A “Sterile” New-Build Apartment Was Turned into a Cozy Home

“We had an amazing downtown view in our last apartment in the same building, but now we have a 90-degree view from downtown all the way to Hollywood. As a Texas girl I love being able to see the Hollywood sign in my view; cliché, I know!” Claire admits.

Before they moved into this unit, Claire describes the space as sterile. “In new apartment buildings, everything is so white, plain, and modern. I’ve lived in new-builds before this apartment, so luckily I already knew how to make a blank canvas feel warm and welcoming,” Claire explains.

“That’s not to say I don’t love other people’s homes that are more minimalist and modern; it’s just not my taste. I have to have colors, textures, animal print, vintage pieces — you get the picture! So, when it came to decorating another newly built apartment, I knew what I had to do to get it to my liking. Again, I was just drawn to the 90-degree view of LA and that 12-foot island in the kitchen.”

“My favorite part of our home has to be how open it is and how comfortable I have made it for us and our lifestyle. We have friends and family over a lot to watch sports, have dinner, brunches, girls’ nights, and occasionally I will have one of my famous Taylor Swift listening parties when she releases a new album. The living room, kitchen, dining room, and bar area all being in one room makes entertaining so spacious and inclusive,” Claire writes.

“You can sit anywhere in the room and feel like you are part of everything. Because of that, we have had so many incredible evenings filled with love, laughter, food, cocktails, and shared memories. To me, that is what makes a home a home. You have to create an inviting space so people can feel comfortable as if it was their own home. I am always the first to offer my home for events or occasions because I am truly proud of the space that I have created to cultivate those times and memories,” Claire continues.

“Obviously, I also love how it looks aesthetically,” Claire writes. “I always tell people that my home looks how my mind would if you opened it up. I have always appreciated design, color theory, art, textiles, etc. (I mean, I did go to fashion school!). Something about putting everything together that I love just does it for me. I love when people come into my home and bend down and squint asking ‘What is this?’ and I am able to say something like ‘Oh! Those are my grandmother’s vintage set of Staffordshire dogs’ or ‘This is a pillow I had in my childhood bedroom.’ That’s what makes me happy. I am a maximalist to my core in every aspect of my life, and can never imagine living in a space that didn’t reflect that.” 

Thanks, Claire!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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