apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Name:Laura Stang-O'Dell, creator and head designer of Porridge; Jason O'Dell, photographer; and Hazel, awesome dog
Location: Los Feliz
Size: 1600 sq/ft
Years lived in: 2 Years, own

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Remember when we introduced you to Porridge Home a few weeks back? We promised you a house tour. But before jumping into it, here's a little tidbit of what the Stang-O'Dell home feels like: You know when you were a little kid and all of your friends met up at one friends' house because they had the best snacks and a Nintendo? Well, Laura and Jason's home has that same nostalgic vibe...it's comfortable, inviting, and just the sort of place where friends can help themselves to the fridge and kick back to some Steely Dan.

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Name: Susan and Michael
Location: Santa Monica
Size: Approximately 900 sq.ft.
Years Lived in: 20+ Rented

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We were first introduced to Susan and Michael through Susan's evocative charcoal figure drawings, which held place of honour in a friend's living room. When we were subsequently invited to dinner at their apartment, we discovered that Michael had artistic talents of his own - in the kitchen - which were on full display during an amazing meal and a few great bottles of wine. Originally, we planned to stop by their house briefly to examine the AS Gallery Hanging System which they'd installed during their recent renovation. But, sitting in their home, in a rare moment when it wasn't filled with people, Michael puttering in the kitchen, we were captivated by our surroundings. Evidence of their exuberant approach to life was apparent at every turn. We loved how this small two bedroom apartment had been transformed into a light-filled loft space, punctuated with colorful walls and art and mementos that reference their travels, their friends and their many interests. We couldn't help but pull out our camera to capture this cheerful space.

Shannon Lamden (a.k.a. Aunty Cookie) first came to our attention because of her blog. We enjoyed seeing snippets of her home so much, we just had to ask her to participate in a House Call — all the way from Melbourne, Australia! Given how lovely her own textile creations are, we weren't the least bit surprised that her place is filled with lots of wonderful colors and patterns.

Name: Glen Dake
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 900 sq/ft
Years lived in: 10 years, owned

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The wonderful thing about Los Angeles is you just don't know what's behind those street facing closed gates. What sometimes appears to be a standard home can reveal itself to be much different once you walk through the doorway, as LA is characterized by a courtyard/backyard lifestyle. Such is the case of Los Angeles landscape architect, Glen Dake's Silver Lake home. Inside, Glen's home reveals the epitome of modern bachelor style, with the whole home finished in a tasteful and uncluttered manner accentuated by warm woods and subtle textures, punctuated by an inviting pool that separates his small home from a detached studio office...

Name: Maria
Location: Silver Lake, LA
Style: 1922 California Bungalow rental
Years lived in: 1.5 years

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This might have been the easiest house tour we’ve ever been invited over to shoot, not only because Maria’s eclectic 1920’s bungalow glows and glistens inside and out with eye-catching colour, but also because she literally lives one block over from us (we even talked about the recent drama in our hood). Greeted by two friendly canines and a richly painted red door, we slipped inside to learn how a former Manhattanite made a brand new start in her vibrant modern-Marrakesh home with natural aplomb…

Name: Derek
Location:Los Feliz, CA
Years lived in: 6 years

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We hope you like colour, kitsch and Midcentury design, because we have all three in abundant amount with our house tour coming by way of Los Feliz. Overlooking the beautiful St. George Reservoir, Derek's modest 2-bedroom apartment, with it's wood shingle clad exterior, hides a wealth of unexpected colour and collectibles within. Just his living room was almost enough to keep us busy with questions and photo subjects during our visit. And when we weren't admiring his vintage collection of soda pop cans, atomic ranch furnishings or humorous artwork, we were just having fun watching his two friendly felines put on an amusing show for us befitting the playful backdrop...

Name: Natalie, Nicholas and their son, Arthur.
Occupation: Natalie is a photographer and Nick is a former electrician.
Location: North Melbourne (innercity Melbourne), Australia 

Type: Old Victorian shop front and dwelling, built in 1890. Shop below and residence above on the above two floors.
Size: Approx 4.5 metres wide x 18 metres (872 sq. ft) on all three levels.
Years Lived In: Current renovated state 1.5 years.

