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LA House Tour: Abby's Cozy Boho Pad

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Name: Abby
Location: Los Angeles
Size: around 900 square feet, 1 bedroom
Years Lived in: 10+years, rent

2-23-housetourlogo.jpgMy home has always been a lab for experimenting with ideas, sometimes successful, sometimes not so much. I'm all about change but one thing that always stays constant with me is cozy and welcoming. I love having people over. I remember someone saying once that "if you haven't spilled anything, you're not having enough fun." When people come over for brunch and stay for dinner, I know that my apartment's working...

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AT Survey:

My style: boho regency

Inspiration: travels esp. to France and Morocco, AT, other people's homes, magazines, clothing, my parent's apartment in New York.

Favorite room: the living room, when it's filled with people, which is why I redid it.

Most talked about element: the chandelier in the dining area

Most Embarrassing Element: that now, since it's almost finished, i want to start over again and redo it, super 70s, minimalist, white walls, white couches, like Derek Sanders apartment or Alison Sarofim's house. What can I say? I like drama and I'm crazy for change.

Element that makes your knees weak: The architectural elements and the crazy tile in the bathroom.

Proudest DIY: That i actually picked paint colors that worked!

Dream source or item: a French winemaker's table that tilts, an egg chair in white leather, a Victorian faux Bamboo chest of drawers from my parent's apartment; Chinese screens from my great-aunt's apartment in Paris, a new coffee table from Allie Waldman...Need I go on?

Reality source: Craig's List, Ikea, Crate and Barrel, the streets of Los Angeles (yup, I'm a junker), friends, the Rosebowl. And a great posse -- upholster, framer, handyman.

Best advice: Take the AT quiz to orient you in the right direction. From my dad: Mix prints, colors, and eras. Go crazy but before you do, have a plan. Trust the process. Go with your gut.

Had forever: The Thonet chairs are from my Uncle's studio in NY. They were also in my first apartment (miss you!) on Union Square; the base of the table in the front was in my room as a kid. I'll probably change out the top again soon.

Just got: The silver Chinese stool from West Elm. I found a white one, at Wisteria, which I'm considering for the living room.

Any additional plans: Next up, the closets. And the hallway, I still haven't finished the hallway. I can't decide whether to paint it teal or paint it white and go for those Blik decals of flying seagulls. I'm tipping towards the later though I'm always open for inspiration.

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RESOURCES:

Appliances: The refrigerator, a Fridgidaire, came from a friend who was moving. The stove, an old O'Keefe and Merritt, was bought for a $1 off the previous tenant (who knew apartments in LA don't come with refrigerators and stoves?)

Hardware: Kitchen pulls from Koontz; bedroom dresser from Top Drawer

Furniture: Crate and Barrel (bed and sofas), the Rosebowl Fleamarket, The Longbeach Fleamarket, Craig's List, Hand Me Downs from my family

Accessories: Collected over the years from sources as varied as flea markets, friends, Ross, etc. I don't discriminate. High or low, all are welcome.

Lighting: Blueprint, Home Expo, Alex on Craig's List

Rugs and Carpet: The living room rug's from Overstock; The zebra rug in the bedroom's off Craig's List.

Window Treatments: Ceasar, my upholsterer; sheers from Country Curtains

Artwork: friends, family and magazine tear sheets

Paint: Traditional Yellow in the living room. Silver Half Dollar in the bedroom; both Ecospec paints by Benjamin Moore

Flooring: my former neighbor, Dave, refinished my floors in dark walnut.

(Thanks!)

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Comments (21)

What a beautiful apt! Thank you so much for sharing.

And thanks so much for listing your bedroom paint color. I want that exact color but when I tested it it seemed too light. Now I can see it will totally work. Love it.

Thanks!!

posted by azure on May 16th 2008 at 10:31am
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Can I ask what pain color was used in the bedroom? I'm trying to find something for mine that's basically grey, but with a slight blue/purple undertone. Something that's obviously grey, not light blue or violet, but... not dingy. Love to hear any suggestions.

posted by ktmnck on May 16th 2008 at 10:32am
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My bedroom color is almost identical to this--just painted it two weeks ago and I LOVE it--Thunder by Benjamin Moore, one of their new Affinity/Aura colors.

posted by jennifer p. on May 16th 2008 at 11:09am
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What is the brand of your living room rug? I love it and I want it! :)

posted by absny on May 16th 2008 at 12:32pm
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We have this bed! I love it.

posted by Tiffany on May 16th 2008 at 12:42pm
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It feels like the quintessential Hollywood starlet apartment. I half expect to see the young Rita Haywood lolling on the sofa.

posted by Lisa (Montreal) on May 16th 2008 at 5:03pm
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What a fantastic apartment!

posted by Kerith on May 16th 2008 at 6:50pm
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Stupendous. Love your place...Love it SO MUCH! Wow. Saw the before and love he transitions and the after.
Love the black chest of drawers in the bedroom, where can I get one?

posted by otismgrotis on May 16th 2008 at 8:53pm
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Love it all! This is really stylish but livable.

posted by gummicandy on May 17th 2008 at 7:33am
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What a beautiful and elegant home. So nice to see femininity shine! I can't believe you want to redo it!

posted by Rafi on May 17th 2008 at 9:42am
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I am so into your place, it's beautiful! I love the bedroom, it's so calming!

posted by crash on May 17th 2008 at 9:03pm
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Your bedroom is what I imagine heaven looks like.

posted by stoat on May 18th 2008 at 3:11pm
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I love your place, it's gorgeous. Can you PLEASE tell me where you got that awesome pink pillow?? I've been looking forever for something similar.

posted by ohdear on May 20th 2008 at 1:32am
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ohdear,

Thanks! The pillow's actually double-sided: pink silk/pink suede. the pink silk was bought at Home Fabrics in downtown LA as were the pillow forms; the pink suede for the pillows was bought as a skin at Carmel Fabric, just around the corner from Home Fabrics. Then I had my upholsterer construct them: they're plain with piping and a pink zipper tucked under one pink silk edge so i can remove take them apart for cleaning.

Cheers,
Abby

posted by abby on May 21st 2008 at 12:56pm
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Abby,

I love the color of your bedroom. In fact I bought a sample and tested it a home. It looks great and decided to paint the guest bedroom and guest bathroom with this color. Can you please let me know what trim and ceiling color you used.

Thanks in advance,
Andriana

posted by andriana on June 9th 2008 at 5:44pm
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i want that bedroom so bad...

posted by kdkaboom on August 5th 2008 at 11:35am
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gorgeous place and I love the paint colors! it was agony picking mine and now that I see yours (I also have a yellow and a gray) I'm rethinking mine!

posted by modernlogcabin on August 6th 2008 at 8:14am
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I love the place, can u tell me where your dresser came from? I'm in search of the perfect 6/9 drawer dresser that does not cost 1000!

posted by dwang on August 8th 2008 at 2:54pm
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adrianna,

the white was just a basic high gloss white.

dwang,

i found the dresser on craig's list -- it was white and then my friend painted it black -- i was going to do it shiny but she convinced me that dull would work better. then i swapped out the handles for ones i found at Top Drawer Hardware on 4th street in sm.

posted by abby on August 15th 2008 at 10:40am
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Absolutely wonderful - wish I could find the chandelier near me, too.

posted by Bikegirl71 on September 7th 2009 at 4:22pm
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bikegirl71,

i got the chandelier on line!
www.greatchandeliers.com
here's the post with the link
CLICK HERE

posted by abby on September 11th 2009 at 1:41pm
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