Location? San Francisco, CA

How Long Have You Lived Here?  I’ve been in San Francisco for 9 years and lived in 6 different apartments. I moved to this apartment in the Mission District two years ago, and it has been my favorite by far.

Roommates?  Just me and my fluff ball, Willow. 

Occupation? Artist, Designer, Coach of @halfcourtqueers

Favorite Room/Nook? Probably my treasure-covered mantle in the living room because it allows me to hoard all my plants and cute knick-knacks in one place OR my hallway, solely because of the wall color “friendship” and that it really serves no function other than being an art gallery.

Design Inspiration?  Loud color palettes, my creative bouquet of friends, bodies and the things we feed them, disco, plants, patterns, pink.

Where do you like to find things for your home? Thrift and antique stores, flea markets, hand-me-downs from my mom— i like collecting things across the eras. 

What is one item you splurged on? My marble dining table from West Elm.

What is one item that you scored on? Pretty much all of  the art in my apartment are thrift scores or made by friends!

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? Not particularly at the moment, but I will always justify buying more original art, even when my walls are full and my closet is stacked with prints that still need to be framed and hung up! 

Any upcoming projects? Find me at  @sophiehoney  or  sophiepeoples.com  to find out ;-)

photos by: sana javeri-kadri

Location?

A few hundred feet from a world-famous Drag bar in West Hollywood, CA.

How Long Have You Lived Here?

Caroline’s been in the apartment for 7 years with several different roommates. Nicholas hopes he’s her last.

Roommates?

For a moment we lived together here with a roommate, but we replaced him with our walk-in closet.

Favorite Room/Nook?

Nicholas is quite partial to the floral chair in the bedroom by the window — great light and a little warmth! Also, how can you not love a floral club chair? There was just enough fabric left to give to C’s brother, who recovered two beautiful MCM chairs.

Caroline’s favorite room is the bedroom, specifically the bed. The sheets recently got an upgrade, and it’s a whole new ball game. Additionally, nothing is more pleasing than a perfectly made bed. 

Design Inspiration?

Nicholas is always trying to get rid of stuff. Caroline is always trying to keep stuff. The result is Overstuffed Minimalism.

Where do you like to find things for your home?

Many of our favorite pieces are family heirlooms — the couch was Caroline’s grandparents! She also has a chair fetish, so any chair that’s ever belonged to any member of her extended family has ended up in our home. 

What is one item you splurged on?

The dining table & chairs and bedside tables were all one purchase from West Coast Modern on Fairfax — easier to negotiate on price when you’re getting more, but less dining out that month…

Believe it or not, the biggest splurge were the blinds. The apartment had those cheap, vertical plastic blinds. The neighbors in the complex are all jealous of our upgraded shades.

What is one item that you scored on?

The ’50s record cabinet/coffee table was a Craigslist find. Craig has been good to us…

We’ve also found a terribly reasonable framer in Silverlake and, as a result, have a closet full of unhung framed art.

Anything you are currently on the hunt for?

Leafy plants that don’t die.

Any upcoming projects?

We’re getting married next year and have succumb to the Zillow gods. So perhaps a house is next? 

Location: Denver, CO

How Long Have You Lived Here?: Almost 1 year

Roommates? Caleb, my fiancé, & Barbara, my best friend

Occupation: Art gallery framer/shipper

Favorite Room/Nook: I’d have to say our bedroom. It’s the place everyone is most vulnerable in terms of finally letting go of the day to day hustle. I have a weird obsession with chillin’ super hard & being cozy, so naturally I love being in the most relaxing room of the house. Plus, the natural light is amazing!

Design Inspiration: If 1970’s Americana had a baby with Mid Century Modernism and then you dipped the baby into a 1960’s motorcycle cult classic movie, I’d say that was my overall design inspiration. Clean yet cozy. Modern yet throwback. That makes sense right?

Where do you like to find things for your home?: Most of my favorite things were gifted to me from my father (who got a lot of them when living throughout Europe), flea markets, or motorcycle swap meets. Caleb & I started recently making our own things which is always the best way because you get to personalize items and it’s way cheaper!

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

How Long Have You Lived Here?: I've lived in my glorious apartment for 1 year. I searched high and low for this baby, and I could not love it more. It's a 4 story walk up. I've slowly recruited friends to move in, so 3 of the 4 units are now occupied by my friends and I. 

