First-Time Homeowners Decorate Their 1910 House with DIYs and IKEA Hacks

Lili Pillet and her husband have owned this 1200-square-foot Los Angeles house for two years: Our first home was featured in Apartment Therapy in 2019. And here we are four years later, settled in LA and new homeowners of a little house built in 1910 in the neighborhood of Boyle Heights! My husband and I are both creatives working in the film and advertising world. Our home is run by our cat, T’Challa, and a plethora of plants.

As a creative and young homeowner, I always try to find alternative solutions to home decor and organization in our house. Because we moved so much (Paris, London, New York, and now LA), every piece of furniture has to be affordable, practical, and possibly customizable (so I can change the color or the configuration to meet my needs). I don’t really follow trends for home decor (although I still love mid-century design) and I’m usually intuitive about colors.

I like an effortless style and simple lines with pops of color everywhere. People say that our home reflects my personality because it’s colorful, eclectic, cheerful, and cozy. I display my ceramics and art everywhere.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or fewer: Colorful, cheerful, eclectic, effortless, cozy.

What is your favorite room and why? That would be hard to choose! Probably the living room. I still have lots of improvement projects in mind!

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing I bought for my home was an IKEA dresser that I have hacked. I painted it purple/lavender and added artisanal legs from a carpenter found on Etsy.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Follow your intuition! Don’t be afraid of colors! Things don’t have to match! Furniture pieces don’t have to cost a fortune!

Find furniture pieces that can be versatile enough so you don’t have to get rid of them when you need to move to your next home.

Organizing and decluttering is also a good way to keep your home stress-free. And lighting and paint are the best ways to make a boring house look like a home.

This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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