Los Angeles

Name: E. Price (4) Location: Hollywood, California Ever since I brought home a “Yellow Submarine” storybook my son has been OBSESSED!! From going to Amoeba and buying every book, mug and record; to watching the movie 5 times a day; to listening to him sing along to “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”; to throwing him a “Yellow Submarine” pizza party; he’s had The Beatles on the brain and now he’s asked to learn to play the trumpet!

Small or large, one room or ten, a home renovation is a big undertaking that often involves a few unavoidable hiccups along the way. When I visited Dustin & Maya’s Eclectic Silver Lake Home, I was surprised to learn that they had completely renovated and designed their spacious house in just six short months. I picked up a few tips for you renovating readers when I visited the busy hands-on couple.

Name: Anne Hodder, husband, 4 cats, and a ton of plants! Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Our home is a sanctuary hidden behind a tall wooden gate and invisible from the street. Even though it’s a duplex, the only shared wall is behind our fridge so we NEVER hear our neighbor. It feels like a separate little house. What is your favorite room and why?

Name: Molly Cranna and Andrew Rudmann Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Molly Cranna and Andrew Rudmann have lived in their Silver Lake apartment for two years, but at first it’s hard to tell. The couple has taken their time making the space their own, filling it with only the most essential and desired pieces.

Name: Amanda, Brandon, and Gatsby Location: Los Feliz; Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 years; rented This is one of those apartments that never gets advertised, because it gets handed down from friend to friend. Architectural designers Amanda and Brandon knew they had to have this sunny, large unit with vintage tile and hardware and outdoor space for their first apartment together as soon as a mutual friend talked about moving out.

Name: Ashley Drost, pups Lazer + Leroy Location: Silver Lake; Los Angeles, California Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; owned Enter Ashley’s sunny and revamped 1914 Craftsman home and it’s immediately clear that the saying is true, home is what you make of it. After years of renting on the West side and an exhaustive real estate search, she stumbled on this home in Silver Lake.

Name: Sasha Darling, owner of BellJar Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 1300 square feet You may remember Sasha’s Silver Lake bohemian home tour from a few years ago. For the past year, Sasha has been working hard on closing her San Francisco boutique, BellJar, and re-opening it in Los Angeles. It was a bittersweet goodbye in San Francisco, but Sasha sees her Los Feliz boutique as a fresh start and a cool new hangout for her dogs, Violet and Piglet.

Name: Hopie Stockman and David Branson Smith and Otto the pup Location: Venice Beach — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; renting These California transplants have had to get resourceful in decorating their apartment in a 1920s Venice Beach house. Rose Bowl Flea finds, hand-me-downs and tons of books blend into an eclectic, East Coast-meets-California beach cottage vibe.

Name: Lulu Brud Zsebe and Justin Zsebe Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 2 Bedroom and 2 Bath Years lived in: 2.5 years – rent Lulu and her husband Justin are lucky to have found an apartment that suits their lifestyle—it’s a space that has been passed on though the hands of friends for the past 13 years. They love the coziness, and have created a dwelling that invites their guests to feel at home.

Name: Ashley Jones and Laura Fama of Dimepiece LA Location: Downtown — Los Angeles, CA Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: Renting 3 years Dimepiece LA is a positive, stylish women’s street wear brand created in 2007 by Laura Fama and Ashley Jones. They’ve been running their brand out of a warehouse space in Downtown LA and just recently remodeled the front end.

Megan Jorgensen’s Los Angeles home features many colorful, unique items—watercolor paintings, vintage hand-me-downs, and vibrant textiles. Although Megan is lucky to claim some of these one-of-a-kind items as her own, it’s easy to get a similar aesthetic in your own home using these shopping sources.

Name: Mike and Rachel Graves / owners of Summer Camp + Road Trip Location: Meiner’s Oaks — Ojai, California Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, rented Summer Camp owners and husband and wife team Michael and Rachel Graves live in an adorable three-bedroom home with their daughter Maude. It’s such a perfect mix of vintage classics, bohemian charm, and that fun California vibe.

Name: Alison Gilbert, Jon Polikowski (+ kids Ruby and Noah and dog Baxter St. James) Location: Mount Washington — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,456 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4 years With two 5-year-old twins and a peppy pupster (Mr. Baxter St. James, if you please), it’s a wonder how Alison and Jon flawlessly renovated their Los Angeles post & beam home in just two years.

