apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Tengo house envy.

You did an amazing job. I love the "I will not talk" punishment paper on the wall.

So many creative ideas and the colors are so vibrant and exciting.

awesome pad but yow, sure used a lot of saturation and exposure in them photos!

Wow! I really like this! Lots of fun colors and such creative ideas! You did a fabulous job! Very inspiring!

heather leaf: yeah, but the colours aren't really that far off in person. I had to compensate for all the different lights streaming through Maria's beautiful home, and one of the new lenses I was shooting with definitely popped the reds and magentas. But all in all, her home is beautifully vibrant.

love it. perfect example of how a home can be full of personal objects and not look cluttered and junkie. it manages to feel both energizing and serene at the same time.

i am insanely jealous of your aesthetic.

hi, gregory - i'm just glad i wasn't seeing things. this home is amazing. i just LOVE how the home owner had so much bright white with such tremendous pops of color. looove!

Wow! Love, love the colors and the use of textiles. I haven't even looked at the slides yet. Is that a striped slipcover in the first pic?

Where did you get your patio chairs?

Is that...Gloria Steinem? What a great print. I love your outdoor space, it looks like a great place to hang out.

Beautiful home. I love the use of vibrant colours (very bold of you) and quite ironic since you say that white is your favorite colour (hey, it happens to be my favorite colour also!) Your house must be a blast during parties. I couldn't see how anyone would be bored. Too bad we couldn't see all your linens (or @least how you store them).

I think this house tour should be awarded best use of IKEA furniture. Looking at your home tempts me to reconsider my ban on any further IKEA furniture purchases for my own apt.


Oh... how I miss SoCal :(

Some very nice elements in this home but overall just too much - visual overload for me.

That outdoor space almost made me weep. (That's a good thing.)

Wow really?! that makes me feel great. It's all just me and ikea...and alot of white paint. Thanks everyone! i am so excited, i keep checking back for more comments. (I should be writing...)

Not my style, but it's pulled off with casual aplomb. The dark floors and white walls form an ideal backdrop for the wild color scheme. Love your pups!

(And I was thinking that these photos were particularly good!)

happy, happy, joy, joy! - first come to mind! what an amazing home! inside out! all of it! I bet your dinner parties last for 48 hours as nobody wants to leave! As a dog/cats owner i recognise the trick of covering couch with nice linens.
I love every picture and every detail. Thank you for sharing!

Must have the striped chair! Is that really Ikea? Or did you make a slipcover? You have a beautiful home. It's house tours like this that make me want to ditch Brooklyn and head to LA.

Cheerful and I like your dogs.

I love it. My favorite part is the outdoor area. It looks like you could just relax and have a really fun time with friends out there. I also love the bold use of color with all the white. I think the white keeps the color from being overwhelming.

The birds on the outside wall made me smile.

that slipcovered ikea chair was in the As Is section as is. i am going to send it to my mom and ask her to make me some different slipcovers...white probably. or maybe a blue one, something solid.

the linens are in the closets, in those hanging shelves that you get at target.

and my work space is the dining room table...maria

ryanoger - the porch chairs are from ikea. the day bed is from ebay ($50) i painted it white, and the "slipcover" is an ikea curtain.

i explain my gloria steinem in the tour. congrats for knowing who it is!

Seeing your home makes me happy! And I'm impressed that you've done so much with mostly Ikea products!

Lots of great ideas to borrow here. Those stencilled hummingbirds & swallows on the house's exterior are awfully sweet.

can i ask what white you used? i absolutely love your use of brights against the white. i am not one for subtle use of color but i do love a bright white wall as backdrop to amazing hues.
really really beautiful. and i had the pleasure of being in silverlake recently, absolutely amazing neighborhood.

love your sweet dogs!Is that a toy charlie?

hdtex: nah that's an intergalactic squirrel named King Tiny. Actually he's a japanese chin that i rescued from an idiot drug dealer in the east village when i lived there. birch: i don't know what kind of white paint is here, it was already painted when i moved in. i'll ask my landlady. by the way, i live on one of the least distinguished streets in silverlake, actually it's ugly and there are more idiot drug dealers next door and lots of condoms on the sidewalk in the morning...yech....but behind the fence is this lovely oasis!

highly inspirational home!

talk about a happy home!

I love the little red(?) wine rack in the dining room. What a great pop of color- you know, for those of us who aren't blessed with so much color ;) Can I ask where you got it?

This is my favorite house tour so far. Thanks for sharing your space with us! I love the multi-colored flower pots lined up on the front steps. That's an idea I'm going to borrow once it becomes warm enough in PA. Beautiful!!!

I love the rams head chairs!! They are incredible! What is their story?

Very cute. I like the outdoor space a lot.

Do people seriously not recognize Gloria Steinem? That is unbelievable.

I finally just looked at the slides. What a cheerful place. And I agree, a great place for a party, where one would never want to leave.

I think I just heard on the news the last few days that our gal Gloria is 75.

This is the most amazing house tour I have seen so far. I feel like I want to just move in! Can you tell us more about the dining table? I am assuming its Ikea, but can't find it on their website. Perhaps it's and "in store only" item??

