Great job! Really lovely place. I work right down the street from here and the neighborhood is fantastic too. Congrats!

Very sweet, cozy apartment - small is great!

My favorite element is the bathroom floor! I know some people here find chevrons too trendy, but that look is sparkling now and it will be even more delightful once everyone else steps off the chevron bandwagon. I also admire Matt's restraint in placement of art. A lot of people would clutter the walls, but his use of empty space really lets the goldfishy image shine. Good job.

i love it! ( curious if the measurements are right - i live in a 620 square foot cabin and this place looks bigger ) But no matter - REALLY well done!

nice!

Great outdoor space, and an adorable little bathroom!

Thanks everyone.
Bee for brian, I love a chevron supporter! The floor was a linoleum, I painted it and sealed it with concrete sealer. If chevron ever gets old, it will be easy to change.

Really beautiful place! That's a lovely shade of blue.

Very spacious and airy looking for 400 square feet. Well done!

Lovely place, bathroom floor is great. Am focused on floors as I need to replace my kitchen floor, chevrons maybe the way to go !

Also, loved the comment about finding a place for things you like. Am struggling to find places for some stuff and realized I don't really love it. Maybe it's time for Freecycle.

oh LOVE! each little space is gorgeous and filled with just the right pieces. that bedroom window and the outdoor space make 400' seem like a beautiful palace. and the bathroom shower shelving is absolutely luxurious.

Sweet subway tile bathroom. What a lovely place!

I live in a rented tree house too, about 420 sq ft - my view is Highland Park. You've done a beautiful job - what a great space to come home to!

Wow, great job! I love the windows in the bedroom and room looks so comfy and relaxing. Does the 400 sq ft include the patio? I didn't see a dining area so I'm assuming the dining takes place on the patio? The only thing I pine for in this otherwise awesome home are book shelves, it's like I get hives if I don't see books.

Lovely. Love the outdoor dining area. You can do that in LA!

So many great ideas to steal....

Are the bedroom dressers new? If so, I'd like to find out where you purchased them. I want to double up dressers that way to maximize storage.

How are the painted floors holding up?

Matt! This is my dream house! We are simply, perfectly alike in our tastes! I'm bookmarking this page so I can come back and borrow some particulars (the things I have not YET done that are already completed in your space). Your vision has been in my head, and I have been working toward it, and it will soon be a reality ! Enjoy your space!

:D xo

Zenezie, The 400 square feet does not include the patio. That is my only dining space.
KelleyK, the dressers were bought painted. I refinished them and changed out the hardware. The painted floors are holding up well so far, fingers crossed.

Congrats Matt!!! I really appreciate the way things work out together. I like those little subtle choices of decor, details and colors.The bathroom floor is really bringing in there the overall taste of your home. Another chevron supporter!

we are in the same situation with a awful rental that we got cheap rent in exchage for making our own improvements... such an amazing feeling knowing that in the end, we will be saving money, learning a bit about DIY in the home, AND we will have a nicer place that we can call "ours" (for the time being at least, and hopefully the next 3-4 years).

your place is AMAZING!! and kudos to you for pulling off such great style and warmth in a small place. i feel chiche saying i love the chevron floors, but.. they. are. AWESOME!

I LOVE the deck dining space - it's like seating at a great outdoor cafe. And I'm so jealous of the subway tiled bathroom. I wish I had the guts to suggest that to my landlord.

I can't be too sure - but I think I actually subletted this place for about 3 months when I first moved back from NYC in 2002? If it's on Westerly then bingo, it's got to be the one. That said, I LOVED the space and dreamt of renting it myself. Somewhere, I still have several sketches I did from that balcony with downtown/palm tree views. AMAZING job Matt, and congrats on all the improvements, with a friendly open minded owner as well!!

Wow! Your place looks fresh and uncluttered. I'll kill for some of your tasteful tchotchkes! You spilt the bathroom reno cost with the landlords? Very kind of you - they're lucky to have you as a tenant. I love the darker grout you used between the white subway tiles.

My studio is a little under 400 square feet so this really resonates with me. I love the soothing blue-and-white look.

this is an excellent home...wonderfully photographed. so many good ideas to steal :)

The landlords should be kissing your feet to have you as a renter (I say that because I like your shoes lol). Love your space, your obviously intelligent dog and your design sense.