Roommates? None. I rent out my spare room on Airbnb, so I constantly have one or more strangers living with me. It's a true love of mine to host people, so it has been really fun and fulfilling (as well as financially helpful) to host on Airbnb. You can see my listings here and here. 

Occupation: Currently "funemployed" and blogging about it at mizstunja.com. I'm trying to write for 90 days straight! Previously I was a Product Manager for a software company called Percolate. 

Favorite Room/Nook: Oh man, I love it all. I guess the living room. I have a little coffee bar, not pictured. When I make coffee and sit on my couch I am always like, "Wow, I love this apartment." I've even said this out loud when I'm the only one home. It warms my heart, since it's the first place that I've completely furnished on my own. It's all the things I love. The exposed bricks, high ceilings, and old wood floors really make it charming. 

Design Inspiration: Pinterest! I would say my style is comfortable + modern. I am a big mid-century fan. I also have a good friend who is a design inspiration with an amazing eye and organizational skills. I never thought I could fill those floor to ceiling bookshelves. She proved me wrong, doing it with all things that I owned already (she even used tupperware to prop my hats up!). 

Where do you like to find things for your home?: Hands-down, CRAIGSLIST. I'm serious. I really love to scour craigslist for furniture. I've scored some amazing deals on designer furniture (Bo Concept, CB2, Room and Board, Crate & Barrel, etc.). It's actually a hobby of mine. I would say 90% of my apartment decor is second-hand from Craigslist. It's a gold-mine in NYC if you are willing to do a lot of work coordinating movers or lugging things yourself. If I'm shopping, I love CB2. Sometimes I just like to walk through CB2 for fun and not buy anything. I also like antique pieces. I have a few antique chairs and an old asian chest that belonged to my great-grandmother. 

What is one item you splurged on? My coffee table. It's an original Noguchi design, but is still second-hand from Craigslist. I spent a little more than I was planning because it just went with the rest of the decor so well. I love the glass top and rounded edges. It's on-point with my comfortable-modern vibe. I think it's stylish, unique, and inviting. 

What is one item that you scored on? I actually scored on one person. I found a girl on Craigslist who was moving, and she needed to get rid of almost everything in her place. I originally went to look at her bed frame she had listed. We have a really similar sense of style, and I ended up taking almost everything she owned (well, furniture and house-ware). It was a huge score. I even have a framed picture of her mother's family because it looked so perfect in the frame (she had an extra copy). We actually became friends, and I sometimes go to her yoga classes now.

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? I am trying to replace a few things, including the over-sized chair in the reading nook. I love that chair for it's comfort, but I need more space for my guests to put their bags. I imagine a cozy meditation nook with large oversized floor pillows and a bench for people to put their suitcases on. I'm hunting slowly for anything to fill out my meditation nook dreams. The pinning has begun! I am also planning to work on adding art to my bedroom and the entry hall. I have some things in mind (I love Minted.com for art). 

Any upcoming projects? Always! I actually help a lot of my friends decorate their places. So between that and redesigning my reading nook, I have plenty coming up. I will be traveling through the summer, but am constantly on the search for new pieces to update my apartment. I may even find a few things on my travels. I am also considering trying to repurpose some pieces that I find on Craigslist for resale. This has been on my mind for a while. Since it's such an odd hobby of mine, I might as well capitalize on it! 

Location? Lower Greenville, Dallas, Texas

How Long Have You Lived Here? I moved into this apartment (& to Dallas) in November 2016.

Roommates? Currently solo and loving it!

Occupation? Architect (in training)

Favorite Room/Nook? Not gonna lie, I spend a lot of time on my couch in my living room watching HBO, although I love love love eating bacon and drinking coffee at my dining room table on a Sunday morning.  My assorted forms of technology are all usually out of reach so it's the one spot in my apartment I can really disconnect and just take a sec to really recoup from the week.

Design Inspiration?  I've lived a pretty nomadic life at this point and I think I carry a little bit of each place everywhere I go.  It's fun to look around and see things I've brought with me from California or that I bought in Beijing or New Orleans.  My travels really inspire me for sure.  Also worth noting that I have a rather large and growing collection of Catholic and other religious paraphernalia - my favorite being a small clay milagro charm of the Virgin Mary that I bought in Oaxaca, which my friend Alison has dubbed "poorly painted Mary" because of her crudely depicted facial features.

