A “Not Too Serious” Modern California Home

Name: Lori LaMont and Monte Weiss
Location: Belmont Heights – Long Beach, California
Size: 1,400 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years; Own

Lori and Monte live on the top floor of the duplex building that they own. Just mere blocks from the beach, they enjoy an incredibly sunny and well decorated home. Their gorgeous flat is layered with Lori’s paintings, modern fixtures and vintage pieces.

A few weeks ago my friend Jen Santillano started tagging me in Instagram photos of Lori’s feed. She knew I’d love Lori’s home and almost insisted we meet up. Thank you for the introduction, this was an incredible house tour find!

When I asked Lori how the lifestyle and culture of Southern California had affected their design sense, she said: “Flooding sunlight, open rooms, piles of books… we probably owe our aesthetic to the mashup of The Brady Bunch, Get Smart, classic movies, beach culture, and touring the streets of L.A in the back seats of our parents’ cars.” When designing a space, they don’t think of a room as a space unto itself, but consider the views into the other rooms as well, noting also that the small accessories are just as significant as the large furniture.

They’ve done a lot with a small floor plan, really making use of every bit of space. I love the giant pops of color and mixture of artwork and books. Lori says the most significant piece is the sculpture on the mantle by C. Jere. “It is the first thing you see as you climb the stairs and enter our home. This space sat nearly empty for almost two years as we waited to find what we thought would be a perfect painting for the mantle. It turned out to be a sculpture, and it was love at first sight!”

Enjoy!

My Style: Not too serious California modernism.

Inspiration: Public spaces, classic movies, good old fashioned suburbia.

Favorite Element: The combination of old-world architecture with modernist design.

Biggest Challenge: The budget.

What Friends Say: Super cool, should I take my shoes off?

Biggest Embarrassment: We don’t have drapes yet, so that might be a question for the neighbors!

Proudest DIY: Taking the kitchens down to the studs and rebuilding them myself (Monte).

Biggest Indulgence: The Saarinen table.

Best Advice: Rushing just to fill a space never works. Take your time and find what you love.

Dream Sources: DWR, Hive Modern, Room & Board, flea markets

• Nelson Pedestal table: Hive

• Painting: Lori LaMont

• Sunburst mirror: The Home Depot

• Sofa and media cabinet: Room and Board

• Coffee table: Custom made for Monte’s parents in 1967

• Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs and Eileen Grae adjustable table: Hive Modern

• Frank Lloyd Wright Robie 1 Chair knock-off: built by Monte Weiss

• C. Jere sculpture: Trebor Nevitz, Long Beach

• Saarinen dining table and chairs: Hive Modern

• Red Eames molded plywood lounge chairs: Hive Modern

• Sideboard: Long Beach Antique Market at Veterans Stadium

• Artichoke lamps: Home Goods

• Nelson Saucer pendant light: Modernica

• Ikea

• Appliances, LG: Pacific Sales

• Pendant light: The Home Depot

• Flooring: The Rouse Co.

• Bed, Hoffman bed: Room and Board

• White side tables and bedside lamps: Ikea

• Walnut night stand and dressers: Room and Board

• Nelson Cigar Pendant light: Modernica

• Bedding: Crate and Barrel (Star Wars pillows: Kids Pottery Barn)

BATHROOM

• Towels: Target

• Pull out mirror: Ikea

LIBRARY

• Bookshelves and rug: Ikea

• Metal library sign: Long Beach Antique Market

• Paintings, Lori LaMont

• Nelson Apple pendant light: Modernica

OFFICE

• Desk: Pottery Barn

• Nesso Lamp, Giancarlo Mattioli: Hive Modern

• White fiberglass shell chairs, low rod-arm shell: Modernica

• Laccio side table: Long Beach Antique market

• Painting: Lori LaMont

Thanks, Lori + Monte!

(Images: Bethany Nauert)

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