@ Bethany, I find the tours you photograph are among my faves.

What a DREAM :) feels so spacious!!!

Love it! So well done. Chevron fan here too!

Can I ask where you got the window hardware? I need a curtain rod like that to run straight into the wall. I have a triple set of windows in a small bedroom where the right window runs right into the perpendicular wall.

Breath-takingly beautiful. Don't be embarassed about your ceiling fan- if it prevents you from turning on your AC some days then it's a "green home accessory".

AllyG... I got the curtain rods from Ikea and took off the end pieces to put them right against the walls.

I love the whole space, esp the kitchen curtains and open shelving and cute little stove. An orange Smeg fridge would look great in there. I also love the out door space and the way you have used it. Just curious, where does the red door go?

Matt, I love the chair and tufted ottoman in the living room. Where did that come from?

Adorable place, lots of character and tastefully decorated. I love smaller spaces. I feel like I'm in a hotel in anything over 800 square feet. I'd love to size down from my current dwelling, but we have an elderly mum living with us. I also love your pup. What a handsome rogue he is.

Love. Great job.

Love it! Especially like the green bedside lamp, and the outdoor area (I'd happily give up some of my space for a patio like that...at least I think I would...). Also, what's that crazy green alien plant thing? I want one!

Your home is one of my favorites! I absolutely love the updates that you did in the kitchen and bathroom. They fit it very well with the age of the home and look like they were there originally. (I mean that in a very good way!!!) Thanks for the inspiration! Enjoy your lovely space!

You know what? Wonderful house and oh yes what a view, but I really didnt expect the blue to work as well as it has, given that the place is small. Which is really learning for me-- I've stayed with sky white in my humble abode.
Looks like more than 400 sq ft to me, or you're a terrific photographer.

WOW- this is what I call I home! I love the way you made your kitchen work for you, the open shelving looks good. Same to your bed, seems to be a great place to relax and cuddle up. (Where is the bedding from?)
Your home is a good example that 400 sq can be shoebox or a propper home depending on how you deal with things- thanks for sharing!

Awesome work, it looks so much bigger than 400 sq ft.

I especially love the (sunken?) sitting area off of your bed. I can imagine spending many happy hours curled-up there with a good book and nice cup of coffee. I imagine you feel very content in your house. It just looks like a great place to be.

I love this space! It looks so perfectly inviting. In fact, Matt, you need a housesitter, right? If so, I'm available for a weekend or two. :)

Really sweet. Great job.

what a lovely lovely space! i am in lust with the sideboard in the lounge.

Nice home! I love the windows and outdoor space the most....sigh...I need to move to CA!

Whoa!! I cannot believe this is a 400sqft place!! Amazing!!!

Great job Matt! I love that it's such a smll space but you don't get that feeling at all. There is no clutter. Your bedroom is amazing.

This is a really nice place, and I can't believe it's only 400 sq. ft.
I love the bathroom floor!

where is your duvet cover from, love the colors.

Favorite part is the window trunk followed closely by the socks...

wow, really beautiful and a great use of space!

This is a lovely home!

But I too have a really hard time accepting that it's 400 square feet. I live in 390 now, it's a studio, and it's basically laid out like the bedroom in this house tour - bed on one side, sitting area on the other. I see no way on god's green earth it could be divided to produce two workable rooms, unless the kitchen and bath disappeared. My kitchen and bath seem about the same size as shown here so it really just does not compute.

but really lovely all the same.

My favorite is the outdoor space with the views...beautiful! I would be out there all the time with my meals, to read or just gaze at the view. The home, with the small size, looks much larger and is very nicely done with restraint. I love the sunken area in the bedroom, and the place, overall, has nice character and is well done. Very lucky to live in such a pretty neighborhood!

Charming. I like that it's not too busy. I love the chevron floor and as Matt says, it's easy to redo it if he tires of it. What a nice place to come home to at the end of the day! I'd love to have dinner on the patio.

Nice job Matt - looks and feels great. I have just bought a huge(!) 550sf 1940's house in Echo Park that hasn't been lived in for over 20 years - wanna come over and "design" it?!