Where do you like to find things for your home?  When I lived in the SF Bay Area, I was blessed to have a few great flea markets and "re-store" shops that sold recycled homegoods and fixtures that had been salvaged from the dump.  And I once found an old office chair on the side of the road in the Lower Haight neighborhood of SF that an ex and I reupholstered in bright pink Ikat fabric - it's now one of my favorite pieces.  I have to say though, Dallas has several particularly great vintage stores that I think rival the very best of the West Coast for a fraction of the price - that has been a really great discovery. 

What is one item you splurged on?  I honestly can't think of anything that I've truly splurged on which is surprising because I do love a splurge.  I did recently buy a Chimayo rug at a thrift store that I knew wasn't really worth $30 but I bought it anyway because I loved the color combo.

What is one item that you scored on?  Scored is maybe the wrong word, but after my grandparents passed away, I inherited a few mid century pieces that I had been in love with since I was a kid.  The most interesting of which is a teak buffet/bar from the early 70s that has a cabinet that pulls down into a bar top.  It's one of those conversation pieces you always see out and about and think "one day..." and now I'm lucky enough to have something like that in my living room.

Anything you are currently on the hunt for?  I am really bad about getting cute plants and not having cute pots for them.  I am on the hunt for some real ceramic pottery to get those guys out of yogurt containers...

Any upcoming projects?  I have a big portrait of my mom that a family friend drew for her maybe 15 years ago now.  My mom didn't want to hang a picture of herself in our home so it was later bestowed unto me.  Having a frame made for it has been on my to do list for quite some time now.  

Location: NE Portland, OR

How Long Have You Lived Here? 2 years

Who Else Lives Here? Maddie, our 4 year old corgi

Occupation:
Holly - Art Director at Swift Agecy
Dylan - Assistant Editor at Joint Editorial

Favorite Room/Nook: One of the best things about our home is how open it is, so our living room, dining room, and work areas are all really one big room. We probably spend 90 percent of hour home time in that room working, eating, playing with Maddie, or just vegging out. It’s so great for entertaining because the space can kind of expand or contract depending on the size of the crowd.

Design Inspiration: Everything! I spend a lot of time on Pinterest, but what I really love vintage shopping at all of the amazing stores in SE Portland. I love to bring in lots of textures and colors to make a big space feel cozy.

Where do you like to find things for your home? Vintage shops in Portland on Hawthorne (Vintage Pink is a favorite), Ikea, Urban Outfitters, Etsy.

What is one item you splurged on? The bed! For a long time, we were using the full sized bed that I'd bought in college and at one point it just wasn't cutting it anymore. So we upgraded to a king sized bed and haven't looked back since.

What is one item that you scored on? Our couch is actually a great Ikea hack — a Kivik sofa with walnut legs and a custom blue velvet-y cover with a tufted back. This couch has been with us since our first apartment together in LA and every time we've moved, we've swapped out the cover.

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? A new long table! Our is a great size (it expands to fit 12 people around it!), but it's laminate. We'd love to invest in a nice, solid table made from real wood, but we haven't seen anything yet that is the same size and won't completely break the bank.

Any upcoming projects? Our biggest project is that we're getting married this summer! Planning a wedding is maybe the biggest non-work project I've undertaken and somehow it seems to eat into any extra time I might have had. But at least it's fun!

Location: NE Portland, OR

How Long Have You Lived Here? 7 months

Who Else Lives Here? Kevin Do

Occupation:  
Olivia - Production Manager at a web development company. 
Kevin - Designer at Grovemade

Favorite Room/Nook: Olivia – “It's 600 square feet so the whole thing is a nook wink emoticon I love our bed the most. Kevin made it last Valentine's Day out of 2x4s and our Pendleton blanket is perfect for Portland winters.”

Design Inspiration: Kevin – “Inspiration is gray area between timeless beauty and modern design. There is a balance of something new, something old and things that are modern interpretations. What is essential? What is simple and what is important are questions I ask myself when living in a small space.”

Where do you like to find things for your home? Kevin – “Other then the obvious places like thrift stores, and the internet. I find a lot of cool stuff off Instagram. It’s really easy to get lost in the world of designers and artists. Instagram lets you quickly surf IG profiles like mini portfolios, boutiques and online stores. Other places we like find our stuff is from other designers and makers that I’ve met over the years. I also have designed some home goods myself that are scattered around our home.”

