Name: Pietsie Campbell, Stephen Hootstein, and Charlie
Location: Echo Park - Los Angeles, California
Size: 800 square feet
Years lived in: 4 years
Pietsie and her husband had sold their house and were on the hunt for another great place. After having no luck finding a place that really inspired them, Pietsie found a gem in Echo Park. The house was only 800 square feet, but the landlord was none other than the modern architect, Barbara Bestor.
How could Pietsie pass up the opportunity to live in a Barbara Bestor rental? She signed the lease while her husband was at work and even though her husband didn't like that she moved so quickly, after a short period of time in the house he was convinced that their home was very special.
From the street the home is hidden behind greenery; therefore, it is very private. It really feels like you are in your own retreat. Did I also mention they have two hammocks? I am in love! Pietsie and Stephen know that as their little girl gets older they are going to have to move into a home with more space, but they are having a hard time letting go of their perfect little rental.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Simple, rustic, small, and efficient.
Inspiration: Clean, spare spaces (even though it's not quite that!), Scottish or Norwegian cottage.
Favorite Element: The wood paneling painted white.
Biggest Challenge: Keeping the clutter to a minimum.
What Friends Say: "It's a Maine cabin in the city!'
Biggest Embarrassment: The mismatched lightbulbs - because they're exposed (which I love), they should really be consistent, but of course they're not.
Proudest DIY: Putting together mail order items with complicated directions.
Biggest Indulgence: Air conditioning and sprinklers for the garden!
Best Advice: If it's not used or loved for a year get rid of it! Find a good upholsterer and he/she will be able to make pillows and cushions out of old fabrics that you find at the flea market and recover old chairs with great old blankets you can find on places like etsy.com or ebay.com
Dream Source: Nickey Kehoe. My friend Caitlin just came back from Morocco and shipped back a load of gorgeous rugs and textiles - pretty much the best place in the world for that sort of thing!
Resources of Note:
APPLIANCES
- Okeefe and Merritt stove: ebay.com
FURNITURE
- Kitchen table, bench, bed: T. Johnson Design
- Nickey Kehoe
- Poofs: Lawson-Fenning
ACCESSORIES
BEDS
- Matteo Linens: I go to the outlet in downtown L.A. - everything is 60% off
LIGHTING
- Jielde Lamps: Mohawk General Store
- Homemade Bottle Lamps using Make-a-lamp kit: Amazon.com
RUGS & CARPETS
- Pasadena City College Flea Market
- Tavin in Echo Park
- Sueno Studio Interior Design
ARTWORK
- Caitlin Wylde
- Caleb Speller
- Karin Apollonia Mueller
- Marcy Freedman
OTHER
- Brazilian Fabric Hammocks with fringe: Hammocks.com
- Baskets: Dosa
- Kevin Carney at Mohawkgeneralstore.net for vintage stereo equipment
Thanks Pietsie, Stephen, & Charlie!
Images: Juan Enriquez
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Love! I don't know if it's all of the white or the layout or what, but you've made your 800 sq. ft. look huge. So awesome.
Wow! None other than Barbara Bestor! Who?
Beautiful house. Yeah, I had no idea who Barbara Bestor was, either. I guess I'm a philistine.
A real gem.
This is probably my favorite house tour ever. I pinned about half of the photos. Basically, I want to live there. :)
That is one super-cute baby. I'd like to decorate my home with one of those.
what a sweet, sweet house!
Love this house! Just beautiful!
LOVE the couch! Where is it from?
very pretty home. the hamper in the bathroom - anyone know where that's from? Thanks!
This looks so comfortable and homey. Fantastic.
Pretty cute rental! I own a home, but there are days I miss some of my super cute rentals I had. Such character and history and then to make them you're own...anyway, your home just oozes warmth.
it's so charming and earthy. the textiles are gorgeous.
HEY AT, Please create a round-up of table lamps in the kitchen! I'm in love with the one in this tour and I have one of my own in the kitchen. It adds a nice coziness to an otherwise sterile part of the home.
I also want to know where the couch came from -- I love it!
Love! So cozy and comfortable-looking.
This house tour is amazing! I love, love, love this space. And I need some Nickey Kehoe furniture like right now.
I love that they have a stove-top espresso maker---would be interested to know where they found that particular one with the milk steamer--- and I love those old ranges. I've had a couple of those in rentals I've lived in in the past.
Beautiful... very inviting and warm. Love the aesthetic.
I love the pillows, the Afrique one especially, and that white and yellow chair. The nickey kehoe stuff is great.
this is an incredible home, and i'm dying over Juan's photos. so beautiful, esp that first image of the family.
The same can be said about you Bethany! Your house tours are inspirational!
Beautiful home :)
PLEASE quit showing house tours that are mostly close-ups of stuff!
I want to see the ROOMS as a whole....not a close-up of carrots!
Wonderful tour! Why move? -- 800 square feet is plenty for a family of 3. I lived in a little bungalow (900 sq feet) which had originally been the home to a family of 4 and a maiden aunt. If you love it, put down roots and stay until the landlord kicks you out the door.
Love It!
It must feel like such an honor but also a heavy sense of duty to live in a house owned by Barbara Bestor. I will say you keep the house in a way that must make her proud to have you as her tenant.
Looks so comfy and inviting! I couldn't get a feel for the layout though, so perhaps there soon have been a few wider shots.
This is the 1st house I could move into, stuff included of course, ever. Love it.
Love the house, but that Charlie is a serious cutie-pie!!
i love that the entire interior was painted the same warm white color. do you know the name of the color? lovely and warm.
