Apartment Reveal: How Leslie Created a Minimal Oasis in the Middle of West Hollywood
ASTR 'Aidy' Sweater, Agolde 'Ren' Denim (I'm obsessed with these), Cupcakes and Cashmere Mules (in beige and black here)
When my fiancé Jonah and I moved to West Hollywood nearly two months ago, we didn't really want to. Our last apartment, a 500 square-foot bungalow in Echo Park, was magical—it had beautiful light, so much charm, and was walking distance to some of our best friends. But it was also far from our jobs. Both Jonah's and my offices are in West Hollywood, and the commute, between 45 minutes to an hour every single day, sapped any "magic" our apartment created. After just two weeks of commuting to my office (which was previously a thirty-minute commute), I decided I had to move or risk burning out on L.A. traffic. After a marathon week of seeing some truly horrific apartments (including one with a living room floor tilted at 45 degrees), we finally saw the apartment. It met all of my requirements: That we be a short commute from our offices, that all of our existing furniture would fit, and that it have a place for my cookbooks (random, but true).
The apartment is in a neighborhood I never thought I'd move to. While I loved the quiet, neighborhood feel of Echo Park, West Hollywood is bustling with bars, restaurants, and tourists. As soon as we walk out our front door, we're in the thick of it—which we thankfully love so much more than we thought we would. But it also makes it that much more important that our apartment feels like an oasis within the city; a home I can happily spend a Sunday lounging in and can decompress in after a long day at work. There are still some small things I would change, but all in all, I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Here's what Jonah and my new home looks like:
Anthropologie Magazine Rack, Cost Plus World Market Console, IKEA Lamp, Vintage Dog Doorstopper, Sonos Speaker, Vintage Prints of California (Left) and Iceland (Right) framed by Framed and Matted
Urban Outfitters Mirror and Purse Rack, Snakeskin Seats are from our old office!
Vintage Guatemalan Mirror, Dragons are a family heirloom from a trip taken to Southeast Asia, Cactus is an engagement present from my friend Wendy! (Thanks, Wendy!)
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Cost Plus World Market Console
Our front door opens directly into our living room, where we spend the most time with friends, and where Jonah and I spend time reading (especially since Lulu and Georgia sent me this chair, which is my new favorite seat in the house).
West Elm Couch, Brass Coffee Table, Lulu and Georgia Throw Blanket, Suay Sew Shop Pillows, IKEA Lamp, Vintage Goat Masks, Vintage Dog Bowl, Food52 Vase (similar here)
Lulu and Georgia 'Roz' Chair (restocking in November but this one is similar, gifted)
Vintage Chairs, IKEA Floor Pillows
Target Bar Cart, Photos by Jonah's Dad (he's a photographer), Plant is Burro's Tail from Silverlake Nursery
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Lulu and Georgia Throw Blanket
Jonah and I cook every night we're home, so we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. One of us is usually sitting at the nook, while the other cooks or bakes. I love that we were able to bring the exact furniture we used in our last apartment into here!
Anthropologie Chair, Amazon Tulip Table, IKEA Faux Sheepskin, Year & Day Fruit Bowl, Katie Hodges Pillows, collected restaurant menus in frames
Anthropologie Chair, IKEA Chair, Amazon Tulip Table, IKEA Faux Sheepskin, Year & Day Fruit Bowl, Katie Hodges Pillows, collected restaurant menus in frames, IKEA Curtains
IKEA Coffee Cart, Woven Baskets are from my trip to Vietnam, Cuisinart Coffee Maker, Porter Mug
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IKEA Pan Rack and Hooks
West Elm Marble Utensil Holder
Not much to say here, except that our hallway is a landing area with two large storage closets. You've probably seen some IGTVs filmed here already!
IKEA Mirror, Urban Outfitters Shelves, Vintage lace from Guatemala
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I have pretty severe insomnia (which I've documented in this highlight), so I'm strict about keeping my bedroom minimal and relaxing, to be used only for sleep and intimacy—a conviction the sleep therapist I now see supports. Because we don't have any art in our bedroom, I wanted the bed to make a statement. We upgraded our IKEA bed to this emerald velvet bed from The Inside (many of you may remember voting for this one on my Instagram Stories—I listened!). I love it, especially next to our fake fiddle leaf fig and simple bedside tables.
IKEA Fiddle Leaf Fig, The Inside Modern Platform Bed in Queen in Emerald Velvet with Brass Legs, Parachute Linen Sheet Set, Parachute Sham Pillows, Parachute Throw, IKEA Curtains
West Elm Nightstand (similar here), Ikea Lamp, Cost Plus World Market Baskets (similar here), Sonos Speaker, White Noise Machine, Journal from shop in Paris
The Inside Modern Platform Bed, Round Bedside Table made by Jonah, Vase from Japan
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'The Inside Modern Platform Bed in Queen in Emerald Velvet with Brass Legs
I wrote a lot more about my tiny bathroom here, but I can confirm things are still going swimmingly! I actually love that the small space encourages me to edit my beauty routine and keep things organized.
Shower Caddy, Goop Exfoliating Shampoo, OSEA x Parachute Bath Salt, One Love Organics Vitamin C Body Polish, Lano Face Wash, Aesop Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash, Billie Razor, Dry Brush
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Bed Bath & Beyond Shower Curtain
One Love Organics Vitamin C Body Polish
Aesop Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash
We weren't looking for a two-bedroom apartment, but as soon as I saw this one, I knew it was the right move for us for a few reasons. The first is that I wake up a few hours before Jonah each morning, and spend this time writing. I used to do this at the nook in our kitchen but found it unnecessarily time-consuming to have to put together my work and clear it off every day again. I'm much happier with a dedicated desk. We also often have guests. Jonah's mom visits frequently from San Diego, and it's so much more comfortable—for both her and us—to have a room of her own when she stays with us. I also use the closet in the room, which allows Jonah and me to each have a dedicated space for our clothes.
I also have a well-documented love/hate relationship with owning a television and found that I watched it almost every night automatically when it was the centerpiece of our living room. Having it in a second bedroom, where it's mostly "out of sight, out of mind," means watching TV feels much more intentional. Plus, it makes our living room feel much lighter and like a haven for conversation and reading.
Cost Plus World Market Desk, IKEA Lamp, Pink Chair (similar here)
Cost Plus World Market Daybed, IKEA Pillows, IKEA Curtains, Vintage Bookshelf
Puffin Print (similar here), Urban Outfitters Rug, IKEA Shelf, Sonos Sound Bar, Samsung Television, Apple T.V., Vintage Bookshelf
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Pink Chair (similar here)
Puffin Print (similar here)
What do you think? Let me know if you have any questions I didn't cover in the comments below!
