Name: Barbara Jarvik
Location: Echo Park, California
Size: 780 square feet
Years lived in: 10.5
We didn't have to go far to visit Barbara's home for this Apartment Therapy House Tour. Nestled in the hills of Echo Park, we were happy to find that she lives right down the street. Unlike our home, Barbara has views on both sides with corner windows that let tons of light in. We were also amazed with Barbara's contribution (or rather creation) of her backyard. Filled with every kind of succulent imaginable, we were thrilled to take away choice cuttings that she offered to us...
To see the huge transformation for yourself, make sure to look at the last photo of the gallery where we've included a "Before" photo when Barbara bought the house. It started out as an overgrown backyard filled with weeds--which Barbara completely overhauled and turned into an outdoor retreat.
Once we were able to stop oohing and ahhing over the backyard, Barbara invited us inside her adorable home. Persian rugs filled the space, adding to the home's charm and coziness. We also loved how Barbara mixed in reds and purples, which contrast nicely with the dark hardwood floors. Every room seemed to ooze light and texture--lending an open and airy vibe to the home. What impresses us most about Barbara is her DIY prowess (indoors and out). Turning kitchen cabinets into a multi-functional center island (for eating and storage) is genius. Tiling the top herself, she chose a dark green to bring in the outdoors.
AT Survey:
My style: Eclectic, whimsical, practical
Inspiration: Beautiful vistas of all kinds
Favorite Element: Light on all sides
Biggest Challenge: Starting from the house as it was (i.e. working with and around "defects" I would be living with). Decorating on an extremely low budget.
What Friends Say: I love your house!
Biggest Embarrassment: After dreaming of wood floors for 6 years while living with 4 animals and the initially white carpet that was installed before I bought the house, I let the man who put down my living room's board floors convince me to lay them lengthwise. It ended up only accentuating the narrowness of the room and I preferred that they go the other way. He got what he wanted (less work to do) and I lost the chance to make the room appear a little wider. However, the floors still make me happy, even if they were laid in the wrong direction.
Proudest DIY: #1. My garden!!!!! It was mostly crabgrass with a few established plants here and there when I got the house. I made the beds and the paths. Sometimes the house presents me with garden opportunities--like when we had to cut a drain in the patio, leaving me with huge narrow slabs of concrete (which became the walls of one of the garden beds). In some senses, the garden is just an outgrowth of whatever was happening around the house and in the neighborhood--including plants that blew in on the breeze.
#2. Kitchen island I made from some ready-made cabinets. I had a piece of wood cut to fit the top and tiled that myself with Mexican tiles. It really works in my kitchen.
Biggest Indulgence: Tchotchkes
Best advice: If you like the way it looks and it functions, keep it that way!
Dream source: The idea of magic places
Inspiration: Beautiful arrangements of objects, nature
Resources:
Appliances: Wonderful old O'Keefe & Merritt stove, which I embellished with some magnetic tiles my sister in law sent me for Christmas one year. I tried the tiles out early one evening, starting at the refrigerator and advancing around the room until they ended up over the stove in the middle of the night. And there they stayed.
Furniture: Nice mid-century style sofa from Urban Outfitters. Some lovely yard sale finds, including two handpainted chests, a dog table, a table with nice turned legs, & a lot of very pedestrian items that work with the whole. Many gifts from the street that needed a home and coat of paint and, having gotten them, helped bring my home to life.
Accessories: Art, plants, objects from nature. Mirrors, angels, books.
Lighting: Ikea ceiling fixtures, and a vintage glass hanging light you hang high on the wall but plug in. A few additional small accent lights around the house.
Rugs and Carpets: Persian rugs, each bought for a song thanks to Craigslist.
Tiles and Stone: Some Mexican patterned tile on kitchen island and on tub surround in bathroom, bisazza tile (Craigslist, too!) on bathroom floor.
Window Treatments: Ikea hardware, buy-the-fabric-&-stitch-it-yourself curtains.
Artwork: A set (about 11) of Chinese hand painted bird paintings my parents got on a trip to the East; some paintings by friends and lots of folk art acquired from store sales or yard sales over the years.
Paint: Colors vary by room and character of room. The office for example, is painted peach to complement the sunsets that can be viewed from there. Bedroom is blue, green, peaceful and quiet colors. The entry room, which is the one room that doesn't get much light, smacks you with lavender as you come in. When I bought the house, I painted it and put up the curtains, then moved in. The initial decoration WAS the paint and the curtains. These still please me after all these years. I plan to keep the colors but refresh the rooms with new coats of paint in a month or so.