So in love with your place. The open space is sweet!!!
hi everyone -
thanks for all your nice comments!
-the couch is from b&b italia
-not sure what color the white paint is - barbara will know
- we ordered the 'la sorrentina' espresso maker thru ikon exports out of australia
- the hamper in the bathroom came from 'potted' in atwater village
Off-subject here, but I love her shoes in the family pic! Anyone recognize the brand or where someone might be able to get some like them?
They've done well to create such a comfortable sense of space despite the very low ceilings. Utterly charming.
What more does one need? PERFECT. ❀
@beckys32 - the shoes are Beatrice Valenzuela (http://www.beatricevalenzuela.com/). Yes, they are great shoes!! I need to pick myself up a pair as well.
Yes, the home is beautiful, but that baby? Total show stopper!
umm...can i please live there!?! AMAZING!
your house is beautiful! you really did an excellent job decorating and making it look much larger than 800 sq. feet! Well done!
Where did you find the wooden hangers for the large maps? I have a huge old map of Africa that I want to hang - it would be way too expensive to frame and those dowels look like a great solution. I also love the baskets. Actually, I love everything.
Love your place! I have been looking for yellow outdoor pillows for benches similar to the ones in your backyard. Where did you get them?
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
This house is dripping with style! It's so awesome and, unlike some other houses with equally cool stuff, doesn't feel contrived or annoying. I definitely want all the rugs, and those awesome poufs!
(Random object spotting: I have that exact wooden bathtub tray - $8 from Ikea. Love it!)
really really cozy and beautiful. love the Maine vibe.
Best house tour ever!
I love everything from the stove to the hammocks! Beautiful family and that baby omgosh what a cutie! I also would love to see a more wide angled pictures of the house.
Very personnal house, integrated to your needs. Whatever... baby and family or what is the best in this tour.
Gorgeous house and family, and just beautifully decorated. Thank you for sharing! Truly beautiful - all of it.
-maria
It's a pleasant looking house, but with all the woodwork, looks kind of similar to a cabin. And who is Barbara Bestor? The kitchen looks pretty old-fashioned to me (I like it; it just doesn't look like many of the state-of-the-art kitchens shown here at AT, and it suggests that this Bestor person is no longer working)
hey - can someone tell me what those beautiful white/brown rugs are? The style or where they are from? thank you!!!
Those are some great shoes Mama's wearing in the hammock :)
I Really liked this house tour, i felt like it was edgy and comfortable at the same time, i kind of wished the bedroom was moodier and darker!
I love, love, LOVE the white striped chair in the living room. It looks like a one of a kind? Was it something you had reupholstered? If so, where did you find the fabric?
Beautiful home...I really like how you added simple woven covers onto the couch instead of slipcovers...I also have an off-whilte canvas unholstered sofa, (inherited from parents and I loved the mid century lines, so I unholstered in some unbleached canvas). But then I ended up getting some white slipcovers so I can keep the upholstery clean...seems silly, because now I can't enjoy the nice lines of the sofa. So I think I will try to do what you guys did, it looks cozy, protects the fabric and you can still see the sofa.
BTW, can you please tell me where you got your TV cabinet...love it, and it holds stereo stuff too.
Gorgeous home! Let me know when you're ready to move, I'm ready to move in.
If anyone wants to buy or to just learn more I saw a Barbara Bestor is for for sale now in Silver Lake Los Angeles California:
http://www.homeasart.com/property/2709/2300-Baxter-Street.html
If you read the Barbara Bestor book called Bohemian Modern you will see most of the homes in it are in Silver Lake Los Angeles.
that baby is super cute
this is my new favorite. love the bedroom, everything really, such a nice vibe to it.
Love the Hudson's Bay blanket chair. Charming home!
Where are those "southwest" poufs from?
Love all the beautiful fabrics and textiles.
Komfy><Kozy. I love this cottage. I want to sit in the Hudson's Bay Blanket chair and listen to some good music while sunlight streams through the windows. A Happy Home! (cute as a button baby, too).
Very comfortable house.
Anyone know the source of those little kids chairs (red, outdoors)?
This is a lovely home.
FYI: My husband and I have lived in our 800 sq ft apartment for 15 years. Two bedrooms, ONE bathroom, two adults, a 12 year old boy and 8 year old girl. We have friends and relatives visit frequently, usually sleep on an air mattress in our living room. Other than the rare line for the bathroom, we love it. I'd stay put if I were you! That house is a dream.
Lovely home - where does the throw pillow in your baby's room come from - its cream with embroidered people on it - including someone standing in a rain shower?
@Canadiancapital townhouse, you're absolutely right!! Why move when your baby gets bigger?? When you have 3 kids.... maybe then???
Nice to see a Hudson's Bay blanket!
Somebody else commented on this but where did you get the covers for the sofas? I have three kids and am going out of my mind trying to find something that looks nice...even after 500 trips to the washing machine.
I looked into slipvcovers but spending $600 on a $1000 sofa doesn't seem like a good idea to me. Many throws out there are acrylic and will look hideous in no time at all. $200 on a wool throw doesn't sound all that appealing either....I just can't see it standing up to the incredible wear and tear my girls will inflict upon it.
What you have looks perfect so please share!
Love the speakers on the wall and the two smaller tables combined as one out on the patio. The resulting offset umbrella is quite chic!
Love this..one of my favorites. Is there another source for those dhurrie/woven poufs? I can't find them on the Lawson Fenning site.