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.
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AT Survey:
Our style: Modern Eclectic
Inspiration: Need light to read, “less is more”
Favorite room: Kitchen
Most talked about element: Lighting, A-S Art Hanging System, Ikea Pull-out Pantry
Most embarrassing element: Dishwasher is portable, has to be wheeled in to place, and the top is faux wood grain. Ick.
Element that makes your knees weak: 21+ cubic feet of additional kitchen storage!
Proudest DIY moment: Susan's art!
Dream source or item: the A-S Art Hanging System
Reality source: Ikea
Best advice: The project will invariably go south for some time for some reason, learn to live with boxes in the living room
Had forever: the oven in a box
Just got: Pull-out pantry
Resources: friends, Ikea, Home Depot, EXPO – lighting designer, Ransom Go
Appliances: Maytag
Furniture: West LA Contemporary
Accessories: Pottery Barn, gifts, Cost Plus, Crate and Barrel, West Elm
Lighting: Expo
Paint: Home depot
Flooring: Kronos
Tiles and Stone: Home Depot
Window Treatments: plastic louvers – via Home Depot
Bed: Japanese custom made tatami mat bed, base is several 2ft x 3 ft sections
Artwork: Rodin, Romero, Brice, Burkholtz, and Susan
(Thanks Susan and Michael!)
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I can't tell if I think this is a great place or not, because the photos are almost exclusively vignettes. It's frustrating to suspect that a space has real character but be unable to get a sense of what it's like to be in the space because the photos are all vignettes.
view banister's profile
i love the bear footstool!
view ponyinarope's profile
The lounge room with the couch and paintings is all wrong. If you appreciate art work enough to buy it and if your guests like it as well, why make it so when you sit on the couch, your back is to the artwork???
Ideally you should be able to see and appreciate the artwork from the couch.
Mafan Green lasers rulz
view mafan's profile
I agree with banister. The photos of the mom's outsider art are charming and all, but I want to see the house!
I appreciate that the art hanging system allows them to switch out pieces easily, but I hate the way every painting is tilted off the wall at a different angle. I imagine the frames clattering against the wall when the air conditioning kicks on. It's distracting, it just looks unstable.
view MEP's profile
i see alot of beautiful stuff not so artful arranged or photographed (close ups and odd angles). the art wall in particular is a great idea (hanging system) poorly done (odd groupings, unnecessary clusters and variation in hanging height). yeah, i get that the lower images are hung to be viewed while sitting on the couch, but it seems haphazard.
view healthyhome's profile
I'm looking for a bedroom credenza similar to yours. I've seen some at EQ3 and Stacks and Stacks but not exactly the same. Where did you buy yours?
view edsh's profile
hi all, its Susan, one of the "owners", sorry i'm not used to this so i failed to comment/reply quickly, here goes,
1. the bear footstool was purchased somewhere on Green Street in San Francisco about 8 yrs ago - his name is (phonetically) "Dingonziche", means "the thing itself" in german
2.the paintings are BEHIND the couch as i cant stand a lot of visual clutter in my view and i always sit on the couch. we dont have visitors that often, so we please ourselves:-)
3. the house/apt is rather small, sorry about the vignettes vs full view
4.the hanging thing is a challenge/work in progress, i wanted them close together "massed" and it is not perfect yet, they dont clatter with the fan on, but i can just imagine how they will...move in the next quake:-)
5 bedroom credenza, Plummers on Venice in LA
THANKS FOR COMMENTS
view scprice's profile
Susan, where did you find the shelving unit in your bedroom? It's fantastic!
view lnshanklin's profile