Thanks to everyone for such nice comments. A few people asked about my bedding. I got the duvet from Home Goods. It was a nice find for about $30, if you can believe it!

As for questioning the size of the place.... I had to second guess my measurements and re-measure. Just checked again, and yes, still 400sq ft!

Great job, great taste, very inviting place. Congratulations !!!

Just lovely. But a few notes:
1) Gimme the dog.
2) Hand over the dog.
3) I want the dog.

Relaxing and lovely.

Really loved the feel of your home. The whole space just looks and feels real. For some reason the corner stove struck a cord with me - very charming. Love the bed too. I have the same one!!

Hi Matt-
Could you tell me where you got the ceramic horse as well as the glass antelope head on your bedside table, please?

Love it, cozy & comfortable. A question, where does the red door open to?

The ceramic horse heads came from a garage sale, and the antelope head came from the rosebowl flea market. Sorry neither of those help you find them.
And the red door opens to the sunken area of my bedroom. Its nice in the summer to leave it open at night and let the breeze in.

Matt, you did a very nice job on your place! I live in a small place myself and am always thinking about creative ways to open it up and utilize the space, so I can appreciate what you've done!

Question: Where did you get your black chair and ottoman in picture #18? I absolutely love it! If it was a Craigslist find, would you please let me know if there is a name or model number on the furniture anywhere????

Matt I have the same patio glider in yellow :)
My house is 440 sf. I appreciate AT featuring a house with low ceilings. I am tired of blogs always telling us smallspaces to "go vertical" and featuring these gorgeous loft spaces with custom built bedroom nooks. While awesome, it is also impossible if your ceiling is low to average height. You do a great job keeping your feet on the ground. Also the large windows make a huge difference in opening up the looks of a small space.

I want to plop down in that big white chair with the ottoman. The dog can come snuggle up if he wants.

Fabulous!!

Oh wow, Matt, I love this! You've done such a fantastic job!

Really nice! I love your kitchen curtains and both of your beautiful chairs w/throws. Comfy!

I couldn't wrap me head around how this space could only be 400 sq ft for the longest time. It's so well thought out. My LA apt is 425 sq ft and looks way smaller than this. Then I realized, I have 3 closets, a 70" long bookcase, a desk and a dining/bar table that sits 4 (which I didn't exactly see in this space). Plus, I don't have an outdoor space. I like the way this place is designed more than my own. Very inspiring. Thanks for posting this.

It looks great! I love the style!! I also appears so much bigger than 400 sq ft!

Really amazing job in a limiting space! A lot of thought went into this place and as a result it looks like so much more then a rental.

A few ideas:
Can you paint the kitchen walls (and ceiling to a non-gloss paint) a different color & request or DIY the white shelving into natural-grain wood shelves? It would warm the kitchen up so much. If they allow you to switch the lighting fixture it would really modernize the space to match the rest of your place

Would they allow you to also paint the bathroom & replace the small white mirror with a statement mirror (perhaps wood or ebony framed larger mirror) it would add so much personality to a all-white space.

Wonderful job!!

Annejsf, The kitchen walls are done in a mat paint, so its as non gloss as you can get. I did paint the ceiling in a semi gloss for clean up purposes. The ceiling is so low, so it discolors over the stove. The wood grain shelves would be good, I happen to like how the shelves match the upper cabinets though.
And the bathroom is a light grey, with the floors so loud I feel like a color would make it a carnival. I TOTALLY agree with you about the mirror. I was torn about it when getting the bathroom redone. I decided that I needed the storage of the medicine cabinet, and it stayed.

AMAZING!! Your stuff is beautiful, your style is impeccable, and what you've done in such a small space is absolutely inspiring. That word gets overused, but it has been a long time since I've felt as inspired as I did while looking at your home.

You have an amazing eye. Also, I like your shoes and your dog is really cute. That shot of you in the hammock is excellent also; we get a peep at the person who has superpowers in decorating, as well as superpowers for hovering lightly above a picturesque backdrop in a stylish hammock.

Style superhero!!

