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. Every detail of their house is incredibly authentic to their personality and to the brand of their businesses. Also, make sure to check out how Rachel decked out Maude’s nursery; I’m talking about the best IKEA hack I’ve ever seen.

Mike and Rachel take great pride in their home, which includes their love of vintage furniture. They have upcycled and reupholstered pieces, but they noted that the most significant things in their home are the mid-century pieces, which all came from family (and remain most special to them.)

Living by the rule that “Your home should feel like an extension of you,” Mike and Rachel believe that a home should be a calm place to relax at the end of the day. “We just tried to fill the house with everything we love so when we are here we are happy.”

Making the full time transition from Santa Monica to Ojai residency, they really feel the influence and impact of Southern California in their design. “The West Side is filled with great design inspiration, so many great shops and well-designed spaces.” They love that the Eames office was right around the corner and that after spending a lot of time in Venice on Abbott Kinney, they could easily change pace by heading east. After slowing it down and moving to Ojai, they’ve embraced the small town yet big impact of their style.

Our Style: Mid-Century meets Ojai…with plants everywhere.

Inspiration: We are inspired by ’60s design and handmade/eclectic pieces. Having our shop, Summer Camp, gives us constant inspiration and design ideas.

Favorite Element: We immediately fell in love with the vaulted wood ceilings and exposed beams.

Biggest Challenge: Having too much stuff! Since we are vintage lovers it’s hard to stop collecting and although this home is larger than our last, we don’t have a garage. We have to be very picky about the things we keep and use in the house. We definitely miss having a good storage area.

What Friends Say: Everyone loves the skylights and the giant oak tree above us. Most friends visiting also mention all of the plants and art in the house.

Biggest Embarrassment: Although we love the oak tree, keeping the yard free of leaves and debris is tricky. It’s great living in the country but it comes with its fair share of issues. We also really wanted a white kitchen so we covered the gray tile with white contact paper. It looks good from a distance but up close is a different story.

Proudest DIY: We have restored and re-upholstered a few vintage pieces including the Eames style lounger, the bedroom dresser and the kitchen table. The chair was a $50 flea market purchase and the kitchen table belonged to Mike’s grandmother. We also did a little renovating to Maude’s IKEA kitchen, essentially making it our dream kitchen complete with copper fixtures, marble (contact paper) counters and subway tile backsplash.

Biggest Indulgence: The living room rug, which is a beautiful vintage piece and our king bed, which was totally necessary with a toddler and two pups.

Best Advice: There’s always a way to get what you want for your home, you just need to be willing to hunt! Scour flea markets and thrift shops, and get a little crafty.

Dream Sources: Modernica, Eames, Brimfield Flea.

⇒ House Tour & House Call Submission Form

See More:
⇒ Recent House Tours
⇒ House Tours on Pinterest