Natalie, Nicholas and Arthur’s colourful vintage toy-tinged home is our first Apartment Therapy House Tour from the land down under, and we think this might be amongst the most fun interiors we’ve ever showcased. Natalie and Nicholas are the proud owners of their own store, Arthur’s Circus, “specialising in the sale of hard to find vintage toys, collectables and lighting”. And as you'll soon note, their playful air that permeates throughout their professional and personal lives with a colourful enthusiasm as bright as a Melbourne afternoon.

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Name: Laure
Location: Venice, CA.
Size: 500 square feet (ish)
Years lived in: 2 years
Inspiration: Other people's homes

As soon as I got word of my eviction, I knew that I wanted to document my apartment before she was taken from me. This was my first place and inspired me to try out all kinds of furniture arrangements and colors. Most of all I just had fun. Eventually I even got inspired to enter the smallest coolest contest and made it as a finalist, thus beginning my relationship with AT. I've never 'finished' my apartment and there are a million and one things I would want to change, but c'est la vie, on to the next place!

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Name: Gregory McKinney
Location: Granada Hills CA
Type: 1960s Contemporary Modern
Size: 3bdr 2 bath 1731 sq ft, one story
Years lived in: since June 2005

Gregory only needed to send a single photo of his Granada Hill's home interior for us to decide that we needed to get out to his pad pronto. Tucked far back in the hills of suburbia, Gregory renovated a typical San Fernando Valley home into a livable homage to the Palm Spring aesthetic, its stylish spirit immediately apparent from first sight of the promising robin's egg blue door with starburst door knobs. It only got better once we stepped through the doors...

Name: Stefanie (plus 2)
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Size: 3 Bedroom
Years lived in: Almost 3 years

Having moved from Germany 3 years ago to Santa Monica with her husband, Stefanie already had some great antiques in her collection. They shipped them all stateside and have slowly been blending incredibly classic pieces with beautifully modern ones. The result? A house we're crushing on and a list of resources and inspiration that leaves us breathless.

Name: Salon Oblique
Location: Marina del Rey, CA
Size: 2800 sq. ft. (originally 900 sq. ft.)
Years lived in: 8 years
Style: Modern

Los Angeles residences are as varied and unique as the very people who occupy them. Last week we toured an explosion of colour, kitsch, and Southern tinged tradition in Melrose, and this week we do a complete 180 degree turnaround by visiting a monastery of minimalist modernism which operates as both home and gallery in Marina del Rey, the Salon Oblique

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Lori Dennis (ASID, LEED AP) of Dennis Design Group was hired by a client who wanted to transform his high rise Santa Monica apartment from white to green...a redesigned interior with all green products. Take a look at the before and after professional transformation below for ideas of how to warm up your own interior.

Name: Kevin and Greg
Location: Melrose, Los Angeles
Type: 1922 Spanish Colonial
Size: 1200 sq. ft.
Years lived in: 3 years

When we were invited to Kevin and Greg's Melrose half lot home we knew we were in for a treat after one look at the sample photo they sent us. But we had no idea what an eclectic abode we were about to walk into. Mixing elements of artistic fantasy, classical decorative pieces, Southern family heirlooms and 1950's Hawaiin/Tiki, their 1922 Spanish Colonial home was such a visual feast inside and out, we're worried we haven't captured everything. Even the crummy weather that afternoon couldn't hide the charm of this home...

Echo Park's own Machine Project will soon be offering an apartment to their artists in residence (details on how to get in on this to be revealed soon). We're pretty impressed with how well this simple space is coming along with great indoor plants and terrariums (designed by Holly Vesecky), a little help from ikea and an eye for 'less is more'. We also like that the space is open enough to accommodate different personalities and can easily be transformed depending on how it needs to be used. The full scoop on plans for a windowseat terrarium and much more from Gallery Director Mark Allen after the jump:

Aaron over at AT:NY was kind enough to give us a heads up about this recent article in the NY Times about the West Hollywood two-story condominium development called Habitat 825. Designed by Los Angeles architect, Lorcan O’Herlihy, the 19-unit building at 825 North Kings Road has garnered a lot of interest and praise:

The Los Angeles Times called Habitat 825, which was completed in the fall, one of the most significant projects of 2007, and a rich symbol of “a city struggling to escape its adolescence and define its early adulthood.”

See what the hooplah is all about underneath the cut...