I love the house tours but wish so much that the photos had captions. I know people ask about certain design elements, furniture, paint colors, etc., in comments, but when you come late to a tour, you know your question's never going to be answered. Captions would be nice, though I understand that you can't insist on them.

Gorgeous place! Even room for your pup :)

I like how you use long horizontal lines in your furniture and cabinets to carry the eye from room to room. So much great natural light from your large windows. I am curious about the painting in your living room...can you share the artist?

Matt you have worked wonders in such a tiny space. I love what you've done. You have style and abundant creativity. Kudos! Enjoy it.

Lovely...you've really made a potentially awkward bathroom space work really well.

I love everything about this space!

Lovely restraint.
@AnneJSF - Flat IS flatter than matte, right?
@SpikeLe - "Crazy green alien plant thing" looks like an Air Plant to me.

Wonderful job Matt! Stylish, cozy and uncluttered. It looks like it was done by a designer but still feels "real" and comfy (unlike some designer spaces which look way too perfect and overdone). I also like the way you mixed old and new items, not too overdone in either direction.

I'm saving this one for future inspiration.

Can you tell me where you got these items:
the white/chair ottoman in the living room
the bedside tables
the green lamps on the bedside tables
the drexel credenza the TV is on
the dressers in the bedroom (it looks like two identical dressers pushed together?)

Thanks for sharing your house with us!

What a great place! That's a really great shade of blue in the living space. I didn't see a dog bed (I have a small space and the dog bed is the biggest challenge) Does doggy sleep on Daddy's bed?

Alopex: The white chair came from a store on La Brea. Im not sure of the name. The green lamps came from HomeGoods. I think HomeGoods has a great inexpensive lamp collection. The bedside tables and credenza came from a vintage store on Santa Monica in Hollywood. And the dressers a craigslist buy that I refinished. Sorry that answer doesnt help you too much.

Mister B: The dog bed is to the left of the bedside table. I would love to have a dog bed in the living room, but there is no place for it. Sometimes I drag it out to the living room so we can lounge together.

Delightful, stylish, inviting. What makes this small space live large is the flood of natural light from the spacious windows and the outdoor space with its expansive views.

I'd gladly settle for stingy square footage as long as the light and views were generous; they are priceless luxuries in a home.

Matt- I love your space, and your bravery to bring rich colors into a small area. It blends so well. However, you do not have low ceilings. You have no idea what low ceilings are. Be thankful for your breezy 400 sq ft.

Love the space, but I'll admit that my favorite part are your shoes!

Now if only I could get my place to look this amazing. Too bad my evil corporate landlords will barely let me put in curtain rods much less paint the walls and renovate the bathroom.

With views like yours and landlords like that, I would consider living in a pint sized place myself. Lovely lovely Cali. Nice sink in the bath and I also say that since the open shelves in the kitchen are so chunky and have weight, they can hold their own in there. Nice handywork and maybe the landlord will let you change out the ceiling fan...

I’ve been back to look at this a couple times, and I could settle in quite nicely. I just can’t figure out where the red door on your balcony opens to. Is it the bedroom or do you have an entry way that isn’t shown. This is driving me crazy.

400 square feet? It's beautiful! Lovely lovely. Silver Lake is such a great area too. The wall color is amaze... Thanks for sharing.

This truly is lovely but I must admit that the bathroom creeps me out a bit. I don't like the light switch exposed nor underneath the sink. The subway title could be really pretty but this reminds me of an bathroom in a horror movie-insane asylum-but hey I'm a horror buff.
Other than that, it truly is beautiful. Wonderful job.

Wow Matt! You did a super job! It looks so much bigger than it is! The little balcony setting is great and I bet it is super in the evening!!!!

Where did you get the dining table on the patio? I absolutely love it. Thinking I might be able to fashion it out of 2 papasan foot stool bases and a glass top. Any hints would be appreciated.

I love everything about it!

wonderful place. well done, matt.

Have to agree with lyonstill--I love everything about the place except for the bathroom and oddly enough got an eerie feeling while looking at its pictures. The tiles remind me of a butcher's kitchen and the overwhelming whiteness reminds me of an insane asylum. Also, I can't help but think about what a pain it is to clean the mold off the grout. Aside from the bathroom, I think your place is gorgeous!