See Inside This LA Writer’s Colorful 450-Square-Foot Studio

This 450-Square-Foot LA Studio’s Vibe Is “Main Character of a Rom-com’s Apartment”

published Oct 21, 2024

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About this tour

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Home Type

Studio Apartment

Location

East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Style

Bedrooms

Square feet

450

Sq ft

450

Christina Anthony is a Los Angeles-based writer, comedian, and actor, and when she was on the hunt for a new home to rent two years ago, she says she was struggling to find a “cute apartment” within her budget. “A lot of the studios I toured had zero potential because the bones were too sterile for my taste,” she says.

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Credit: Leela Cyd

After about a month of looking, she finally found the one on Zillow. “When I walked into the studio, I knew I could work with it and decorate it to perfection,” explains Christina of this 450-square-foot studio apartment in East Hollywood she rents for $1,600 a month.

Credit: Leela Cyd

"My best advice for decorating is creating a cozy environment where you can inject your personality into your space. The world can be harsh and life can be difficult," Christina advises. "It is so calming to enter your home and feel like it’s a cocoon and oasis you've intentionally built for yourself. I think the use of color plays a major role in creating a home, utilizing shades of color that bring joy and peace to your brain. I also think cherished art and trinkets can make a space feel like a home."

“What first caught my attention were the gorgeous, tall French windows bringing in the beautiful California sunshine. It is a classic Hollywood apartment, and my unit is one of the few in the building that hasn’t been renovated, thus keeping my rent relatively cheap for the area. The studio has a separate kitchen where I could squeeze in a small dining table —which was essential for me. There is plenty of closet space and a built-in vanity,” Christina describes. She says you also can’t beat the apartment’s central location: “I never have to drive far and [it’s] walkable to several restaurants and my favorite park — Barnsdall Art Park.”

Credit: Leela Cyd

Christina’s interests beyond writing and performing include playing basketball, improving her chess game, and home decorating in a “low-medium budget” way, with an emphasis on bringing personality to spaces. “I live alone and was able to decorate the space without having to compromise my taste or artistic vision,” she admits. “I am a comedian/writer and find colors/patterns to be endlessly inspiring and get my creative juices flowing.”

Credit: Leela Cyd

What’s the one thing in your home that people always ask about? "A lot of people ask about the bookcase I bought second-hand and all the art on the walls."

Before she moved in, Christina says the studio was just kind of small and simple. “After putting my touch on the place, I transformed it into a cozy, colorful, vintage, and dreamy home. I would describe the vibe as the main character of a rom-com’s apartment. All that’s missing is a staff writing job at a magazine,” Christina writes.

Credit: Leela Cyd

What’s the oldest thing in your home? "The oldest thing in my home is my collection of wooden elephants. My family goes to India every four years and my mom used to always let me pick out one wooden elephant to bring home."

“I had never lived alone and after moving in, I thought to myself, ‘I might fall in love soon, and this could be the only place I ever get to live in alone.’ I thoroughly enjoyed not having to compromise my taste for anyone and gave myself permission to go FULL FEMININE with the vibe. I’d never been into the color pink, but after buying a custom pink sofa, I added pink tones to the whole space and love the feminine, romantic energy it creates in the space,” Christina explains.

Resources

Credit: Leela Cyd

What’s the BEST purchase you’ve made? "The best purchase I made was buying a custom pink sofa from Facebook Marketplace. It is the centerpiece of the whole apartment and is so cozy. It only really fits one person, so it has been a great wing woman to initiate cuddling."