Great design is truly timeless. Before you peruse Barry and Rosemary's San Mateo home, take a look at these photos from 1956 of Barry's childhood home in Orinda, CA. It's a testament to how functional these modern post-and-beam homes are even by today's standards. The Brisco family have created their own wonderfully modern and luxurious home that takes full advantage of Eichler's sprawling ranch design. To get even more info and before-and-after shots of their home, please visit their site: www.totheweb.com/eichler.

Name: Barry and Rosemary Brisco
Location: San Mateo, CA
Size: 1620 sq ft.
Years lived in: 7
Our style: Mid-century modern with a classic Japanese influence
Inspiration: Barry's childhood spent in several mid-century modern homes, Frank Lloyd Wright, architect A. Quincy Jones who designed our house in 1959, and developer Joe Eichler who built it.

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Name: Suzanne
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 700 sq ft, 1-bdrm rental
Years lived in: 3 months

Suzanne has been through a lot in the past 6 months. A last minute cross country relocation required laser focus yard sale-ing, and organzizational skills heretofore unimagined....

Do you have an idea for a house tour? Let me know! jill@apartmenttherapy.com

It's difficult to get an image like this in your inbox and not want to jump in your car and head straight to Palm Springs. I got an email from a friend and photographer David Zaitz last week vaguly mentioning a new rental pad he had been working on. A mid century rental? in Palm Springs? He forwarded photos and I started panting like a puppy - it's my sad reality to foam at the mouth over something like this, but I haven't had a real vacation this year I'm tired and frazzled. Just what the doctor ordered!

Remember when we blogged about Paris Hotel Boutique a few weeks ago? And we begged Lynn to let us do a house tour? Well she graciously agreed, and here's her beautiful home!

Name: Lynn Goldfinger-Abram & Leif Abram
Location: San Francisco, CA
Size: 1550 sq ft.
Years lived in: 10
Our style: Hollywood Glamour meets Paris Hotel with a modern twist!
Inspiration: Being a third generation San Franciscan, I have memories of the elegance of a bygone era; wearing your best dress with white gloves to shop in downtown Union Square, celebrating at hotels such as the Fairmont and the Palace. This has inspired me to try and recreate these elements in our home.

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Name: Annie and Joe
Location: Long Beach, that wonderful place.
Size: 2000 sq ft.
Years lived in: 8
Our style: 1938, the best era for home building because of the attention to detail and quality.
Inspiration: American and Asian fine art and swap meet finds.

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Name: Amanda & Jason
Location: Hillcrest, San Diego, California
Size: 900 sq ft., 1 bedroom, 1 bath
Years lived in: 3.5
Our style: The building was built in the late 1920's. It's particular style is Spanish Colonial Revival.
Inspiration: Kitschy 1950's Americana, Halloween, Vintage Boudoirs, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, John Waters, Vintage eras of the 1930's through the early 1960's, the outdoors, the macabre.

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Name: Philip Dixon
Location: Venice
Size: 6,000 square feet
Years lived in: 20 years
Inspiration: Travel

Talk about an escape! You would never think that this 6,000 square foot compound was right in the middle of the crowded streets of Venice Beach. Inspired by his trips around the world shooting fashion spreads, Philip Dixon created this Moroccan retreat almost 20 years ago. The walls of the compound are so high that all you see are a couple of telephone poles and palm trees to clue you into your wherabaouts. Otherwise all sense of reality is suspended and you might as well be in Marakkesh. Yes, please.

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Sharilyn Wright is the creative wonder behind Lovely Design, a Vancouver one-woman design studio. She's also happens to be a good friend whom I've stayed in touch with since her move back from Los Angeles to her hometown of Vancouver. Sharilyn has been so kind to let us all peek inside her inspiring studio space, where she continues to design and hand make beautiful products for the home, like her most recent "Beautiful Leaves of Canada".

Name: Sharilyn Wright of Lovely Design
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Size: 180 sq. ft.
Years lived in: 2 years
Inspiration:nature for palette, thrift shops for stuff

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!

Name: David (But with French accent, mind you) +Vanina +Baby Makes 3!
Location: Venice
Size: 2,000 square feet
Years lived in: 10 Years
Inspiration: Flea Markets!

David has been a friend of the family for 20 years, ever since he and his family transplanted here from France and discovered the French community in Venice. He and my Dad bonded over their love of vintage California style and consequently dragged us daughters to the Rose Bowl Flea Market for years.

See all thumbnails at once

We're always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!