Bravo!!!

Is it might imagination, or are the photos of this particularly dazzling? They're ethereal--magazine quality.

Wine rack: it's actually orange, i found it at a shop on sunset weirdly ON THE VERY DAY I WAS LOOKING FOR A PLASTIC MODERN WINE RACK. i almost caused a major traffic accident when i saw it. it's from a japanese design house, it also was in black and you fit it into different shapes. google plastic modern wine rack and see what comes up, i threw out the box.

the rams head chairs are antiques from india, they were 90% off at this place in LA called sweet smiling home. they cost $65 each, incredible! i found some toile in a scraps bin at a fabric store and just stapled them to ugly upholstery on the chairs.

fiona, believe it or not, there are people who do not know who gloria steinem is (by BF was one; he's 18 years younger than i am) and pixie, my parties are fun i have to say. but the dishes are often not done for a couple of days afterwards and i leave wine glasses all over the porch...

so happy to get feedback, you'll never know. m

oh, and just to keep things completely untrendy and un-p.c. you can smoke at my house. anywhere but the bedrooms.

love, love, LOVE!!!

Maria,

Is there any chance you remember the name of the dining table (or does anyone recognize it?). I am this close to driving the 4 hours to my nearest IKEA and just look around for it.

They have a table on the website called GRIMLE (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60102369), but it doesn't quite look like yours... Also I am hoping that yours did not cost $400!

Thank a ton! I am bookmarking your slide show for future reference.

FF

I didn't see any photos of the kitchen or bathroom. Such a shame. The rest of the house is so great & I'd love to see what Maria did to make those spaces her own.

I like what you did with the outdoor space, and I love the framed school paper with the great patina.

I found it! It's the GIDEA table. But it's not on their site. I will call the store and see if they still stock it. Thanks for the inspiration!

FF

This is one of the cutest TOURS i've seen so far! LOVE IT!!


Jen Ramos
'100% Recycled DESIGNER Cards'
www.madebygirl.com
madebygirl.blogspot.com

What a radiant, jewel-like retreat -- perfect for a writer (I write at home too, but my place doesn't compare to yours). I've viewed this tour several times already and am feeling inspired. Bravo!

You make me want to leave the city and come to LA!! Do you know Marianne Courville? I haven't seen her in years--- but LOVE that you have hr work on your walls. As a photographer (or any artist) someone living with your images is such a compliment : )
I love your vision... and girrrllllll..... your man is 18 years YOUNGER than you?? That's HOT!!! : P

Wow! It's a pleasure to see every detail of your gorgeous little house. It's so exciting, playful, and happy, and I'm most jealous of your porch -- we don't have such airy, relaxed outdoor spaces here in Boston. Time to move...

I tried to register the screen name "pugluv" but AT said it was taken. Nice to know it belongs to someone with such good taste!

Ahh....that is one chubby chin you've got there. A didtant cousin to my to cavaliers. He sure is cute and king-like...Great place too!

What a great sense of colors. Each and every space is equipped with great combination.
The round lamp shades are to good for the shattering rays.
Even the Ram head silver finish dining chair is giving a touch of old era.
I had seen the same kind of Ram head silver finish dining chairs at
http://www.globalartinteriors.com/dining_chairs.htm
http://www.globalartinteriors.com/

Great sense of colors............
Thanks
Anne

Lovely! I love the little kitchy Indian touches like the silver ram head chairs, the devangri script bag on the door knob and what looks like a deity painting by the front door. Wonderful it all fits in!

Bhavna

Love how you manage to combine such bright cheerful colours, but keep it looking so clean and crisp at the same time!

This is such a sunny, bright, cheerful home---which makes me hate to register a negative. All those pops of color against the unremittingly white walls looks to me like someone took off the roof and sprinkled in a handful of brightly colored confetti. Or as if it were one of those fake, white Christmas trees covered with ornaments. Look at the pictures of that patio with the green, corregated fiberglass roof---the beautiful light from it unifies everything under it.
Even pale colors would help to unify the rooms, I think. . . .

Adorable.

The thing about this place isn't just how lovely and bright it is, but what a warm home it is, often filled with friends and family...and Maria and her warmth! I know from first hand experience that it is the case as I'm one of the regular attendees at family dinners and brunches. Yumm!

wow!
:)

Hey JenRamos! your stuff is fantastic. Aside from the linens, i have a stationary fetish so I was thrilled to see your site. Also, the dining table i think is the gidea but it looks like they don't make it anymore. And it was $399 i remember that. i bought it a year and a half ago. Someday a saarinen...sigh.

What a lovely, colorful home! I adore the bright pink curtains, and your patio looks very inviting!

FF: link to the Gidea table on the Ikea website: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00059222

Just beautiful! I love love love the use of the lack wall shelf unit as coffee table (at least that what I think it is, if its not let me know I am looking for a low slim solution myself)And being on the other side of the country in very cold Boston, I am very jealous of your seasonless outside space.

Oh, keep the striped slipcover! It's so fun and I love how the books on the shelves behind it echo the stripes on the chair. Your house is so cool!

