Mural artist and content creator Champagne‘s Los Angeles rental home has a history of color; this was once the rental home of Dani Nagel and Phillip Butler, known for vibrant interiors. “My friend Dani moved out of the apartment last summer and passed the keys off to me,” Champagne explains. “There are a ton of lovely architectural details I love — from the arched doorways, vintage windows, the built-in shelving, tiled fireplace, to the tall ceiling framework in the living room — it was custom built and kept in really great condition throughout the years.”

Champagne, who also co-founded Bookha Studios, a photography studio in Downtown LA available for rent. It’s a great place to make content, but so is this home she shares with her very photogenic cat, Pony, as well as roommates and a dog. While just as colorful as the iteration that Dani and Philip created, it’s colorful and bold in a whole new way. Champagne’s living room features a green and white checkered wall mural, a pink piano, green built-in shelves, blue upcycled bar cabinet, and more. And there’s more color and pattern beyond the living room, as well as absolutely dreamy outdoor spaces.

“I love spending my free time outside on our patios — there’s the Hollywood sign right next to me!” exclaims Champagne. “The hills are a great backdrop and environment to sit back with a cup of coffee and just relax. My cat Pony especially loves enjoying the day basking in the sun-lit patios! Because the apartment is so spacious, it really is a great place to host guests! My roommates and I love spending time in the kitchen, chatting with guests on our patios and sharing a meal at the table together.” 

My Style: I love mixing modern pieces with vintage! I’d call it a colorful eclectic mix of happiness.

Inspiration: I form a lot of my inspiration from Pinterest! It’s a great place to collect ideas and organize them.

Favorite Element: I love my living room mural! It’s a large monochrome checkered wall. 

Biggest Challenge: I think the biggest challenge was filling the space since I came from a small one-bedroom apartment and moved into a place three times as big! When we first moved in, we didn’t have very much seating or furniture. Our friends were so excited to come over and see the new apartment but we didn’t have anywhere for them to sit! Over time though we slowly collected furniture and made the house a home. 

Proudest DIY: I upcycled a credenza and cabinet (cabinet actually found for free on the side of the road) and turned it into our bar area in the living room. I sanded the two pieces, painted them so they matched, replaced the hardware and took old Gucci wallpaper (I scored from someone who was just throwing it away!) and put it inside the cabinet. It was so much fun to take something so shabby looking and transform it into a custom Gucci bar (for basically nothing!)

Biggest Indulgence: Paint! Probably not the most expensive item on our list, but for me I always forget how much paint costs! Especially when you are painting a whole house! We rent the space, so it was an unnecessary indulgence, but I honestly didn’t care. I wanted to make the space exactly how I wanted, so if it meant purchasing paint to create murals then so be it! When we move out we will also have to pay to paint everything back white. My outlook on that is, if it will make you enjoy the space more then you should go for it! Even if you’re renting and will have to put in extra work when you move out. 

Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? I put a disco ball in my clothing closet! It adds an extra enjoyment to my daily routine when I’m getting ready for the day! 

What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? Grout Renew! It’s a product that basically ‘paints’ your grout for your floor tiles and makes them look brand new! Our apartment is very old so the grout in one of our bathrooms had seen better days. It has this beautiful yellow tile, but the grout was very dirty. I used this product called ‘Grout Renew’ and it honestly made the biggest difference! I recommend using the product you paint onto the tile instead of the pen. I have to warn though — it was a back breaking process because I was on my hands and knees for hours painting and rubbing. But in the end I think it was worth the elbow grease because now my bathroom looks clean and brand new! 

Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: I am a big believer in organization products in your home to maximize your space! I use several products to help organize my clothing closet, the kitchen drawers, and cabinets. Places like Amazon, the Container Store, or even Target has lots of helpful products. My favorite (and much over looked) product in my closet is my “underwear drawer organizer.” Socks, bras and underwear have always been hard for me to access and find — I usually had just stuffed everything into the same drawer and called it a day. But having the drawer organizer helps me see and easily access everything!

What are the biggest tricks/secrets to using color in decor? I like to Photoshop and mock up my designs before purchasing anything! It’s a great way to play with color and design if you’re unsure about anything. 

What’s your favorite wall paint color of all time: Pale Jasper DE5148 Paint Color #FED6CC from Dunn Edwards

Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Don’t be scared to DIY things! You’ll save so much money — and a lot of times you’ll end up creating something super unique that no one else will have.

• Kitchen — Dunn Edwards’ “Pale Apricot” 
• Small bath — Dunn Edwards’ “Pale Apricot” 
• Living room checkered wall — Dunn Edwards’ “Distant Landscape” and “Spinach Dip” 
• Accents — Dunn Edwards’ “Lighting Bug” 
• Hallway doors — Dunn Edwards’ “Savannah Sun,” “Lime Sorbet,” “Fuzzy Duckling,” “Strawberry Frappe” 
• Dining room was a mix of old paint I had.

• Living room sofa and bench — JoyBird
• Arm chairs — Scout Design Studio
• Rug — Anthropologie
• Piano — Facebook Marketplace from an individual seller then I painted it myself pink!

• Table, chairs, credenza — JoyBird

• My lovely boyfriend, Tyler Cancro  designed and hand-built our tiled bench. 

• Bedframe — Joybird

• Lounge furniture, table, rug, and umbrella — The Novogratz
• My boyfriend, Tyler Cancro designed and hand built our wooden bench.
• Pillows — Target
• Lighting — Mitz
• Everything else is either thrifted, custom made, or DIY

Thanks, Champagne!

This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity. Share Your Style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form