Clever Space-Maximizing Ideas and Colorful DIY Paint Projects Make This Tiny LA Studio Successful

Name: Nicholas Scheppard and partner
Location: Los Angeles, California
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 400 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, renting

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My boyfriend and I moved to LA and immediately put all of our focus into producing live, monthly comedy shows. After moving to the east side of LA we knew we’d have to shift some of our focus into maximizing our small studio space as a simple and organized home base to accommodate our hectic lifestyles.

Since quarantining, we realized the vibrancy we feel in the comedy community here could be imbued into the design for our home.

So, we took on painting projects to start making the apartment reflect our personalities while attempting to maintain the simplicity that drew us to a small space in the first place.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Bohemian geometric prioritizing space efficiency

What is your favorite room and why? I’m a sucker for our kitchen. It’s got what I feel are the most graphic designs paint-wise and is where we’ve had to do some of our most clever space-saving. I’m really proud of creating such intentionally separate cooking and dining areas in such a small space.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? We recently purchased a glass top circular pedestal table for our kitchen. The table feels so light and airy while still giving us a lot of surface space. It’s perfect for making the space feel open and easy while serving a really necessary utilitarian function in the room.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Resist feeling like you need to do the whole thing at once. Take on projects that excite you one at a time, and soon the home will come together in a way that feels more personal than a one-time overhaul redesign.

This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.