Name: Stacie Krajchir-Tom: Lifestyle Expert, Founder of The Bungalow PR and The See and Sprout Project
Location: Mar Vista, Los Angeles, California
Size: 400 square feet
Years in business: 10 years
Stacie lives the dream — she works from home (actually in her garage), has endless sunlight in her office, and has an indoor/outdoor office space. When can I start work there? Her office space also doubles as an artist's studio for painting, tackling DIY projects, or just hanging out with her husband and his vintage surf board collection.
The Bungalow PR represents a number of very talented designers and creatives, but Stacie is also a lifestyle expert herself. See the pillows next to the surfboards in the corner of the office? Stacie took two Jonathan Adler table linens and sewed them together to create a pillow cover. She has a lot of easy and fun DIY tricks up her sleeve!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: My Style is eclectic, colorful and whimsical, with a splash of vintage and casual modern mixed in.
Inspiration: I am a hunter and gatherer, so this space really represents my journey from here and there and where I am going to next. I love being surrounded by memories and evidence of where I have been, who I love and the life I choose to live. Keeping objects, images, and memories keeps my creativity fresh and inspires my next project, drawing, photograph or project. I keep my favorite collection of magazines and books close by because I've learned I'm a spontaneous creator. I will open a magazine, see an idea and want to execute a version of it within 20 minutes to feel balanced!
Favorite Element: I grew up in Guam and Hawaii, where there are no lines between indoor and outdoor living, and that is how we use this space during the work week and any other time. My husband has an extensive vintage surfboard collection, which is stored in the rafters. I love that a part of him is very much present in this space, and the boards also remind me to take time out to get in the ocean.
On weekends the garage doors are wide open and the workspace turns into his board workshop, while I paint or sew and create. We bring the baby and dog out, and friends drop by and "talk story" while relaxing on the pune`e (daybed). This space really represents who I am and the work I do.
Biggest Challenge: This space is an office, art studio, writing retreat, sewing room, and headquarters to The See and Sprout Project, which is an international art collective I created after the Asian Tsunami in 2007. We bring cameras to areas hit by tragedy, teach kids to shoot photographs, and have a gallery show, and all money benefits the youth who created the photos. Childproofing this space is an undertaking currently in progress.
What Friends Say: Editors who drop by want to quit their indoor jobs in New York and work here. Most friends say they wish they could paint or that being in this space makes them want to create something or be an artist. I actually heard that so much that I started having creative DIY nights here. Friends gather and we drink wine and create things. This space has housed many board game nights, vision board making parties, DIY nights and dinner soirees. It's definitely mixed-use.
Biggest Embarrassment: I need a cord therapist — I still haven't managed to figure out how to hide all the awful cords! Someone could make a killing on that business.
Proudest DIY: Transforming a garage into this space. Creating a custom paint for the concrete floor that would withstand everything that takes place here.
Biggest Indulgence: Most everything in this space has been collected over time, so there isn't one huge indulgence, except maybe just committing to making the space more than a garage which included insulation and upgrading the electric so we wouldn't blow fuses with all the computers.
The indulgences are in the little things. I love really high quality personalized letterpress stationery (Brenda Himmel on Montana Ave) and I collect vintage Hawaiiana (eBay, Tincan Mailman), so the glassware and little accessories and vintage books scattered around my desk are my guilty pleasures. I'm also addicted to large coffee table books, which tend to add up!
Best Advice: Whether it's your personal style, designing your home or workspace — do you, don't try to do anyone else. it's never authentic and generally looks forced and awkward. You home is your sanctuary and should embrace you, help you feel centered, and have lots of little corners that make you feel really happy.
Dream Sources:
- Owens & Co. and Tin Can Mailman in Chinatown on Oahu
- Santa Monica Outdoor Antique and Collectable Market
- Oh Joy!
