A Homebody Injected Joy and Whimsy Into a Builder-Grade Home (on a Budget!)

Written by

published Dec 12, 2024

A Homebody Injected Joy and Whimsy Into a Builder-Grade Home (on a Budget!)

Written by

published Dec 12, 2024

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About this tour

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Home Type

Apartment

Location

North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Style

Art Deco

Maximalist

Vintage

Bedrooms

Square feet

1312

Sq ft

1312

“My priority when it comes to my living space is that people feel at-home here; I grew up in a cozy, welcoming house that people loved to visit, and I really strive to be that place for my friends,” begins Johnny LaZebnik of this 1,312-square-foot North Hollywood apartment he’s lived in for seven years. “That said, I have more of a flair for the dramatic than my parents do, and riding the line of bold versus inviting has been an interesting challenge. I love, love, love old things, but I am fairly uneducated when it comes to name brands, designers, etc. (plus, I’m cheap), so very little here is actually ‘valuable’ in a Chairish sense.”

Credit: Jess Higgins

Johnny describes his home's decor style as "nostalgic, dramatic, ever-changing, loved, kitschy."

“Instead, I see my apartment as sort of an ode to the everyday — think vintage magazine covers and ads, photos from old scrapbooks, framed journal entries. I love putting things on walls that normally would have rotted away in a drawer — it makes me feel connected to the past. When much of what you own is thrifted, passed down, or found, you learn to accept imperfection as a part of your aesthetic,” Johnny continues.

Credit: Jess Higgins

The 1970s Marimekko fabric hanging behind Johnny's bar was found at an estate sale for $5.

“My best friend once asked me if I’d ever be ‘done’ with my place (from a design perspective), and as nice as it sounds, I just don’t see that happening — I’m constantly going to estate sales and thrift stores and finding new things I adore. I then have to figure out how to incorporate that new thing into my apartment, and what I might have to give up to make room. One day I hope to be a minimalist — to have one or two gorgeous set-pieces in each room, and otherwise have clean lines and a pared-down aesthetic. I think that will only be possible if I have a 10-bedroom home one day, and as that seems unlikely, I’ve begrudgingly accepted maximalism.”

Credit: Jess Higgins

The shelves were built by Jonny, the embroidery is by either himself or his sister, the knitted succulents by his mom, and tree sketch by his friend Ryan. "Nearly everything else found at thrift stores or book stores."

“While I’d love a space that more quirks baked into the architecture (Victorian homes are my absolute favorite), this place is/was relatively builder-grade, so I had no real choice but to try to inject joy and whimsy into it,” Johnny writes. “Probably my boldest choice was with the guest bathroom; I found very little inspiration online for how to glamorize a bathroom with no natural light, and ended up taking a bold choice and painting it a very intense (honestly more intense than I intended) shade of royal purple. I really like it, but even if it’s a little ugly, I would always prefer ‘a little bit ugly but memorable’ to ‘a little bit ugly but forgettable.'”