Location? The Belmont Neighborhood, in inner SE Portland.
 
How Long Have You Lived Here? This beautiful lady and I have been together for just over a year now. I looked all over Portland for a Victorian that I could afford. It was love at first sight. My realtor begged me not to do it, as it had been vacant for years, the ceilings were falling in, and the plaster walls were held together by four layers of terrible wallpaper that dated back to 1902. I love her bones, and the majority of the original built-ins and woodwork are still in tact. I wanted a home with history, and I certainly got one. While digging out the sump pump in my basement I uncovered about 40 glass bottles that were hidden away during prohibition. I also found old top hats in the walls, and shoes in the floor boards of the attic. I learned that these items were left behind by carpenters that built the house, as this was common practice in the early 1900’s in an effort to ward of evil spirits and ghosts, and to protect the house. I couldn’t ask for more.
 
Roommates? The best. I have shared a home with my roommate Corbin for almost five years now. We basically communicate with expressions of the face and body. Words are secondary and often unnecessary. I also have the pleasure of living with the best band in Portland- Human Ottoman!
 
Occupation? I am an Architectural Designer at Workshop1, based in San Francisco. I am also a musician, currently performing with my main squeeze, Childspeak!
 
Favorite Room/Nook? My bathroom, hands down. I know that this is a strange favorite, but I am the youngest of eleven children, and bathroom time has always been a sacred and cherished time. This is the first time that I have had a bathroom of my very own, and I am never going back. This is probably why I blew the majority of my remodel budget turning an old closet into this gorgeous space.  And probably why it was totally worth it.
 
Design Inspiration? I studied Architecture in Copenhagen, and fell in love with the simplicity and elegance of Scandinavian design. Rooms in the house intend to serve as blank canvases for artifacts, works of art and memories.
 
Where do you like to find things for your home? My roommates are well aware of my Ikea addiction… So are the workers at Ikea, Portland. I usually keep this information to myself when in the company of fellow designers. My style and needs change so often that the short life span of Ikea products serves as a positive rather than a negative. I also spend most of my evenings mindlessly scrolling through Craigslist listings looking for unique finds. If you’ve posted anything “post modern” on Portland’s Craigslist, I have seen it, I’ve considered it, I’ve yearned for it, and I’ve most likely begrudgingly talked myself out of it.
 
What is one item you splurged on? The steel beam in my bedroom was by far my biggest splurge. I have always been drawn to industrial design, and I made it a point to not attempt to restore the house to its original beauty, but rather to utilize what was already there, and contrast it with industrial and de-constructivist design, which is totally my bag. Exposing skeletons and connections were the driving factors for this home’s remodel. Rather than designing a support system for my loft bed and hiding it behind a finish material, I wanted to not only expose the support system, but for the system to be the main design element of the room. This required a simple and straight forward design, which is what landed me on this 10’ steel mill grade beam with exposed knife plate connections.  The rafters for the loft bed are also exposed, and are made from salvaged solid redwood 2x4’s (actual dimension- they don’t make them like this anymore) that I tore out of another wall in the house.
 
What is one item that you scored on? I really lucked out on my dining table. It is a Gus Dining table, which was about two thousand dollars over my dining table budget. I found it on Craigslist, and bought it from a disgruntled designer that had lost the hardware while moving to Portland. I purchased the table for $100 and spent a whopping $3 at Home Depot for nuts, bolts and washers. I smile every time I see it.
 
Anything you are currently on the hunt for? I designed my loft bed with the vision of an antique rolling library ladder in mind. I have been stalking Craigslist for a 6’ ladder, and have yet to find anything close to what I am envisioning. I currently use a construction ladder to climb into bed, and there is nothing glamorous about that.
 
Any upcoming projects? There is an absolutely gorgeous attic in the top eave of my home that I wish to transform into my painting studio. The space is lofty, and is framed by brilliantly oversized red wood beams. When I first moved into the house, I planned on making this space my bedroom, as I loved the geometry of the French Curve roofline so very much. This plan changed quickly when I realized the possibility of having my own bathroom downstairs. Currently, my only art space is in my basement with all of our music equipment. I own a personality that is easily distracted, so having multiple purposes for one space has never worked well for me. 

