Penthouse Living in Los Angeles
Reading through Vanessa's post, I'm reminded that I seriously need to start taking on design clients again. I really miss working with people in their homes, and it's taken a bit of a backseat in my life as I've been extremely tied up with other things. Plus I have a lot of writing deadlines, and decor8 to maintain, so it's been a challenge for me to write as much as I do and still maintain everything else in my life. Did you know that my husband and I now have a 2nd home?
I can't wait to talk to you more about it in the upcoming months. I am officially bi-continental! The gut renovations are complete in our apartment in Germany so between now and July, I'll start 'decorating' it from afar, ordering furniture and accessories online and having things shipped there so we can have things like a bed and a sofa when we arrive later this year. If you're interested in seeing the apartment and the things I order just let me know and I'll share that on decor8. We'll only be staying there a few months each year since our primary residence is in New Hampshire, but to have our own apartment will be worlds better than staying in a hotel suite as we usually do. And if anyone needs a vacation to Hannover, you just may have to ask nicely. :) I'm really close to Berlin and Hamburg and a 45 minute flight to places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, so it's a great hub in Europe. So! I've had a lot going on in my life over the winter but very soon I want to start taking on client work again and sharing some of it right here on decor8. For now, I'll share some of Vanessa's work. She's my new sidekick out in L.A. who posts on decor8 once weekly. I call Lady V my decor8 west coast connection. Check out this penthouse she designed in Los Feliz.
Penthouse Living in Los Angeles by Vanessa De Vargas
Bordering Hollywood in Los Angeles is an area called Los Feliz. When the movie Swingers came out that featured Vince Vaughn and John Favreau it ended up making Los Feliz a household name. With many bars and clubs like the Dresden Room and The Derby, Los Feliz became a desirable neighborhood in the 90?s for the hipsters of Los Angeles to move to.
As a native to Los Angeles I have seen this side of town go through a huge transformation and was honored when a very busy movie producer asked me to help her consult on a penthouse in the area. She wanted a space that did not feel cluttered, was calm and had room to entertain. She wanted the space to feel like you were either in a New York loft or a modern penthouse in Europe.
The space was transformed into a chic bohemian place where she could display her wonderful eclectic vintage finds, like the chrome and glass coffee table and vintage walnut chairs (in the wallpapered room) which all came from the Pasadena Rose Bowl. The vintage 1960?s entry cabinet she inherited from her grandmother was a perfect fit and the brass sconces located in the living room were purchased from Rewire. We mixed new custom pieces to look old, like the custom leather dining benches and the red bathroom cabinet in her powder room.
The tufted bench against the wallpapered wall came from Lawson-Fenning and the pillow is Jonathan Adler. The tall vintage orange poster was a San Francisco find from a vintage shop on Haight Street. We still have some more work to do and unfortunately the bedroom was not finished in time to post this. I do promise to add those pictures when we are done and hope you enjoy the space, decor8 readers! - Vanessa
(Photos taken by Vanessa De Vargas)