Jamie’s Eclectic Sensibility in Los Angeles

published May 1, 2014

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Name: Jamie Lyn, Founder of AX + APPLE (and her cat George Michael)
Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California
Size: 600 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented

After her jewelry line AX + APPLE began to take off from Austin Texas, Jamie decided it was time to relocate to the West Coast. Lucky enough to score a gorgeous one bedroom Spanish style courtyard apartment, Jamie is enjoying Los Angeles and all its charms. Pulling together great influences from all the places she’s lived and traveled, Jamie has layered vintage and new pieces with little bits of her own life story. Her home is a happy one, but then again who wouldn’t be happy sleeping under a disco ball…or coming home to a cat named George Michael??

(Image credit: Bethany Nauert)

Jamie had originally submitted her studio downtown as a possible tour (from a referral thanks to Ashley Jones at Dime Piece Designs)… but after rummaging through her Instagram I realized she had a gem of an apartment as well! Her house is well styled and curated. When she told me about her history in photography, design and interior staging, I was not surprised. I asked her about the most important aspects of designing a home, to which she said — “Light. When I design my home, it will have skylights for days and floor to ceiling windows. There’s nothing like a big open living space flooded with light. I feel like it’s the first thing people see when they enter a room, whether it is conscious or not.”

Well, if bright dreamy light is what she is hoping for, she’s off to a great start in LA. Sometimes you can’t get away from it! The city itself can often seep into your design decisions and play great influence in how you choose to live at home. “If it has at all, I’d say LA has influenced my style in the way that i just have more succulents than ever before. They are everywhere and so easy to keep alive here!”

Having moved around quite a bit, Jamie is able to identify easily the most significant treasures in her home, “The pieces most significant to me are definitely my heirloom pieces. The oriental statue in my living room was passed down to me by my grandmother. There is a certain comfort I feel every time I look at it — a feeling you could never buy in a store. Same with all my old family photos. They mean more to me than anything, and I am always moving them around.”

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Eclectic Americana vibes with flea market sensibility.

Inspiration: I am pretty heavily influenced by everywhere I’ve ever lived, but probably most by Texas. I have always been inspired by desert style. Skulls, cow hides, cacti… these are my staples. I tend to shy away from bold colors. There’s something so soothing to me about a neutral space. I collect and display a lot of smalls, so keeping the palate neutral helps prevent it from being too visually overwhelming.

Favorite Element: I love the soft light in the space, and the garden. It always smells so amazing when you walk in the gate.

Biggest Challenge: Storage! On top of being a total packrat I am also big on organization, so finding a logical place for everything in such a tight space has taken some time. I went from living in a spacious 2 bedroom house in Austin to a tiny Bungalow here in LA, so I had to downsize and get creative with where to put all my stuff. I have a lot of stuff!

What Friends Say: “You’re so organized” or “It’s like a museum in here”. My motto is “A place for everything and everything in its place,” so I guess I’m doing something right.

Biggest Embarrassment: I use my dishwasher as a pantry. There is a corner of the kitchen where I could have installed a cabinet, but I decided to use it as an art corner instead. Priorities!

Proudest DIY: The shelving I built around the heater in the living room. When I moved in I had no idea what I would do with that wall. With a little help from IKEA and Home Depot I just built around it. I am pretty happy with it!

Biggest Indulgence: I very rarely splurge on home decor — I am as thrifty as they come. I find it more rewarding that way, and then every item tells a story. “That one time we were driving through West Texas and found that awesome steamer trunk!” I probably spend the most money relatively on linens. Sheets are important.

Best Advice: Don’t be afraid to keep moving things around. If it isn’t nailed down it can always shift. I am constantly building little still lives and taking them apart. It’s the easiest way to make your space feel new without having to spend money or move.

Dream Sources: Every antique mall or flea market in the Midwest/ Northeast. Someday I really want to make it to the Paris Flea Market.