Location? Los Angeles

How Long Have You Lived Here? Just over 3 years

Roommates? Yes! I just got 2 brand new ones that I’m very excited about. 

Occupation? Social Media Content Queen

Favorite Room/Nook? My bedroom for sure. I refer to it as the Peach Palace. 

Design Inspiration? A lot of Bando and this article: https://www.thedecorista.com/blog/2015/10/21/6zwfdctx9gv3ngenavrhfh6k61zl1l 

I like to mix really classically girly tones and objects with edgier/weird things and pretty much anything tropical, encrusted with glitter, or both. 

Where do you like to find things for your home? Goodwill, Craigslist, various Facebook groups. Also a big fan of the teen versions of furniture stores (PBTeen, Restoration Hardware Teen, etc.)

What is one item you splurged on? The 7 foot mirror in my living room. Honestly though, I found it at a flea market and would have paid twice what I did, very happily. Oh! My neon sign. It’s a line from Robbers by The 1975, which happens to be my favorite song by my favorite band about my favorite movie. All around perfection. 

What is one item that you scored on? The gold bookcases in my living room. I went with a friend to pick up a table from a couple that did interior decorating and saw the shelves in their office and asked about them. They weren’t for sale then but I left my number with them in case they ever were and a full year later they called me and offered them to me for free if I could pick them up that day. Needless to say, I made it there in like an hour. 

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? Paint! I hate doing it and I’ve been putting it off forever but pretty much all the rooms could really use a fresh coat and I’m working on finding the perfect colors. I’m thinking a barely noticeable grey though.

Any upcoming projects? The bathroom needs work. I’m tackling that next. Also my hallway is really narrow and long and feels empty so my new roommates and I are planning on going to the mall to get really cheesy family portraits taken so we can line it with those. 

Location: Phoenix, AZ.

How Long Have You Lived Here?: Two years, going on three!

Roommates? My 5 year old bluenose pit bull, Savalli, my roommate of 5 years, Tyler Cash, and our backyard roommate, Ashley Miller (her bedroom is detached).
Our home has a couple different nicknames like "The Granny Palace" and "Three's Company" because our third roommate (just like Chrissy) has been different every time we've resigned our yearly lease.

Occupation:
Amanda- Manager @ Welcome Chicken+Donuts
Tyler- Makeup artist & manager @ M A C
Ashley- Server & Bartender @ Cornish Pasty

Favorite Room/Nook: My 12 seater detachable couch is always the go-to for the whole cuddle up and hang out but my "favorite room" changes ALL the time. Currently I would have to say- my backyard. In Arizona, anything under 100 degrees is nice weather, so I've been hanging outside a lot lately with my good ol' record player and my flourishing garden. (So far I have mint, basil, thyme, oregano, tomatoes, broccolini, strawberries, lettuce, jalapeño peppers, and a bunch of cactus/succulents)

Design inspiration: I pick up a lot of my inspiration via travels but I feel like my design is ALL OVER THE PLACE. My favorite aesthetic is Moroccan with a dash of cottage/farm style. I really love bright bold colors, patterns and textures.

Where do you like to find things for your home? Almost everything I own is from thrift stores, yard sales, and alleyway finds that I've re-purposed. I've also been lucky enough to get a bunch of hand-me-downs too.

What is one item you splurged on? I'm all about design on a budget so literally everything I've purchased has been less than $30, EXCEPT for that fabulous yellow vintage couch in my family room. I spent $100 on it and that's only because I had to convince a friend to sell it to me.

What is one item that you scored on? I've been obsessed with interior decoration since my early teenage years, so I've been collecting and scoring on pieces slowly but surely over the years. I have to admit that I am kind of a furniture hoarder, so to me, everything has been a score. I'm the crazy lady that you see going through people's bulk trash on pick up day and strapping large pieces down on the top of my Honda Accord. However, that giant $9,000 Persian rug in my living room is obviously the biggest score yet because my parents gave it to me FOR FREE when they divorced.

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? Nothing in particular at the moment. I'd love a new bed set though (it's really hard finding California King sets at thrift stores)

Any upcoming projects? A huge project, actually. I have an old front end of a VW bus that I've had for years. When I first got it I repurposed it into outdoor seating, filled with comfy cushions, pillows, curtains and string lights. I'm going to keep it as just that but revamp it all by sanding down the rusty metal, repainting it and reupholstering all the cushions and pillows. I will have to send the updated photos once I have completed it!

