Leslie and Jake’s “Street Cred Granny” Style in LA
Name: Leslie Landis, Jake Martinez and dog Raincheck Landis-Martinez
Location: MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, California
Size: 800 square feet (We joke it’s our “mini mansion”)
Years Lived In: 1 year; rented
Last time we went home with Leslie, she was living in a teeny tiny studio apartment in Silver Lake. Since then her old landlord bought her out of her old place and she’s moved in with Jake into a two-story chateau-like apartment. The building used to house nuns, but is now occupied by young professionals and families alike.
Every nook and cranny of this residence has a personal story attached to it: the art work especially and of course their decisions regarding how to layout the apartment. Bold colors, eclectic patterns and my favorite of all, the lighting, are all strong characters in what makes this home truly unique. Leslie noted that “Color, casual beauty and sunshine,” were some of the ways that the City of Angels has influenced her personal design aesthetic, “LA isn’t hung up on tradition, for better and for worse.” Regardless of whether she is applying her style to her own home or to a client’s house she believes the most essential part is “to reflect the spirit of its owner.”
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Street Cred Granny
Inspiration: Underwater Safari
Favorite Element: The Juliet balcony/Raincheck’s room. We had a balloon drop off it for New Years that was so fun it turned into a competition to see who could do it “best”. Four balloon drops later, the video of it is my favorite thing ever.
Biggest Challenge: Remembering we don’t own the place.
What Friends Say: You should put mopeds in the rafters. How do you get the spider webs out of the rafters? If you put some plywood in the rafters people could sleep up there.
Biggest Embarrassment: The number of times I rehung the art. Jake was starting to worry about me.
Proudest DIY: Painting the back side of the glass dining table top black. It added some needed visual weight and turned out surprisingly glamorous.
Biggest Indulgence: Wallpaper. Totally worth it.
Best Advice: Move in with someone that likes your taste and doesn’t have any furniture. Jake basically had a bed and a pile of computers when we met.
Dream Sources: Truman Capote’s Hamptons house
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
DINING ROOM
BEDROOM
Thanks, Leslie + Jake!
(Photos: Bethany Nauert)
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