- Lonny
- Anthropologie
- Hable Construction
- Land of Nod
- House of Honey in Pasadena
Resources of Note:
HARDWARE
- HP Printer/scanner/copier
- 21.5" Apple iMac
- Apple Wireless Keyboard
- W-Fi router, cable modem
- Apple Magic Mouse
- MacBook Pro laptop
- iPhone 4S
- Casio Exilim camera
- Singer sewing machine
FURNITURE
- Project table built from plywood, covered with kraft paper and masking tape
- Paint/art supplies are stored on a stainless steel Flytta kitchen cart from IKEA
- Punae (daybed) gift from a friend, covered with linen fabric from Lincoln Fabrics in Venice
- Green ceramic knobs on cabinets from Anthropologie
- IKEA Pendant Lamps
- Pillows - Jonathan Adler linen napkins sewn together, C Wonder and Thomas Paul
- IKEA white Snille swivel chairs
- IKEA Galant Desk Tops (custom cut to size)
- Green Chairs are from West Elm
- Padded chairs on wheels from the Pasadena Flea Market
- IKEA Billy shelves
- Chinese antique side table from Pacific Orient Traders
- Desk lamp - Urban Outfitters
ACCESSORIES
- Bungalow vintage letters from Collage Gallery in San Francisco
- Vintage multi nail drawer/ shelf is from Alemany Flea Market in San Francisco
- Inspiration/bulletin board is from Staples
- Green IKEA magazine holder boxes
- White ceramic planters from IKEA for my pens and pencils
- LA neighborhoods pencil set and from SOLA Sisters of Los Angeles
- Ceramic eggs with words by Rae Dunn
- Shoe forms - Alemany Flea Market in San Francisco
- Ceramic Buddah from Chinatown Downtown Los Angeles
- Wood balls wrapped in steel - I created when I was in art school
- Surfboards from garage sales, eBay and Craigslist/The Vintage Surfboard
- Large Steel console from flea market
- Stacked clay piece auction item from PS Arts Gala
- Wood painting by Maxwell Ariza
- Colored wood dove cut out "Berd" by street artist "Browne"
- Photographs by See and Sprout artists Thailand and Sayulita
LIGHTING
- Home Depot track lighting
- Lamp - Urban Outfitters
FLOORING
- Floor: Custom mix concrete floor paint, Naylor Paint Venice
- Luahala mats are from Hawaii
WINDOW TREATMENTS
- Linen fabric from Lincoln Fabrics in Venice
- Love Birds window stickers Weego Home
- My Artwork/paintings
Thanks, Stacie!
(Images: Marcia Prentice)
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I see you have lots of dolls from blablakids -- I love their dolls, too, as I find them lovely to squish and reminiscent of my own favorite toys as a child.
Suggestion: cover your work table with freezer paper, shiny side up. Have used in my studio for several years. Usually pad with newspapers underneath.
What's the taupe/gray paint color on the walls?
Sarah Jessica-Parker anyone?
Messy garage. Would find it very difficult to work there. Awesome surfboards though - show more of them!
I'm interested in the dual art-office aim, here. I think the grunge of the art creation side is winning, but I have to offer props for living that at the same time. I mean, if the art is winning...yeah! Right? (I REALLY want to hear about post-babyproofing, I share my studio with two tiny co-artists and there is zero visuals on the internet for living that.)
Great surfboards. I live in a surf town but I've never tripped over colorful boards like that at a garage sale. Your husband scored; coax him into hanging the rainbow one! It's like Hawaii and the California Dream all tied up with a bow.
Good luck with the fun and the art and the business! It's like that parenting book 'The Full Catastrophe', eh?
That pineapple statue - where can one get one?
Please! Shes got MUCH better hair than SJP! And much prettier as well.
I want those mugs!
Seriously though, this is a 'real' workspace and I appreciate getting to see it. Looks fun. I can imagine working there with the doors wide open. With the challenges of the economy, I think more people are working at home, and it helps to have inspiration for how to make it livable and functional.
*works on wire solution*
This is my kinda gal. I love the sewing table linens to make a pillow cover trick. I used to do that all the time and you can find the most amazingly luxe fabrics that would otherwise be hundreds of dollars a yard (if you can even get them by the yard instead of in 5 yard lots) or to the trade.
And as a surfer (hence the name) I love the boards but wish they were displayed with more prominence. They may warp in a garage stored upright and that would be a shame, even if they're purely decorative.
Looks like a fun space!
i'm pretty darn sure that the white pineapple was a figurative candle from quite a few years ago from the bath & body works. if it's by someone else, let me know, because mine broke and i'm looking for another one!
Hello! The pineapple is actually just a plain ceramic piece, but a candle would be great-keep me posted if you find one!
Aloha Surfjack ! So thrilled someone appreciates the collection! If you only knew how many surfboards we have IN the house...in addition to in the rafters here :). My husband Kris curates surfboard exhibitions often, so not to worry, these boards get a lot of love outside of the garage space! Thevintagesurfboard.com Thanks for your comment!
Blabla is my son's favorite! So happy you enjoy them too, they are squishy!
We have so many DIY nights here so the paper actually gets switched out to various kinds often... the table is a bit on the trashed sidein the photo, we had a big DIY holiday session the evening before the shoot! I haven't tried freezer paper shine side up, but I definitely will-great idea.
Benjamin Moore Kingsport Gray
My husband is over the moon at all the surfboard props here! He scores teh craziest boards-- you can peek at his finds here thevintagesurfboard.com Our son Milo is starting to "enter" the space, which has created a whole other level of "creative" to it!