I love this!!! Question: Where did you get your hat/coat rack?

love the dark floors and u totally won me over with the framed "i will not talk" paper. i wish i still had one of mine, i'd do the same. they didn't have ADD in the 80's, but i'm sure if they did we'd've been coddled for our differences not punished! lol

i love the colors, especially against the white walls. well done! and so much fun too!! you can see that you decorated it to suit your personality, and that is the best thing to do. :)

Love all the lights
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsop/2269902866/?addedcomment=1#comment72157604310166817

Does anyone recognize these lights?

wingpea: those look like Bertjan Pot's Random Lights, which come in small, medium and large.

so sweet - kind of like Candyland goes to India.
I'm running around trying to pull my patio together and love love the green outdoor patio rug - where did you find it?
Thanks for the inspiration, Maria!

love it - it's really a beautiful place and the pictures are amazing. i love the light. great job!!!

Hi peonie lane, thanks so much for your kind words. There are two different rugs on the porch: the mats in front of the doors and then the rug underneath the furniture, which is actually yellow. The mats are from, big surprise, Ikea. The "rug" is from a company called KoKo which make some great plastic/hemp-y type rugs in fun colors. However, they can't take sun and turn to dust so they have to be in the shade.

I am so happy to get feedback and comments, keep 'em coming!

your home is *beautiful* and inspirational.

your dogs are adorable! :)

i gather you practice yoga. i do too... your patio seems like a perfect, serene setting for yoga.

beautiful home!

i felt like i was on holiday in some lovely island paradise with all of the wonderful colorful decor..

Thanks for posting info on the table! Glad to know the source, but sadly, it is still out of my price range. You know you're a grad student when IKEA is too expensive! Sigh.

FF

FF - Before i could afford the big table I bought the doksta table (which i still have) for $149. Granted you can't fit ten people around it but it's still stylin'. Re the Yoga...mostly it's for guests. I'm actually into weight lifting. ! m

I agree with the first poster about the "I will not talk" paper. I think that might be one of the coolest things I've ever seen!

I love your home, it's so beautiful.

ADORABLE! She wins. No matter the contest.

yaaaaay!

WOW! not my cup of tea, but props for your dedication to color, I think someone needs to call Domino Magazine!

what a beautiful, happy, FUN home! you've given me so much inspiration!!!

Wow, you really made all that Ikea look great! And I am so jealous of your awesome porch.

Is your bedside table from Ikea too? And you wouldn't happen to know the name would you?

Love it!

do you mean the clear bedside table or the white one? the clear one is from cb2, the white one, yes! ikea, the doksta table i think it's called. or saarinen lite. i'm so happy the house is making people happy. it is kind of a happy house actually. wish i could invite everyone over for a party, even the ones for whom it's all just too much. maria

I have no words to say Maria how like me her home! I like the colours, the mix, the sun is at home, the light, it seem to be fresh. María, you seem to be a very happy person. I like a lot the paper with "i don,t talk", a punismet in the school? Sorry because my english is no to so good.
Well done it,s perfect!

Hey carmenchu, thanks so much for the kind comments. I can be happy but I'm a writer by trade which means i am usually depressed. But my house is definitely happy. The "i must not talk" is indeed mine from 2nd grade. My mother saved it. And i have one for almost every class. I was always talking too much!

great sense of color. very happy. very girly.

you are clearly color courageous. wish you'd put some of that color on the walls particularly in the bedrooms which seem a little unanchored to me. (headboard equivalent? accent wall? large color square on white?)

would love to see you stencil the "i will not talk" paper blown up in two bright colors on the wall of your choice with the original as framed on it.

i'm being picky. brava.

I, too, loved the "I Will Not Talk" paper and laughed out loud. Great decorating sensibility and shopping methods (similar to my own :) that sometimes include wishing for an item and having it appear at a yard sale or on the street. A really beautiful place Maria...Vince thought so as well.

I absolutely love it. I wish I could put things together as well as you! My ability to use color is so limited. I would never have thought to put all of those colors and objects together, and it looks gorgeous and alive.

love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it!

(and if you see a blonde trying to peer through your fence in the near future; don't worry, i'm harmless. can you stalk a house?! cuz i'm totally wanna stalk your house.)

i absolutely adore your home - it looks so 'happy'. usually when i see this much colour used in one home the effect comes off looking too busy and...kind of...not very nice. you've done a great job!

Hi Maria,

May I ask what type of treatment you asked the printer for to get the Steinman photos to look like that? (Red, green, blue..) or did you buy coloured paper and put over it?

Hey AT Pals! i am so psyched to get your comments, it does an unemployed writer good. You will be interested perhaps to find out that I just painted the bathroom BLACK. High gloss with white trim -- i hope to have it posted as an update very soon. And i agree the bedrooms are a big unanchored...the rooms are so small that i get freaked out about painting them. Not to mention I suck at it. Re: the steinem poster. The colors were done on adobe photoshop then printed out on a huge professional printer at the tv show where i worked. I think kinko's has those big printers, you have to have the image properly prepped which unfortunately i can't tell you how to do. And as for I MUST NOT TALK...maybe i could stencil that on the walls! good idea. finally, if you live in the hood, just ring the bell and introduce yourself! thanks friends, maria