Courtney & Eric’s Echo Park Charmer

Name: Courtney Halverson and Eric Neujahr
Location: Echo Park — Los Angeles, California
Size: 700 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year; Rented

I discovered Courtney and Eric’s home via Instagram. Courtney, an actress and the blogger behind Pretty Little Fawn, would post occasional photos that led me to believe her passions included not only fashion but extended into home decoration and interiors. She and her fiancé share a 700-square-foot apartment, and they have embraced its size and learned the art of managing space.

One of the main things I love about this home is Courtney and Eric’s very vintage and California vibe. When I asked her if the lifestyle and culture have affected their personal design aesthetic, Courtney says, “I think the lifestyle of LA revolves so much around rushing around, sitting in traffic and being constantly busy. We’ve turned our place into the opposite of that, and it makes it a really relaxing spot to come home to at the end of the day.”

Besides embracing the square footage as a happy challenge, Courtney also says that the most essential part of designing a home is taking the time to make the right decisions. “I think there’s a rush to fill up empty spaces, and that can lead to impulse purchases or furniture that isn’t quite you. Allowing a space to develop over time is a wonderful thing—even if it means having to sit on the floor for a while!” While they considered their vintage pieces to be the most aesthetically significant, Courtney and Eric have sprinkled in a few modern collections as well. “We’ve collected odd chairs and such over the years, and being able to have furniture that has a history behind it is so amazing. Plus, you know you’ll have unique pieces!”

Inspiration: We’ve really been inspired by the size of our place. Because it’s so small, we’ve done our best to make it feel big by not having too many things. Especially in our bedroom—clean white walls, simple bedding and a touch of plants help it not feel cluttered or cramped.

Favorite Element: I really love the arched doorways and original wood flooring. Our apartment building was built in the 1920s, and those arched doorways and wood flooring feel so of that time. It’s a bit like a bungalow.

Biggest Challenge: The biggest challenge is definitely our living room. We had such a hard time finding a credenza for our TV; we went to over 15 antique stores hunting for a mid-century one with no luck. In the end we found this credenza from Target, of all places, and we absolutely love it.

What Friends Say: The one thing I’ve heard over and over again is how cozy our space feels. People really love how bright the bedroom is, with lots of natural light, and so do I. It’s a soothing little apartment.

Biggest Embarrassment: Oh boy—definitely the bathroom medicine cabinet. The mirror on it is completely unusable, it’s not even centered over the sink, and there’s so many years of paint on it that it doesn’t close at all!

Proudest DIY: This may not sound like much, but painting the entire apartment white made the biggest impact. When we first moved in, every room was a different color: a yellow hallway, brown bathroom walls, and a random yellow wall in the bedroom. Once we got a clean coat of white on everything, the whole place opened up.

Biggest Indulgence: Our bedding was a recent splurge from Urban Outfitters. We’ve lived with just a duvet for years, but I wanted a vintage looking cover on top. Was so happy to find this gorgeous cream one that fit perfectly with our style.

Best Advice: Get creative with weird small spaces. For the first nine months we lived here, we kept boxes full of stuff in the pantry off of the kitchen because we had no idea what to do with the space. We eventually cleared the room out, and I was able to turn it into a mini home office. You never know what you can do with an unused corner!

• Credenza: Foremost TV Stand from Target
• Triangle shelf: Stacked Triangle by DarkMarqueeDesigns
• Side table: Threshold Copper Accent Table from Target
• Leather pouf: Blackwater
• Moon phase chart: Circle and Crescent

• Bedspread: Lovona from Urban Outfitters
• Yellow pillow: Pintuck from Urban Outfitters
• Crochet pillow: Plum & Bow Primrose from Urban Outfitters
• Dresser: IKEA
• Wall hanging: Allyson Rousseau

• Cowhide chair: Simple Lines Modern Artifacts

→ Share your home with Apartment Therapy: House Tour Submission Form

→ Are you a designer/architect/decorator? Share your residential project: Professional Submission Form.

→ And see all of our past house tours here

Follow Apartment Therapy’s board House Tours Apartment Therapy on Pinterest.

Updated daily with fresh tours full of photos for you to pin & enjoy!