homes, right? The important thing to remember is what *you* want to invite into *your* home.
Take care,
I.
I would love to live in this house!! My only criticism is that it's a bit too brown. (I would have the same beef with a severe all white, modern home.) Some complain when there is post after post of cookie-cutter midcentury modern and beg to mix it up a bit. Then, when something this quirky is shown, it's either compared to grandma's 70's Minnesota parlor, or "contrived" and "trying too hard." Eh, Taste is taste, and you have a right to see or not see the nuances of beauty, humor and connection between things new and old, natural and human crafted, made in this environment. If you can't tell the difference between this, and meema's rumpus room, you shouldn't critique.
As for the animals, some think AT should censor themselves though animal products have been used to shelter throughout human history, many are renewable, and all are biodegradable. Lots of these items look vintage, or the animal was consumed. It's not like she went out and bought a new mink coat. When everything in one's home and on one's body is plastic or polyester, you have to wonder how many more chemicals in processing or materials to end in landfills you're contributing to this planet. I'll stick to my wool blankets and down duvets!
The mermaid base cocktail table is awesome !!!! Pls share it's story. Where & how did it come into your life? Any chance I can find one? Do tell !!!!
It's easy to be a animal pacifist when one has minimal contact with animals.
Can the karma police tell me how to permanently get rid of the 3 squirrels currently inhabiting my attic? If I trap them to release in the park/country, they will likely either be killed by other squirrels for being in their territory, find someone else's house to invade, or will find their way back to my house and chew back in. I chased them out once, patched the hole, and now they are back in a few days later. Apparently, once they live in a warm attic, they don't like cold nests in trees anymore.
When the ice melts from my roof, I am going to (attempt to) trap each of them and then dunk the trap into a trash can of water until dead. Repeat for 3 squirrels. According to my research, this is the most humane way. My neighborhood is too dense to buy and use a BB gun.
This will be the first time that I've killed anything other than an insect or mouse. It will not be easy, but I will not live with rodents and their filth above my children's bedrooms.
Remember NYC is only about 100 years from when animal carcasses hung in front of shops.
To Jon_B: FYI: This week I've had to figure out how to get the mice to leave my home, as well as the squirrels, who have chewed a hole into the attic. The guy in the hardware store explained to me that there is a type of screen - I think he called it hardware screening - which squirrels cannot bite through, and which he said is frequently placed over attic vents, etc., to prevent reentry.
Thanks, muirwoods08. I was going to use that to prevent new squirrels from entry. It is also referred to as hardware cloth. The problem is: you can't cover every wood surface with the hardware cloth. They can just chew through someplace else. There are exclusion devices that you put over their entrance/exit that will allow them out, but not back in. But, they could just chew around it, like this: http://unexco.com/oneway.jpg
I can see them doing the same with the hardware cloth. I might try the hardware cloth before trapping, and give them one more chance to live.
What is your life about? Where is the human in this mess? You get a C minus because you are a junk collector, not a decorator.
This house tour was completely wonderful- highlights: I LOVE the coffee table mermaid and the organic/ natural essence of the whole place. It appears spontaneous and yet carefully constructed all at once. You have a natural ability to arrange your space- it all resembles a still life. Thanks for sharing!
Sorry, the taxidermy is just creepy and tacky. Otherwise, its a nice place.