Location? - West Hollywood

How Long Have You Lived Here? - Three Years

Roommates? - Yep! Just one 

Occupation? - I work in film development

Favorite Room/Nook? - Hmmm. I don't really have one. 

Design Inspiration? - Definitely heavily influenced by midcentury modern (aren't we all these days hah), but I try and mix in some industrial and shabby chic elements as well. 

Where do you like to find things for your home? - Any way that I can hah. There was a website called Move Loot that was amazing for high quality used furniture, but it shut down a year or two ago. That was where I got my Z-chair and my sofa for like half of what they would go for at a traditional vintaIge furniture store.

I also have a workshop, and have built several of the pieces for my home myself (my turntable credenza, my coffee table, the floating shelves in my room, the tree trunk end table in our living room, and a couple other things here and there).

I also find that big box stores like Target and Ikea are great for smaller items and some accent pieces (my bar cart and living room lamps are all from Target) but I try to avoid them for bigger items because they are built cheap and won't last! Finally, I used to live downtown, and had amazing luck with finding stuff in my alley that people were about to throw away. I know you may be recoiling at alleyway furniture, but both my dining room table and the huge painting above it were found there, and are some of my favorite pieces in the whole apartment.   

What is one item you splurged on? - The Z chair next to my couch in my living room is probably my favorite piece of furniture I've ever bought, but it was also definitely the most expensive. I would do it again in a heartbeat though, I mean just look at it!

What is one item that you scored on? - I would have to go back to that large painting above my dining room table. It was literally just sitting behind a dumpster in my alley, and I couldn't believe someone was about to throw it out. To this day though, I am still not sure if I have hung it correctly, or if it is upside down hah. 

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? - My old roommate recently moved out and I had a new one move in, so we no longer have a rug in our living room. It's definitely made it feel pretty bare (and also makes the floor look so much dirtier) so trying to get a replacement ASAP. 

Any upcoming projects? - I need a nightstand! I've got the design down but just need to find some time to actually construct it. 

Location: SE Portand

How Long Have You Lived Here?: A little over 1 year, and we’re the 4th generation of the apt being transferred from friend to friend.

Roommates? Mowgli (our Ridgeback/Great Dane mix) and the occasional couch surfer.

Occupation: 

Madelynn- Student at University of Western States

Benjamin- Freelance product designer

Favorite Room/Nook: Our favorite rooms are the kitchen nook area and TV room. I like the quiet nook for studying and drinking my morning cup of coffee. Ben likes to kick his feet up and unwind with a beer and a Blazers game in the TV room. We love that our house is spacious so we can have our own space when we need it and that all the windows and natural light make it feel warm and welcoming. 

Design Inspiration: I would say that our design inspiration is antique archaeology meets mid-century modern. We love vintage/antique finds and we haven’t limited ourselves to one specific “style”, so it has become an eclectic mix of things that have caught our eye. Overall we’re drawn to clean modern lines, industrial-inspired pieces, the rustic wood feel, and we LOVE having lots of plants (usually adding 1 or 2 new plants every month).

Where do you like to find things for your home?: We like to go to flea markets and smaller antiques stores to find special items to decorate. Ben likes doing DIY projects and making/refurbishing furniture. Our TV stand is a slab from a local wood mill that he made a custom base for using old pipes found at The Rebuilding Center, which is one of our favorite places for DIY supplies. We also like to “hack” IKEA products. We’ve used parts from IKEA combined with rough-sawn and reclaimed wood to make our dining table and a wall-mounted shelf. We’ve also found some occasional great deals on Ebay and Craigslist.

What is one item you splurged on? We definitely splurged on our pair of cowhide chairs. Sometimes we do some inspirational “window shopping” at Grand Marketplace, and they have amazing stuff that’s usually out of our price range. But I came across those chairs and had to have them.

What is one item that you scored on? Our TV stand was a definite score. Ben got the wood slab from a local mill for $40 because it was considered a “remnant” piece, being the outer cut off the tree. Combine that with another $20 in materials and some sweat equity and we have a unique statement piece. 

