A Ceramicist’s “Southwest Modern” LA Remodel

Written by

Jessica Isaac
Jessica Isaac
Jess is an interior and architectural photographer based in Los Angeles. While she has the honor of peeking inside designer homes on a regular basis, she loves real homes designed by real people most of all.
updated Apr 30, 2019

A Ceramicist’s “Southwest Modern” LA Remodel

Written by

Jessica Isaac
Jessica Isaac
Jess is an interior and architectural photographer based in Los Angeles. While she has the honor of peeking inside designer homes on a regular basis, she loves real homes designed by real people most of all.
updated Apr 30, 2019
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Bedrooms
Square feet

1406

Sq ft

1406

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

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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.

She resides with her husband Alex and two-year-old Nevada in the Highland Park suburb of Los Angeles, where she’s transformed their hilltop home into what friends call an oasis; complete with a lush native garden, backyard pottery studio, and bottom-floor AirBnb apartment.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Southwest Modern

Inspiration: Southwestern roots, desert, mountains, nature, failing aspirational minimalism

Favorite Element: The land! The house is relatively small, but the lot is 9,000 square feet. I love puttering around in the garden and fussing with the plants.

Biggest Challenge: Living in a construction zone during the remodel process. It just means that while it’s a work in progress it’s not very relaxing, and it’s expensive. But it’s ultimately a very fortunate problem to have!

What Friends Say: That it feels like home, that it’s an oasis.

Biggest Embarrassment: The placement of the toilet in our bathroom. I originally had it by the shower and somehow my contractor convinced me to put it closer to the door. Not only did we have to change the toilet seat to be able to close the door, you can hear everything from inside and outside of the bathroom.

Proudest DIY: I think I’m most proud of designing the remodel and the transformation that the whole property underwent…so basically, everything! I really enjoyed the process and knew from the minute we first visited the house with our agent that this was meant to be our home. I immediately envisioned the remodel and it was so fun to make it a reality. Besides that, working on the sink stand and cabinet collaboration with Mak Kern, of Objects for Others, was really great because it incorporated her amazing workmanship and I got to make clay tiles and grout for the first time!

Biggest Indulgence: Putting in the deck. We waited a year after the major interior remodel was done before we could do the deck…but I can’t imagine living in the house without it. It’s what gives us that quintessential indoor/outdoor socal lifestyle.

Best Advice: Envision what you want, design what you want, make what you want, hire experts to make what you don’t want to make!

Resources:

PAINT & COLORS
All the interior paint is Martha Stewart, Lamb, which I think is no longer being manufactured.

ENTRY
Vintage round butcher block-from a vintage furniture shop on Sunset in Hollywood
Vintage hexagonal stands from an estate sale
Woven bench from Target
Ceramic shelves by me
“We’re all in this together” WCCW tote bag, my favorite LA non profit, I’m a sustaining member

LIVING ROOM
Crosby sectional — West Elm
Cactus pillows — Amelie Mancini
Mudcloth pillows — Matters of Space
DIY brass pipe lights and plywood shelves
Rosewood Stump — Bo Tree
Vintage Pink Leather Chair — Nick’s Metropolis
DIY ikat pillow
Gifted Guatemalan pillow
Vintage wood stool — From an antiques mall in Palm Springs
Roadside Attraction carpet tiles in Dew — FLOR
Mound/Nagel Family Portrait — Lindsay Mound
“Dad With Coffee” triptych — Me
“Gary”-Turquoise covered cow skull-From Ortega’s, now closed, Native American jewelry store that I worked in for a Summer in Durango, CO. Named after one of my bosses—a Vietnam Vet Cowboy
Large Cowboy Watercolor, inherited from my dad — By Renny Russell , one of my Pop’s old climbing buddies.

DINING ROOM/BAR
Dining Table and bench — From local woodworking Company American Woodworks
Chairs — vintage
DIY wood and ceramic lights — me
Vintage kid’s desk and art cabinet for our daughter
Tomado Style Industrial Metal Shelving Wall Units — Amsterdam Modern
Various vintage, new and handmade ceramic cups
Vase — me
Vase — Earthsign Ceramics

KITCHEN
Custom built in storage bench- Designed/crafted — Ian Hughes
DIY denim seat cushion pillow — Matters of Space
All cabinets and drawers — Kraftmaid solid maple from Home depot
DIY leather pulls
DIY open shelving system with threaded metal rods

NEVADA’S BEDROOM
Carpet tiles in Seafoam — FLOR
Nordli drawer set — Ikea
Brimnes wardrobe — Ikea
Kallax shelf unit — Ikea
Vintage metal shelf
Vintage kid’s chairs from a garage sale, DIY painted and stenciled
Happy face mirror — eep, can’t remember
Vintage rocking chair
DIY hanging shelf with Ikea Hacked SANNOLIKT curtain rod
Monoprint portrait of my dad that I made in college
Moon calendar by Margins
My dad’s little childhood cowboy belt
Converse painting by William Kaminski
Thrift shop painting of a woman with a mug—i just love this so much
“Solitary Activities” Print by Laura Berger
NEVADA name wall hanging by me
Ceramic hanging swag lights by me
“Born Feminist” Nevada’s first protest sign made by dad for the women’s march
Thrift store painting of cheetah
Kilim rug from Sky Village Swap Meet in Yucca Valley

NEVADA’S BATHROOM
Cactus prints by Melinda Tracy Boyce
Wooden mama/baby elephant puzzle was my husband’s when he was a babe
Ceramic mountain wall hanging by me
Singlar changing table from IKEA
Fjalkinge shelf unit from IKEA
TP dispenser & hooks from New Made LA

MASTER BEDROOM
Monorail closet system — west elm
Custom-made headboard and side tables co-designed and installed by Ian Hughes
Stratton storage platform bed with baskets from Pottery Barn

OUR BATHROOM
DIY towel Rack by me
Towels from Dusen Dusen
Custom sink stand/cabinet collab with Objects for Others, Mak Kern designed and built the unit and I made and installed the ceramic tiles
TP holder by New Made LA
TP Shelf by Objects for Others

OFFICE/TV ROOM
DIY glass top / vintage saw horses desk
Sofa from The Hunt Vintage
Shelving by IKEA

UPSTAIRS DECK
I used several APPLARO storage benches from IKEA to make the L shaped outdoor sofa
Custom cushions
Rug from urban outfitters
Tables from Matters of Space

AIRBNB

KITCHEN/DINING ROOM
Vintage Danish Modern table/chairs
Commercial kitchen butcher block & stainless steel sink- Action Sales
DIY tile backsplash design-using leftover tiles from the upstairs remodel

LIVING ROOM
Vintage sofa
Woven stool & couch pillows from target
Corner desk from Craigslist
Thrift store paintings
Cactus trinket box and various ceramics by me

BEDROOM
Chenille bedspread from Early California Antiques
DIY plywood headboard
Vintage cactus lamps

GARDEN
Drought tolerant Native garden and edible garden design — me
DIY outdoor daybed with Mexican blanket cushions

Thanks, Lake!


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