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House Tour: Polly & Ben’s Sherman Oaks Shangri-La

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Gregory Han
Gregory Han
A Los Angeles native, Gregory’s interests fall upon the relationship between design, nature, and technology. His resume includes art director, toy designer, and design writer. Co-author of Poketo's "Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire", you can find him…read more
updated Jul 11, 2019
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Name: Polly & Ben (son, Cyrus is 4)
Location: Sherman Oaks, CA
Size: 1,100 Square Feet
Years lived in: 4 already, wow!

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About a year ago, I purchased a modern minimal bench via Craigslist from a seller who lived in Sherman Oaks. Upon arriving to their apartment to pay and arrange for pickup (they were so kind, they even delivered the bench to our place), I noted their home was a marvelous gem of MidCentury and DIY decor. Friday night, I was invited back over by Polly and Ben to take an official tour, shoot some photos, and just have a wonderful evening with a beautiful family who live in a beautiful home…

We’re always looking for more candidates for house tours. If you or someone you know is interested in inviting us for a tour, please email us!
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Our style: Modern, Mid-Century, with some Asian & Industrial. Simplistic, clean lines; I’d like a little glam but haven’t added any yet.

Inspiration: 60’s & 70’s design, Flea Markets, Nature

Favorite element: Color, though at the same time, WHITE. Texture.

Biggest Challenge in designing my home: Being content with any color on my walls that isn’t white or ivory. Being disciplined about the amount of furniture we buy to “fix-up”, realizing that we live in an apartment and don’t have storage or a restoration space (which hasn’t stopped us so far).

What friends Say about my home: “You guys should be in the design business” and “How can you own a white sofa with a 4 year old?”

Biggest Embarrassment in my home: Constantly changing the color on my walls which usually gets back to white or ivory. I think I want color but I haven’t found the right one (which hasn’t stopped me from trying).

Custom entertainment cabinet
Proudest DIY: Credenza that we designed and built out of one sheet of plywood. An unmatched pair of turquoise lamps (same color, same style, different pattern) that I refurbished built shades for and made into a set.

Biggest Indulgence with respect to my home: Using only Green or Eco-friendly paint, household cleaners, and recycled products. Changing the wall color on my whim. Dining room table, it’s such a great place to congregate.

Best Advice given or received: Purge on a regular basis. If a room feels overwhelming, remove everything and bring back only what works. Be patient.

Dream Source for stuff: The world’s ultimate flea market in 1982 when everything I wanted from the late 60’s was being thrown out.

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And check our archives of ATLA’s past house tours HERE
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