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? A new couch! We have to admit that our couch is a hand me down that was most likely a free Craigslist couch. It’s probably on its last leg and I think we’d like to replace it. We’re also always on the hunt for cool pots and/or containers for our ever-expanding collection of plants.

Any upcoming projects? Now that spring is arriving we want to work on our garden and get it prepped and ready to grow some fruits and veggies. We also have some planter beds on our deck we made last year out of some old drawers that we’d like to plant some herbs in.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (Highland Park)

How Long Have You Lived Here? 6 years

Roommates? My husband, Francis (does that count?), and our two dogs, Carlos & Luna

Occupation: Content Marketing Manager. Francis is a Technical Project Manager. Both at an e-commerce company.

Favorite Room/Nook: The yard. It was main reason we moved into the house. Gardening is one of my favorite hobbies so I spend a lot of time outside working in the yard. We also built a little fire pit and usually will have a fire and roast marshmallows when we have people over. The yard is my favorite entertaining space, because it requires very little prep work for a party and the weather is most likely always going to be good enough for an outside party. 

Design Inspiration: I get inspiration from a lot of different places. Styled images on west elm or CB2, apartment therapy, but also I can see a lot of my design ideas come from the houses I grew up in – my childhood home, my maternal grandparents house where I lived for 6 years.

Where do you like to find things for your home? I really like things that have a history. The dresser in our bedroom belonged to my great grandmother, then my mom used it when she was young, I had it in my childhood bedroom for a few years and then my sister had it in her childhood bedroom. Now it lives with us again. It’s been many colors over the years, and one of my next projects is to strip it and re-paint it. My bedside dresser was also from my childhood bedroom, and it’s been a few different colors over the years. Our bedside lamps are from my parent’s bedroom that my mom gave to us when we moved into the house. A lot of the little knickknacks are from my grandparent’s house, trips we’ve taken, or from flea markets. I’ve also scored some great pieces from craigslist – the credenza in our living room, the chairs around the table in the kitchen. The kitchen table is from a tiny flea market in Wrightwood, CA. Also ebay! I’ve bought the vintage runner in the hall and the vintage star wars posters that are in our living room. The “Libby’s Flowers” banner is actually a prop from Gilmore Girls and one of my favorite things in the house. It’s my favorite show of all time and a family friend who worked in the art department and knew how much I loved the show made it for episode 613 when Lorelai and Sookie are at the flower mart.

What is one item you splurged on? We’ve splurged on two items in the house – the couch is from West Elm and replaced the old leather couch that lived in Francis’ older brothers college apartment. We also splurged on the bed frame, from CB2 and organic queen size mattress last year. We slept on a full size for the first 5 years in this house plus an additional year in our first apartment. 

What is one item that you scored on? Our Brown Jordan patio set - $100 for a table and 4 chairs on craigslist! Some of the paint is chipping on the chairs, but the webbing is in great condition. My parents had a Brown Jordan patio set when I was a kid and I always loved it.

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? SO MANY THINGS. I’ve been slowly replacing all our “first apartment” Ikea furniture, and have two pieces left. I’m looking for a new bedside table for Francis and a new bookshelf. Also more rugs. And a real coffee table. And a nice futon for the office. 

Any upcoming projects? Decorating our office/spare room. This room has been my least favorite since we moved in because it’s really more of a storage room. I have been working on getting rid of stuff we don’t use/need because it all ends up in this room.

Location? Silver Lake, Los Angeles

How Long Have You Lived Here? 5 months

Roommates? One! My homie JT.

Occupation? I'm an art production coordinator.

Favorite Room/Nook? I love my room, but I have a particularly soft spot for a corner that has some photography by local artists of color and a print of "La Conversation" by Matisse that I got from the Legion of Honor in San Francisco years ago. My mom has a copy of it in her room too so I feel tethered to my home in the Bay Area. There are also little keepsakes and things I'm sure people thought I would've thrown away by now instead of turning into some form of ornamentation. Everything in my room--the posters, positioning, color story, and tone--is all pretty intentional. I wanted to create a sense of calm but a feeling of vibrancy, of being alive and keenly aware of your surroundings too. 

