Mara & Alex’s First Home as a Married Couple
Name: Mara Roszak and Alex Polillo
Location: Silver Lake – Los Angeles, California
Size: 1400 square feet
Years lived in: 2 1/2 years
Taking the leap and purchasing your very first home can be very nerve-racking. Mara did her homework and looked for the perfect place for a number of years without any luck. When she found her current home she told her realtor to put in a back up offer, then out of the blue she received a call from her realtor saying the initial offer fell though and the house was hers!
Shortly after Mara purchased the home, she met the love of her life, Alex. She told Alex that she hoped he liked her new place because he would be living there too. Luckily they have a similar taste in design, so when it came time to renovate, they were able to work together easily. They were also very lucky to have help from a close interior designer friend, Richard Pier of Team Archers in Los Angeles.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: A mix of industrial Mid-Century, classic Italian, and French country
Inspiration: The house itself is inspiring. We tried to keep the bones of the house feeling original from the 1920s and then add components from various stores and hotels and houses we visited.
Favorite Element: Between the kitchen and the front arched windows in the living room.
Biggest Challenge: Keeping the house feeling authentically 1920s Spanish while adding so many different influences.
What Friends Say: Someone recently called it “magical.” Everyone is super surprised when they walk through the gate and see all the green and hear the fountain…
Biggest Embarrassment: Our bedroom is super boring and is seriously lacking artwork.
Proudest DIY: Koi pond – such a bigger task than we anticipated, but well worth it.
Biggest Indulgence: The kitchen and bathroom remodels.
Best Advice: Live in the space for a little bit before you start making changes.
Dream Source: Lawson-Fenning, Nickey Kehoe, Croft House, Rose Bowl Flea Market, Urban Archaeology, Heath Ceramics
Resources of Note:
APPLIANCES
HARDWARE
FURNITURE
- Croft House
- Room&Board
- Lawson-Fenning
- CB2
ACCESSORIES
- Heath Ceramics
- Gilly Flowers
- West Elm
- Rolling Greens Nursery
LIGHTING
- Nickey Kehoe
- Restoration Hardware
- Lawson-Fenning
RUGS & CARPETS
BEDS
- Room&Board
ARTWORK
Images: Marcia Prentice
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