The Stathoulis’ Mid-Wilshire Wonder
Name: Alexis, George, Eva (5), Theo (2), and Xander (2 months)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Size: 2,500 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years — owned
The Stathoulis home makes everyone who enters it feel transported. It feels as if the air is fresher, the food richer, and the light is…Mediterranean? When I first visited this gem of a home I didn’t pick up on it right away. Of course the style was calm, clean, and fresh but I hadn’t figured out that it was a closer semblance to a little piece of GREECE than a Mid-Wilshire home!
Only after poring through the 300 photos I took of every inch of their home did the puzzle come together. Their choices of colors, materials, and forms, add up to a pristine experience that (at least to someone who doesn’t live there) seems like a Santorini ‘vacation from a vacation’ dream home.
The textures and patterns mimic the deep hues of the sky and sea. The crisp white wall are warmed by organic sculpture and natural inspired patterns. Windows frame views to green gardens and views to the Hollywood hills, but as always the life of the home is felt through the choice of art on the walls. In this case, most of the art is done by up-and-coming fine artist Orlando Soria (as seen on HGTV’s Secrets of a Stylist) who is one of the oldest friends of the family. Soria’s modern silhouettes and floating figures in nature and liminal swaths of pastel blue layer poignantly with the rest of the home. By the way, Eva and Theo are little artists in their own right and use this house as their studio.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Clean and modern. I just like things to be very simple and uncomplicated, to give reverence to my art and allow for small pops of color.
Inspiration: Mainly art museums and fashion magazines. Also, my mother studied architecture and is an incredible artist, so she had a bunch of beautiful ideas to contribute.
Favorite Element: I love the windows. When we moved into this house there were tiny windows everywhere. We enlarged them and added a couple. As a native Angeleno, I love the sun and sunlight so it was very important to me to raise my children in a home full of light.
Biggest Challenge: Everything. When we showed up the house was full of shiny brass sconces, 1980s wallpaper, arched doorways, and all the walls were a terrible texture. Luckily, my husband is one of the handiest guys in the world and I’ve always loved interior design so we enjoyed our (nearly two year!) renovation.
What Friends Say: Most people love it and feel totally comfortable here, which I worried about a little because we did choose such minimal furniture and materials (and color, everything is white!).
Biggest Embarrassment: That while I spent forever redesigning this house, I have yet to choose a doorknob for my broom closet. It seems like when you remodel a whole house, there are small things that will go undone forever just because you get so tired of making decisions and sourcing things (also, a husband and three kids can be slightly time consuming!).
Proudest DIY: I love what George did to the fireplace. It was this ugly brick before that didn’t really speak to anything else that was going on in the house. I love how chic and simple he made it look.
Best Advice: If you’re doing a remodel, go to the fancy stores to find your tiles, fixtures, etc. Then figure out who the manufacturer is and order directly from them. It can be super time consuming but saves tons of money.
Thanks, Alexis, George, Eva, Theo, Xander !
Images: Gregory Sparks
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