This week marks our 1 and a half year anniversary of our big move! It’s crazy to think that 18 months ago we packed up our home of 7 years and made the big move from Orlando to Los Angeles. To celebrate our 1.5 year LAnniversary I thought it would be fun to do a little home tour. I last shared a tour of our rental Venice bungalow when we had only lived there just one month and needless to say we’re way more unpacked and settled in now.
And full disclaimer you guys, I wanted this tour to be pretty authentic so I didn’t vacuum the dog hair off the couch or buy fresh flowers before I shot these photos. And there are definitely dirty dishes in the sink, because well it’s a home tour and as much as I like to keep things tidy, it is a home and it’s supposed to be lived in after all!
You’ll spot quite a few past DIY projects—some that have really stood the test of time. I’ll be sure to link to all of them below. Oh and Daisy the hound makes a couple appearances in this post. She didn’t want to be bothered to move when I was shooting.
Living room
We looked at so many rental homes that I didn’t remember just how tiny the living room was until the day we moved into our house. We used our lived-in West Elm pixel rug but at 8’x10′ it was larger than the room. This is the only room in the house (minus my office) where we purchased the most furniture after the move. We bought a new sofa, coffee table, arm chair and rug but we kept our nearly 8 year old West Elm bookcase and our hacked together Ikea tv stand.
The DIY dog bed cover I made is still in use and obviously still enjoyed! The navy blue pillow was a past super easy DIY and I sewed the navy and white mod floral print pillow covers using this fabric.
After moving from a 1500+ sq. ft. into an 850 sq. ft. home I realized just how much art we’ve collected over the years. Rather than store it all (though I admit our closet is full of extra framed pieces) I tired to display as much of it as possible. Here are some of our favorite pieces arranged in a gallery wall above the tv. The geo wood panel is an old Meet and Make project!
entry way
My felt succulent wreath has been on door since I made it last spring. And my painted scalloped basket (that I made over 2 years ago) makes a perfect basket for this snake plant. Since we don’t have air conditioning, this door stays open almost year round.
The bench is a now discontinued piece from Crate & Barrel that Kevin got me right when we bought our home in Florida 7 years ago. It’s the perfect spot for putting on shoes and for storing leashes and grocery bags.
One of my favorite things about this house is just how much light it has. On a sunny day the home is so bright making it the perfect home for my growing collection of plants. Fingers crossed, they’ve all made it this far!
dining room
Our dining room table and beloved wine bar also made the move. Both pieces are so functional that we couldn’t see selling them before the move. The wine bar doubles as storage for barware and serving platters and the square table has a leaf in it so we can expand it when we have a larger dinner party. Fun fact: this dining table was the first piece of furniture we bought when we got married almost 9 years ago!
I gave the chairs an update shortly after we moved and reupholstered them with fabric I designed.
Another DIY project that has really lasted—my DIY mid-century inspired dog bowl stand. This thing has been in use since the day I made it. It’s held up great thanks to the 3 coats of shellac I applied.
kitchen
I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss our tiny kitchen in our old house. Less than a year before we moved we did a big DIY update to it and what I miss most is the chef collection double-oven. But the fancy appliances that our bright white galley kitchen lack it definitely makes up for it in storage in counter space. This tiny kitchen has 2x the storage as our last home. Perfect for someone that was tons of kitchen gadgets and cookware.
This reto owl napkin holder was my grandmother’s. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve adored it and after I moved into my first apartment after college she gave it to me, provided we buy her one to replace it. And it’s been in every kitchen I’ve had since.
This counter-top magnetic knife block is the perfect storage solution for renters when you don’t want to put holes in the wall hanging a magnetic knife block.
Yes, I alphabetize my spices. I blame (ok actually thank) my mother for this. Thanks to having so much storage, I now have one cabinet dedicated to spices and the like. My favorite storage solution? This stainless steel lazy susan. The perfect way to storage oils, vinegars and hot sauces in a cabinet.
Is your home as colorful as your blog?
The short answer? Kinda. I love color and pattern and my home (and my wardrobe) are both a reflection of that. While not everything is coral, mint, and yellow I definitely sneak it in where I can!
laundry nook
I have an entire post dedicated to our laundry nook if you’d like to see more. This corner hasn’t changed much since I added the washi tape faux-paper and polka dots but I didn’t relocated the faux succulent to our bedroom and added this pretty philodendron.
That concludes the tour of the living spaces of our tiny Venice home! If you’d like to see my home office you can check it out here. And here’s a peek at our patio aka grassless backyard. I plan on sharing details about our bedroom soon too. Thanks for reading!
source list
Sofa in charcoal
Gray arm chair in feather gray retro weave
Coffee table
Pink and red rug
Bookcase (similar)
Floor lamp
Gold geo table lamp
Side table (similar)
Succulent screenprint above sofa
dining table
dining chairs (similar)
Beautiful space! I have to ask, where did the gray and yellow piece above the couch come from?
How fabulous! Your home is soooooo you—it’s beautiful!! I can’t wait to see more :)
LOVE all the colors!! x
What color washi tape did you use in your laundry nook. Love your beautiful home. ?
Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact color name but it was MT Tape’s Casa line and I bought it in Japan!