Flooring: Wood look laminate
(Thanks, Barbara!)
Photos By Beth Zeigler
That garden is gorgeous. What an improvement! I wish I had a green thumb like Barbara. Sadly, I do not.
view tara1979's profile
Great job on the garden, how beautiful.
As for the house although not my style but I enjoyed the tour very much its charming, inviting and lots of fun nooks to look at. Love that wood table, with the plants next to the window! The kitchen is great.
Thanks for sharing.
view LoriSF's profile
The garden seems especially incredible when you see the Before picture. Wow, major work!
view Joanne's profile
loved the tour - and great to see such a welcoming and pleasant space done on a tight budget. thank you!
view sasefina's profile
LOTS of personality and pizazz here, inside and out. And I'm in love w/your stove! Great home; thanks for sharing.
Editorial note: the poster has issues w/dangling participles.
view mirandabee's profile
One of my faves. I can never see enough light drenched spaces, with beautiful carpets, books and plants. Lovely inside and out.
view Tara Emelye's profile
A beautiful and eclectic mix of furniture and art that show that a home doesn't have to be cookie cutter to be completely stylish.
view kebirch's profile
Gorgeous garden. And the house is so cozy, welcoming and down to earth. I imagine it's a good reflection of Barbara herself :)
view slowdown's profile
I admit, I raced through to get to the garden--oh my! what a paradise, what a transformation! My poor backyard looks so wastelandish in comparison. Sadly, I don't have the water resources to create such an eden, or at least I'm not clever enuf to do it w/ drought-resistant plants.
view jen_g's profile
Wow, what a great place! So refreshing to see a real, lived-in, thoughtfully decorated space as opposed to the staged and boring mid-mod "sets" that often appear on this site. It truly reminds me of the homes of old hippie friends - no dis intended by that comment Barbara, its totally intended as a compliment! The garden is magical. Thanks for sharing, the pics made me smile.
view beddybee's profile
Not my taste at all, but how delightful! I am amazed at the wonderful job she did. What a warm, honest home this is. Can I spend an afternoon here, sipping iced tea?
view KidMoe's profile
That garden is jaw-dropping. I also love the floors, the sofa, the piano and the adorable animals. :)
view contralto's profile
This example of vast improvement is a testimony to a house needing a change of hands every now and again. Result: I get a feeling of space being lived in to the owner's highest desire; that, in itself, is inspirational! Thanks for allowing me in!
view KateInHawaii's profile
A real home. Thanks for the tour.
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
Love those rugs. Love the white dog and gray cat. The sunlight is mind boggling, and the garden is a frigging work of art.
view rosenatti's profile
That garden IS amazing. Oh, that California lifestyle, where you can spend as much time outside as in. Lovely!!
And as for the house, well, I would move in tomorrow. These are not all choices I would have made personally, but what I love about this place is that it's the result of a person's individuality and taste, and that's what it takes to make a real home, which this is. And...the dog & cat! Love 'em!
view Charlotte's profile
Definitely not my style. And yet, I very much want to visit, sit with a cup of tea, and chat for hours. This is the type of home that is a retreat for homeowner and guests alike.
Favorite element is the kitchen island with the Mexican tile.
view littlePieces's profile
If it helps you feel any better, flooring is always laid in the direction of the longest wall. I'm not saying you couldn't have gone the other way, but your flooring guy didn't just make it up so he'd have less work.
view LBhirise's profile
This is one of my favorite tours at AT because it was approachable (probably within my budget), colorful, but not garish and generally peaceful. I love the rugs, lighting, and of course the garden!
view Sam H's profile
Wow, fantastic job on the garden! You can see that a lot of love went into creating it . The inside of your home is lovely and you have a wonderful and unique sense of style. Thanks so much for sharing!
view suzy8track's profile
Wow. I mean, really, wow. The home, the garden, all of it, fantastic, live-able, real, and beautiful. You can tell a lot of time and care went into this house, but not in a way that it feels out of reach or unacheivable. I wish she was a relative or something so I'd have an excuse to go visit!
view amazonikon's profile
What a wonderful space! Pure charm and California light. Barbara created such an inviting home. And the best part is that she made it happen using more creativity than pocketbook. Congratulations Barbara!
