Kim Mahair is a food photographer and stylist who was given “first dibs” on her West Hollywood studio apartment after her friend, the home’s previous tenant, moved out. Years of actively coveting the petite studio’s dreamy french windows and charming details paid off. All of the furniture in Kim’s small studio is a vintage find, or was inherited when she moved in, giving her the perfect Parisian-style perch, overlooking the enchanting West Hollywood sites below.

To Kim, slowly acquiring pieces is the way to go. Years of accumulating only the pieces that she “feels connected to” have provided her with a collection of unique and sentimental antiquities that tell a story. She sometimes kills plants (or neglects to dust), making her beautiful antique-filled home feel real.

Inspiration: Anything I feel connected too. I sat in an antique chair once and suddenly had a better sense of self. Furniture with soul please.

Favorite Element: The windows. The light in the morning makes me grateful to have woken up. The moon and sunsets aren’t too bad either.

Biggest Challenge: Dusting

What Friends Say: Oh how Parisian.

Biggest Embarrassment: Nothing is organized and most of my plants are dead. The shame is crippling.

Proudest DIY: I get overly confident every time I hang something myself. I recently hung a painting that I found at an Out of the Closet [thrift store] and I felt unstoppable for the rest of the week.

Biggest Indulgence: I love cooking big dinners for friends. Burrata, salmon, truffle…spare no expense when it comes to good food.

Best Advice: Take your time flushing out the space. Bring in bits from trips or journeys that have a warm or interesting memory attached.

Dream Sources: I like finding pieces or inheriting from friends. I’m pretty frugal so I have my secret sources where I find pieces for cheap. A favorite spot is Shopclass in Highland Park. I got my kitchen chairs from there. Jeff reupholstered them with material from an old army tent. I love when you can breath new life into something you would normally just throw out.

Living room/bedroom:
Bed — handmade, inherited from previous owner
Coffee table —Melrose Trading Post
Painting above couch — Out of the Closet
Armoire — inherited from previous owner
Vanity — inherited from previous owner
Couch and chair — thrift store

kitchen:
Open shelf — IKEA
String lights — World Market

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