My Houzz: Retro-Glam Loft in Los Angeles
Showing a romance with France and a love of richly colored fabrics, this downtown loft bespeaks a boudoir nature
Glamorous style, vintage finds and tufted upholstery echo homeowner Jessie Genie's equally vibrant personality. Genie warmed up her Los Angeles home's exposed brick walls, industrial beams, tall ceilings and polished concrete floors by successfully mixing a collection of original art with inherited pieces. A Francophile, she also accented the loft with details that bring the romance of 1920s Paris to mind, creating a boudoir-inspired style all its own.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jessie Genie and her dog, Lola
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
Size: 900 square feet; 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: Genie chose the seventh-floor corner unit loft for its prime people-watching vantage point.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jessie Genie and her dog, Lola
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
Size: 900 square feet; 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: Genie chose the seventh-floor corner unit loft for its prime people-watching vantage point.
Genie reupholstered and tufted her big-box store sectional to create a custom look. She also refreshed the formerly fringed Ethan Allen ottoman with a hot red-orange linen. Brightly patterned throw pillows add more visual flavor.
The loft's open kitchen and dining spaces easily accommodate intimate dinners and impromptu parties.
Genie paired a contemporary glass dining table with midcentury modern chairs she found on Craigslist. She likes to park her bike front and center for easy access, rather than hang it on a wall.
Genie says she would love to splurge on a Sub-Zero kitchen someday. In the meantime, her kitchen's linear layout is an efficient use of space.
Lola's favorite nap spot is this Ethan Allen wing chair Genie had reupholstered. A vintage-style CD player by Crosley sits on top of the Manchester media stand from Urban Outfitters. The large portrait is of Genie as a girl; it used to hang in her father's office.
Genie's gallery wall stretches nearly to the ceiling. "Everything in the house reflects my lifestyle and travel experiences. It all has a personal touch," she says. "Many of the pictures, artifacts and original paintings were handed down to me from my mother."
To create intimate seating, Genie broke off a piece of the sectional as a chair and had it reupholstered in a complementary fabric. The graceful swoop of the Arco floor lamp adds a sculptural line; its shiny finish brings the bling.
"I knew I was home once my bar was in place," Genie says. A chandelier floor lamp from Adesso provides mood lighting and adds a Parisian ambience.
Minibar: Plummers Furniture
Minibar: Plummers Furniture
"I love to sit on the purple chaise overlooking the city because I love to people watch," Genie says. The chaise started its life in a girly leopard print and eventually matured to a rich purple velvet upholstery.
Craigslist lamps with shades from Target flank the bed atop vintage nightstands. Genie found this wall decal on Amazon.
Juxtaposing the glamorous lamp base against an industrial exposed brick wall reflects the aesthetic of Genie's favorite designer, Jimmie Martin.
Juxtaposing the glamorous lamp base against an industrial exposed brick wall reflects the aesthetic of Genie's favorite designer, Jimmie Martin.
Cinderblock and plywood shelving holds Genie's beloved shoe collection.
See more great shoe storage ideas
See more great shoe storage ideas
It's hard to imagine, but this vintage desk chair was once quite dowdy. A textured damask fabric now reveals its Hollywood Regency lines. "Finding an excellent yet inexpensive business to reupholster my furniture is my latest steal," Genie says.
Owning a dog in downtown L.A. encourages Genie to explore her neighborhood when she's not at home enjoying her space. "I love that on the weekends I no longer see my car. I walk everywhere. I have access to restaurants and bars just by taking a short walk or riding the metro," she says.
Houzz call: Have you updated a metropolitan-area loft? Share it with us!
Houzz call: Have you updated a metropolitan-area loft? Share it with us!