Name: Rachel Craven & Jonathan Craven
Location: Angelino Heights - Los Angeles, California
Size: 1700 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year
Rachel invited me over to her beautiful home in Angelino Heights. I was so excited because Angelino Heights is the second oldest district in Los Angeles; therefore, there are so many stunning old homes with a lot character. Another treat was the Echo Park Craft Fair that was being held at her home later in the day.
There was so much excitement at Rachel's home as she helped me clean up the last few items while preparing for the 20+ exhibitors that were going to showcase their individual handmade products from jewelry to shoes. In the meantime, her son just got back from the museum and was enjoying taking in all the fun the ladies were having in the backyard. It was very sweet to see how concerned Rachel was that everything was perfect from the music mixtape to the refreshments.
It was obvious that there is a lot of love in the home. Rachel makes all her own linens and curtains, so there is a special quality to her furnishings. She expressed that she had a very little budget when it came time to decorate her home. She had to be creative and often bartered with other creatives for artwork and other home decor. I fell in love with her warm and cozy home and didn't want to leave at the end of the day.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Bicoastal beatnik cozy
Inspiration: Maija Isola meets Agnes Martin at the Rose Bowl Flea Market
Favorite Element: Light and space
Biggest Challenge: Beautiful space with ugly fixtures
What Friends Say: It looks like a big New York apartment
Biggest Embarrassment: The ugly brown kitchen cabinets
Proudest DIY: My handmade curtains and linens
Biggest Indulgence: Adam Silverman's ceramics
Best Advice: Make it by hand
Dream Source: Louise Bourgeois' NYC apartment
Resources of Note:
APPLIANCES
- Wedgewood stove
- Kohler double sink
- GE refrigerator
FURNITURE
- Molded Eames side chairs (dining room)
- Svan high chair
- Mid-Century Danish
- Custom plywood bookshelf and plywood desk by James Clauer (living room, master bedroom)
- DWR daybed (boys' room)
ACCESSORIES
- Edith Gwathmey - various ceramics (all rooms)
- Adam Silverman - ceramic vases, mugs (mantle and kitchen)
- Heath Ceramics - dinner plates, coffee cups, salt and pepper shakers, teapot
LIGHTING
- Antique chandelier (dining room)
- Noguchi lamp (living room)
PAINT
- Victorian Blue - Pratt & Lambert (bathroom)
- Dove Gray - Pratt & Lambert (boys' room)
- Studio White - (everywhere else)
FLOORING
- Original hardwood
- Marble tile (bathroom)
RUGS & CARPETS
- Plastic rugs (dining room, kitchen, garden) - Potted
- Hemp rug - Pasadena Rose Bowl (living room)
- Red wool rug - Ikea (boys' room)
WINDOW TREATMENTS
- All curtains made by Rachel
- Handmade Ikat linen curtains - master bedroom
- Handmade curtains - fabric by Etsuko Furuka by Kokka (boys' room)
- Handmade linen curtains - living room
BED
- Ikea bunk bed (boys' room)
ARTWORK
- Jo Jackson - Pink Reactor print (bedroom)
- Jo Jackson - Blue Skulls print (boys' bedroom)
- Terry Richardson - Batman and Robin photo (dining room)
- Doug Sanderson (Rachel's father) - large geometric painting (dining room), geometric print (dining room), geometric print (bathroom)
- Dee Dee Cheriel - Tree Head print (dining room), You Have Everything You Need poster (studio), Roaring Bear painting (kitchen)
- Claire Nereim - Native California Wildflowers print (kitchen)
- Hope Atherton - Bones painting (living room)
- Ed Templeton - Wife in Shower photo (living room), Punk Rock Kid photo (kitchen)
- Mari Eastman - Soldiers (boys' room), Green Textile painting (living room)
- Linda Francis - Circles (living room)
OTHER
Rachel's tablecloths can now be found at Heath Ceramics and her runners can be found at deKor.
Thanks Rachel and Jonathan!
Images: Marcia Prentice
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love!
lovely! i want to cozy up in that bedroom!