Design Inspiration? I draw from everything I'm attuned to - music, film, my friends and family, designers, artists and poets. I think minimalism as an aesthetic choice gets a bit bland in practice. I read this article about how minimalistic design with mostly white interiors and details can parallel the sentiment behind colorism, or subconsciously prioritizing whiteness over the existence of color in a frame. So I like to think the things I look at in my room are a reflection (or projection) of how I see the world and/or how I would like to see it. 

Where do you like to find things for your home? Local art shows (especially for up-and-coming photographers and artists of color - check out Junior High's events for dope stuff!), design and music magazines, farmers' markets, things lovingly gifted by friends (the "cultural icon" sign) or old mentors ("this is art" sticky note from my old boss) and coworkers, kind of all over the place.

What is one item you splurged on? The only thing I really spent a decent amount of money on was my couch from Ikea that pulls out into either a giant super couch or a bed, whichever you prefer to call it. 

What is one item that you scored on? It's actually something I didn't spend anything on! When we moved in, my room came with these built-in white shelves that have been a lifesaver for all my bric-a-brac, books, hats and random objects. It's given my room an intentional feeling of organization, which would no doubt shock my mom. 

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? I'm always looking for more coffee table books - I just got James Turrell's retrospective book through my job. I love being able to take pause and draw inspiration creatively from poetry, design and art books. 

Any upcoming projects? I'm a poet and writer outside of my day job, so I'm working on making more of my work accessible through visual mediums - I've been publishing little poems on my instagram in collaboration with some wonderful young photographers like Rikki Wright and Suzi Hyun, and I'm hoping to turn one of my favorite poems into a quasi-music video soon. 

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma.

How long have you lived here? A decade in the Tulsa area, two months in my downtown studio.

Roommates? Nope. All the hummus is mine

Occupation? I make custom guitar and instrument cables for the global music industry. I also deal antiques and collectibles (aka unwanted junk) I find at estate sales, flea markets, garage sales, etc on eBay on the side.

Favorite room/nook? It's so small that all the nooks sort of spill into each other like a Venn diagram of nooks. But I was too lazy to find anything other than the windowsill to use as a bookshelf, so that's an interesting spot... I guess it's the book nook. #booknook

Design inspiration: I will cop to studying the Urban Outfitters online catalog. It’s very textile-centric so it is somewhat my jam, but it can border on millennial kitsch sometimes, which I'm not super into (too many owls/foxes/printed quotes). Also, growing up in New Mexico exposed me to a lot of Native American culture. Right now that stuff is really hip, but it has a genuine sentimentality to me, and that’s why I surround myself with it—not just cuz it’s cool. I believe sentimentality lends itself to unique design, as it gives everything a personality, a story, and a reason to be there. 

Where do you find things for your home? The Big 5: eBay. Thrift stores. Garage sales. Estate sales. Flea markets. I never, ever buy new (unless it's something like a mattress). There’s too much New Stuff being made and it freaks me out. Old Stuff is cooler, well-made, and can be resold for profit when you don’t need it anymore if you have a good eye and reliable intuition. Recycle, reuse, resell. Get dat style. Get dat cash. 

What is one item you splurged on? My couch. It's just an old dime-a-dozen mid-century Kroehler sectional I found at Salvation Army, but I had to spend quite a bit to have it steam cleaned. It was icky. Now it's just slightly less icky. But it looks cool. I sit on it. Girls like it.

What is one item that you scored on? I suppose my living room rug. I had it attributed by the gal who is in charge of rugs and textiles auctions at Christie's, and I learned it's a Tekke tribal rug from Turkmenistan and dates to the 1920's. I found it for $10 at an estate sale in South Tulsa. It's not *super* valuable, but it's very old and genuine, a true antique, and people think it's cool when I tell them it's a hundred years old. Also I found a Bernina 1230 at Goodwill a couple weeks ago and sold it for a thousand bucks on Craigslist. That was also a score.

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? I'm on the prowl for a different desk. The one I have right now is perfectly fine, but I was very spoiled by the rare Danish mid century furniture I used to work with at my old job in Los Angeles, particularly the desks, and now I want one for myself. So, if anyone's grandma has a Svend Aage Madsen or Arne Vodder masterpiece languishing in a Midwestern garage somewhere, get at me.

Any upcoming projects? I'm usually just swapping furniture/decor in and out, nothing that can be considered a home project. In the meantime, I'm always out shooting pictures (insert shameless #website plug). Tylerfitzsimons.com