Name: Jen & Moi (Moises) and Mochi
Location: Echo Park — Los Angeles, California
Size: 700 square feet
Years lived in: 4 months — rented
Jen and Moi weren’t even seriously looking for a new place when they happened on this sweet little gem in Echo Park. Jen says they didn’t want to "move just to move" — it had to be someplace perfect — and when perfect came calling…they jumped!
It wasn’t without compromise that the couple moved into this little hillside back house. Both Jen and Moi had to get rid of tons of stuff from their previous lives in order to make the space work. They got rid of chairs, bookshelves, clothes — anything extraneous! They purged their closets donating everything to Out of the Closet thrift store and started anew in this space!
The airy, bright cottage has beautiful views of the hills in Echo Park — with an entire wall of glass French doors that look out to the deck and the view! The couple often leave all doors open on warm days — they are the poster children for indoor/outdoor SoCal living!
Even though the indoor space is tiny, there is a little detached room at the far end of the deck that Jen uses as her office and a larger patio on the side of the house that the couple use frequently for entertaining and living. Jen and Moi are loving their new digs…and since the move have added a new member to their brood — their adorable Shiba Inu, Mochi!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Comfortable and practical with tons of natural light.
Inspiration: Swiss Family Robinson (double entendre on the “Swiss”)
Favorite Element: We're absolutely in love with the French doors. They allow us to open up the entire side of the house to take in views of the morning glories and Elysian Park.
Biggest Challenge: The size. We knew we were going to have to play furniture Tetris when we moved in, but we didn’t realize how much we would have to part with.
What Friends Say: “It’s so you!”, and comments about how “open” and “cozy” the space is.
Biggest Embarrassment: Our biggest embarrassment is the fact that the refrigerator is in the laundry room / pantry. The placement itself isn’t that much of a problem, but we’d rather not have our friends walk past dirty laundry to grab a beer.
Proudest DIY: The container gardens. It’s amazing being able to walk outside to pick basil, rosemary, mint, tomatoes or jalapeños.
Biggest Indulgence: The rent.
Best Advice: Wool rugs and puppies don’t mix.
Dream Sources: Local artists discovered while on international adventures.
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • Kitchen & Living Room: shades of eggshell and light latte
• Bedroom: avocado green
LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM
- • Couch: CB2
• Table & Chairs, Coffee table, Record Station & Rug: IKEA
• Harry Allen Pig Bank: Design Public
• Electric Chair print: Andy Warhol
• Candle Holder & Virgin Mary print: Olvera Street, Downtown Los Angeles
KITCHEN
- • Vase & Face Planter: My brother’s art — La Placa Pottery Works, Point Pleasant, New Jersey
• Whale Butter Dish: Jonathan Adler
• Dishes: Target
BEDROOM
- • Bedding, dresser, book shelves & rug: IKEA
• Boy & Girl print: gift from sister-in-law, purchased in Soho, New York
• Hedgehog pillow: Yolk in Silverlake
DECK
- • Chairs: IKEA
• Plants: Sunset Boulevard Nursery & Home Depot
• Pots: Home Depot
Thanks, Jen & Moi!
Images: Alison Gilbert
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Oh, your patio makes my heart hurt.
This is a very cool place and I'd have moved into it in a heartbeat too.
I love love love love love this space. Perfect size, amazing view, lush tropical backyard, tons of light and sun (and airy with the french doors open). It's quirky without being tacky or kitschy. Fantastic!
OOOH, you should tell your brother to put some of those face planters on his site. They are gorgeous! i would love to know how much one is.
Your house is definitely a case of love at first sight. I know exactly about your advice -- gave away lovely wool rugs when I first got my dogs. My advice, when you have dogs, it's great to have indoor/outdoor rugs that can be hosed off or cotton rugs that can be easily washed; even after your puppies grow up, when the dogs come in with mud on their feet or make a mess some other way, it is less stressful to know you can easily clean up the mess. That and slipcovers are great - especially if the dogs are in and out a lot. Meanwhile, my dogs and I only WISH we had a setup as lovely as yours -- and I think you have done a beautiful job with the space.
LOVE. IT.
The bag? I need one. Hilarious.
I love that the planter in the final picture is the spitting image of Josephine Baker.
So unique. So livable. So lovable.
What a beautiful home. I adore your art collection, it's witty but not too much. I am envious of your turntables.
gold, weed, money.
hahaha
Beautiful home, well designed and very creative with various IKEA items. I love the feeling of warm sunshine from the deck...
I was astounded to hear the your Shiba Inu is named Mochi!! So is ours-- way out in Madison Wi. Good luck- Shibas are very smart and a handful. ps Lovely place.
Great place! I love the openness of it with the doors are open, bringing in the outdoors. My favorite is the patio space and the views...just beautiful. I'd be sitting out there all day. Fun art and quirky pottery...your brother's pottery shop is not too far from me, I'll have to check it out. Also, I love the pig pottery decanter over the sofa. Is that one of your brother's pieces?
Oops....upon reading the sources above, I see where you got the piggy bank. Thank you.
Very cool space. Glad to not see a TV.
But that plastic IKEA lamp - twice - come on, you guys seem much more resourceful and creative than that. That lamp is SO overused and boring.
Also, AT: I want to see sweeping pics of the space, the layout, the kitchen. Not closeups of hipster bric-a-brac & trinkets. I want to get a feel for the composition, the color, the cohesiveness. I love when AT shows me HOW people inhabit their spaces, not the shit they buy.
This place is great but what's with all the exclamation points?
Lovely space! Fantastic view! BTW - we have the couch versions of your deck chairs on our patio - soooooo comfy!!! They weather badly despite spray marine varnish added, though. We're going to try to brush on a thicker layer of marine varnish next.
I think the lamp is a classic...hence the appeal.
ditto on Bx's comments: HOW people inhabit their space: not a catalog picture of their stuff...
Great Great Great space!
Have to jump on the Bx bandwagon. I would love to see how the these homes work out all that a kitchen needs to be especially in such a small space. I bet we are missing some clever solutions here.
Love the color, the ceramics and the turntable.
Nice.
I've been looking for a sofa like the one in Jen & Moi's but it's not on CB2's site. Probably older. Does anyone have sources for one like that, on the small side without tufted cushions? Thanks!
I have the IKEA lamp as well and I love it but I thought it looked a bit bland so I switched the cord to a bright red one. It makes a huge difference. You can buy beautiful brightly coloured fabric cords now but I used a piece of extension cord I picked up at the supermarket. It was super cheap and because it is not covered with fabric it is so much easier to clean.
This is one of the prettiest places I've ever seen. Thanks so much for sharing!
Why is the 'Swiss' in Swiss Family Robinson a double entendre? Did anyone else get it?