The kitchen! The fireplace! The vibe! FABULOUS.
check the wesite- rachelcraven.com
Wow. What a beautiful home loved this tour!
Love the combo of the cream curtains and bright white walls in living room. And, the patterned curtains in bedroom are sensational. Thanks for sharing!
-Liz
www.VeryFondOf.com
Beautiful house! Very soft and inviting! Love the light in the kitchen!! Where did you find that gem?!
This is just the reason I love the house tours...a peek into spaces that feel so personal and creative. Love this home! That pair of armless chairs in the living room is probably my favorite pair of chairs I've ever seen. Are they vintage or new? Any ideas where to source something similar?
Fun, interesting, colorful--clearly the home of a creative person. Thanks for sharing.
Lovely house, but Angelino Heights is not the second-oldest district in Los Angeles. Olvera Street/Chinatown is from the 1770s, Bunker Hill is from the 1860s, Lincoln Heights dates to the 1870s. Angelino Heights wasn't populated until the 1880s, plus West Adams, Boyle Heights & the rest of downtown developed at the same time.
That is one happy looking house.
Well, I don't think it looks anything like a New York apartment, but it's brilliant. The quality of light is outstanding (that's California, I guess), and the house itself has amazing bones. All the textiles are gorgeous. I'm pretty sure this is my dream house.
I really like the living room. So soft and pretty looking.
msbwstripes.blogspot.com
Gorgeous! and I noticed your cream/milk jugs collection , I too collect them .Such a pretty warm delightful home .Very calming too .
I like it all, but the kitchen is my favorite. So cute and eclectic. I love how you have all your different styles of china on shelves together instead of everything being white like a lot of people do with open shelving.
I love how bright and colorful the house feels even though the walls are soft. The accessories and curtains add so much.
absolutely in love with your house, and the bedroom is incredibly cozy.
Airy & lovely. Thanks for sharing.
Love the light! The curtains in the bedroom are dead ringers for curtains I just bought from World Market. Small world.
Too many vignettes of items that don't add meaning to the post. But I am delighted to see that non-fitted kitchen and what they have managed to do with it. I have some of the same details (and issues) in my kitchen. However, I don't have those lovely wood floors....really wish I did!
Love the tour - especially the living room. Beautiful linens...wish they were available online/on etsy!
Based on their decorating and all of their cool stuff, I know I would like these people. AWESOME house tour.
P.S. My son has that same ZOO OLOGY book. ;)
Normally I hate it when people comment on the safety of a house for small children etc, but I was shocked and disappointed to see the drawing in the little boy's room of soldiers with huge guns. Guns are not actually part of everyday life, and have no place in a family home. And, surely this picture is hardly conducive to peaceful sleep.
I agree with Pipstar, I was quite taken aback by it. Other than that I think the home is lovely.
Hm, actually, Mari Eastman paints child soldiers. Which may make you more taken aback, actually, but personally I think it's a fascinating art choice for a child's room.
What's with all the "still life" photos, or the photos of a yard sale? Potatoes are potatoes. They don't add anything to the tour. The house is very nice, though, although I would have held out for the "real" Eames fiberglass chairs, and not gone for the ones with the school bases (too common, and not collectable).
I like this a lot. Very serene and uncontrived.
I really like this house. Wasn't bothered by the gun art in the kid's room, myself. Art is personal.
I like the modern touches with the old fashioned architecture. It looks like a comfy, personal space and I enjoyed the tour.
But I do agree with komori in regards to Angelino Heights definitely not being the "second oldest" neighborhood in LA. That's actually quite inaccurate and I'm a bit disappointed that someone writing this article didn't do a bit more research rather than relying on Wikipedia. LA is diverse and fascinating and deserves better than that.
Love the "inspiration" description. And it fits!
Overall warm and airy at the same time. I see some strong Scandinavian influences in the design there whether it is intentional or not, comes out very well.
Thank you for sharing. Beautiful, although I see no trace of an NYC apartment.
A very warm and inviting home. I love the boys' room!