Name: Kristy Degina Location: Hollywood, California Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: Renting 4 years Kristy is a merchandising manager at Crate & Barrel Beverly Hills who shares her Hollywood studio apartment with two cuddly canine roommates. She’s made the most of her small space by incorporating big, bold statement pieces into a minimal black-and-white color palette.

Name: Meghan and Jesse Arlen Location: Mid-Wilshire area — Los Angeles, California Size: 540 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1 year Meghan and Jesse have made their studio apartment feel like a haven of old world charm. They focus on living a waste-free, conscientious lifestyle, and part of this involves buying older things and repurposing as much as they can. They both greatly value authenticity of objects and especially prize the stories behind each thing they own.

Designer Jared Frank lives in Casa Larissa, an opulent, whimsical rental filled with trompe l'oeil frescoes, theatrical accessories and a one-of-a-kind sense of style.

Name: Raquel Lynn and Adam Korbesmeyer (plus Mango the Pomeranian ) Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Originally from Ohio (and after a short stint in New York), Raquel and her husband Adam found their way to Los Angeles two years ago. Situated in Silver Lake, this recently renovated apartment is in a great location, but the couple needed this space to be more than just a home base for exploring Los Angeles.

Name: Jenn Pablo and Paco de Leon and Dauphine, their dog Location: Echo Park, California (Los Angeles) Size: 1690 square feet Years lived in: 9 years, renting Paco and Jenn actually met when they were just kids at a birthday party, and ended going to the same high school. Later they became best friends and eventually, Paco and Jenn fell in love. How they came to live together in this house is an interesting story, as well. Jenn moved into this Echo Park apartment nine years ago with a roommate.

Name: Aditi Khorana Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned As a writer herself, Aditi Khorana‘s eclectic mid-century home captures the essence of storytelling in more ways than one. As if a grand entrance with high ceilings, open windows and an expansive view of the Hollywood Hills weren’t enough to gush over, the novelist has filled her entire space with personality and memories from all over the world.

Name: Ashley Neese Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Though Ashley Neese was born in a small town in Wisconsin and grew up in Georgia, she went to grad school in San Francisco in 2005 … and hasn’t left the West Coast. She wanted to build a practice in the healing arts and fell in love with the light and energy of Los Angeles. “I dreamed about living in L.A. when I was much younger.

Name: Caroline Rodrigues @shopmercimilo @rebelandquillobjects Location: Mt. Washington, Los Angeles Size: 2 bed, 2 bath Years lived in: 1 year, renting Caroline and her husband, Jason, have designed their home in a way that strongly reflects their personality and aesthetic. After moving from New York City back to their home state of California, the couple took every opportunity to feel more connected to nature. They settled into the Mt.

Name: Jake Berkowitz and John Ruggiero Location: Carthay Circle — Los Angeles, California Size: 1200 Square Feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting This isn’t the first time we’ve had the chance to visit hair stylist John Ruggiero at home. Seven years ago we toured a Hollywood house he shared with two roommates, and now we’re touring the Carthay Circle rental he shares with his roommate Jake.

Name: Leslie Landis and Jake Martinez Location: MacArthur Park —Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting “The kind of decorating I do is less matching and more layering of elements. I think it’s the more interesting option, but when you switch out one thing the whole room is affected,” writes Leslie, an interior decorator. This home might seem a bit familiar; three years ago we toured Leslie and Jake’s Los Angeles home.

Name: Dina Epstein and Michael “Frosti” Zernow Location: Century City, Los Angeles Size: 2000 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting Bi-coastal and bold, Dina and Frosti wear many hats. The duo started Clark and Madison together, a locally sourced, hand-crafted, heritage leather goods company based in Los Angeles.

Name: Rebecca Buenik and Bruno Tysh Location: Echo Park, Los Angeles Size: 1050 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, renting Both creatives in their own right, Rebecca, a prop stylist, and Bruno, a television and movie writer, have created a home that also doubles as their creative workspace. The pair met at a school in Chicago, moved to LA after graduation and made a home for themselves in the Echo Park area before it became the popular area it is today.

Name: Ashley Zohar Location: West Hollywood – Los Angeles, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Stylist Ashley Zohar’s eye for design and style was influenced by her mother, who has a vintage shop in LA. As she grew up, her interest in fashion naturally progressed her toward a career as a stylist. Friends began knocking on her door for design advice, and from those jobs came more opportunities, eventually leading to her signing with an agency.