view jahniroth's profile
WOW What a gorgeous house!! Warm and cozy... Love love love your garden!!
view ryumama's profile
A really great home that looks like it came together so naturally. I love the stove and all the accents. That garden is so beautiful! I too wish I had your green thumb.
view djdigital8's profile
Beautiful home & garden. Though Barbara is on the west coast, and I live in Manhattan, we have the same sensibility. Wherever there is natural light, there are plants. And, though I'm definitely not a "country gal," this house pleases me very much. The garden is truly magical, especially with those paper lanterns. Bravo, Barbara!
view ShirleyZB's profile
The garden is amazing--very reminiscent of the movie "Quinceanera", which was also filmed in Echo Park.
view jbuff's profile
Looks very nice. RE: the flooring. The wood should be laid perpendicular to the joists so my concern would be more about that than whether it makes the room look longer. In any event, it looks fine.
view teapotrose's profile
I love your home! Thanks for sharing. Garden is amazing and I appreciated it even more seeing the before pic at the end. I could never had that sort of vision looking at the before backyard, nevermind execute such a garden on the other end. Cheers to you and thanks for letting us in.
view allyg's profile
Love love love. This is now one of my favorite house tours. It makes me wish we were friends :) It's just wonderful. And I love all the succulents.
view fluffgirl's profile
I'm glad you like my home. As you can imagine, nobody was lining up to buy this little house when I got it, but it has been my project and my refuge ever since I did. I bought it because it was located exactly where I wanted to live, had land to turn into a garden, and was within my means. Once it was mine, I tried to make it into the best home I could put together. Thanks to all the yard sales I attended and all the people there who passed their old stuff on to me, and thanks to you, Apartment Therapy friends, for your sweet and lovely comments!
view mei-ling's profile
P.S. Mei-Ling IS my posting name. Too many Barbaras out there.
view mei-ling's profile
I love the rocking chair and have always wanted to know what that style is called. I know this might seem out of no where however, it reminds me of Mindy's apartment in Mork and Mindy, the TV series.
view jenson210's profile
It's a bentwood rocker (generic name for it)
view mei-ling's profile
Wonderful Babara!
I read somewhere a long time ago, that if you get only what you love, it will always look great. This shows here, and is what I also try to do.
I recently lost everything, (33 yr marriage, home, job), and am currently sharing a small apartment with my youngest daughter. Its nice and we've filled it with things we love. But it is,and has been my dream to live in CA,(and still be able to visit my family here). I am slowly working toward this goal, and seeing this sweet little house is giving me hope that I just may make it happen yet. Thank you for sharing,
Best,
oMordah
view omordah's profile
The rugs are lovely!
view ponytailcomplex's profile
This place is great! I hope to have a home like this one day - filled with light, plants, animals, and my own unique touches.
For now I am stuck in a tiny student studio but this place has re-inspired me to think outside of the Ikea box!
view lili09's profile
can you say cozy?! (and original!)
and i love the 'dream source'.
kelly
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com
view k51279's profile
Very charming house but oh, what an amazing garden! Thoroughly delightful.
view EAM's profile
yay!
view mechelle's profile
lovely....I have a renewed pride in my bentwood rocker..had bough tit on craigslist and paid 25$ (the previous owner ha the cane removed and the seats upholstered...and it is ply wood and not solid wood)...huh!..but after seeing the one in this house...i m glad i bought it!!!yaya!!!!
view susrith's profile
Wonderful! Why haven't I considered a green theme like the one in the opening picture??? It's very beautiful.
view luftskibet's profile
who makes your couch?
view rachelrgarza's profile
Urban Outfitters makes it. Here's the link to it:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?itemCount=10&pushId=A_FURN_FURNITURE&id=A_FURN_FURNITURE_SOFAS&startValue=31&selectedProductColor=&navCount=&prevVisit=true&navAction=poppushpushpush&sortby=&prepushId=APARTMENT_FURNISH&popId=APARTMENT
view mei-ling's profile
I love everything about your house - the books, the rugs, the piano, the dogs, the cat, the tiles, the hanging pots and pans, ... just everything. The garden's transformation is amazing, though it is now a little overgrown for my taste.
view sunnycloudy's profile
I agree about the garden's transformation...and it's not too much for me. The lusher, the better. Lovely!
view junklover's profile