Name: Matt Casper and Ted Dorsey Location: Echo Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 2,132 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Going to a dinner party at Matt and Ted’s is probably the grown-up equivalent of going to Disneyland. While their dining room alone makes the Haunted Mansion look like child’s play, every room in the house possesses its own unique design that feels both sophisticated and fun.

Name: Magalie René-Hayes, her husband Mike Hayes and Prince the pup Location: Los Angeles Size: 1500 square feet Years Lived In: 4 years, renting Interior designer Magalie also goes by the title Conscious Designer. “I’m on a mission to create beautiful spaces for a better world and I apply a unique approach that combines holistic ideas, science, and design principles for smarter, happier, healthier living.

Name: Robert Ingraham Location: Eagle Rock — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting When Robert, a passionate filmmaker and director from the Midwest, found himself caught between who he was and who he wanted to be, he knew he needed an apartment that did more than just house personal objects. He realized his largest sources of inspiration — music, film, literature — were missing from his daily routine and his surroundings.

He's a programmer; she's a designer. And they both live and work in this big and bright LA loft.

Name: Lourdes Hernandez and Zach Leigh Location: Highland Park, Los Angeles Size: 1900 square feet Years lived in: 18 months, owned Creative duo Zach and Lourdes started their relationship as musicians — they met one night at The Largo while playing a show. But recently their creative energies have gone in another direction: Refurbishing an old church in Los Angeles’ Highland Park.

Name: Michelle Paul Toney and James Toney III Location: Chinatown — Downtown Los Angeles Size: 1,115 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Michelle and James’ lives seem to revolve around downtown LA. After meeting in the Arts District one fated Tuesday night, the couple have since been married, started the Los Angeles-based company Morrow Soft Goods with two friends, and moved into the beautiful and brightly lit Chinatown apartment where they currently reside.

Name: Linda Hsiao, Kagan Taylor and Scallion the Cat Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Years lived in: 2 years, renting Linda and Kagan’s Highland Park home is a perfect reflection of their combined creative collaborations and organic aesthetics. The space is filled with handmade treasures, meaningful art, and friend’s crafts to create a truly cozy and original style.

Name: Erin Cullerton of Design Agency Co and Melanie McGraw of Monk Provisions Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned When Erin and Mel felt it was time to look for a home together, they never dreamed they would be able to find something affordable in the Silver Lake area.

Name: Steph Rager Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting On her personal website, A Dapper Line, Steph Rager describes herself as “50 percent muralist, 30 percent illustrator, 15 percent sign artist, and 5 percent champagne drinker.” It’s hardly a surprise that, like her art, her home is a brilliantly laid-back mix of color and crisp lines.

"We're just a couple of kids living with cars."

Name: Lake Sharp, husband Alex, and two-year-old Nevada Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,406 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Lake Sharp is a skilled maker whose hand-thrown pottery, micro-batch textile goods, and exterior and interior design services comprise her business Array. In addition to being a kick-ass artist, she recently co-founded the “friendly, radically inclusive neighborhood gym and wellness center” EVERYBODY.

Name: Juan Velasquez Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 460 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, rented About five years ago, the house Juan shared with two friends in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock neighborhood was sold, forcing him to move out. That’s when he stumbled upon this current apartment in Highland Park.

Name: Samantha Santana and James Lively Location: Jefferson Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 619 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, 2 months, owned When Samantha and James first moved into their historic, 93-year-old Spanish bungalow, they knew they would be doing most of the renovations and remodeling themselves. It was a long haul, especially since their home was inhabited by squatters before they moved in.

Name: Pamelyn Rocco, her husband Chris and their daughters Moorea and Harlow Location: Playa Vista, California Size: 3,600 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Pamelyn and her husband were actually familiar with this house before they ever moved in — they used to live next door! Though it wasn’t exactly their style, she saw the potential and knew with a little design direction it could be amazing. Even more incredible?

Name: Danica and Robin Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, rented When Danica and Robin decided to move to Los Angeles from Oakland, their apartment search began with location in mind. Sure, it’d be nice to have a large space, but it wasn’t a priority — especially with a new baby and Los Angeles’ tight rental market.

Name: Erik Kenneth Staalberg Location: Miracle Mile — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented After searching countless websites every day for months, Erik finally found his dream apartment: A charming, pre-war historic building in Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile. Though it wasn’t perfect when he moved in, its been a complete passion project and continues to be everyday.