My Houzz: Groovy 1970s Retro Pad in Los Angeles
Tune in to a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors, collectibles and vintage furnishings in this lovingly curated, mod California home
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April 3, 2012
“If my walls could talk, they would say thank you," says Lorena California. Before this wardrobe stylist, artist and vintage boutique owner renovated her Echo Park, California, home with her musician husband, Johnny Sleeper, it was in complete disrepair, she says. Now every corner oozes 1960s and '70s style, from high-pile orange shag carpets to lemon-colored modular plastic cabinets that store eight-track tapes. Feeling groovy? Get ideas for your own mod pad from this exuberantly psychedelic dream home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Lorena California and Johnny Sleeper
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 1,650 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
That's interesting: The house is reportedly haunted by a cat ghost named Peachfuzz Kelli Pop.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Lorena California and Johnny Sleeper
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 1,650 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
That's interesting: The house is reportedly haunted by a cat ghost named Peachfuzz Kelli Pop.
Alex Amend: What is your favorite furniture piece?
Lorena California: One of my favorite furniture pieces are these vintage 1960s Broyhill modular plastic cabinets. The lemon and lime colors I like even better than the Raymond Loewy pieces they are knockoffs of. We use the credenza to store and play vintage records and eight-tracks.
Carpet: Linoleum City; credenza: vintage Broyhill; chair: vintage
Lorena California: One of my favorite furniture pieces are these vintage 1960s Broyhill modular plastic cabinets. The lemon and lime colors I like even better than the Raymond Loewy pieces they are knockoffs of. We use the credenza to store and play vintage records and eight-tracks.
Carpet: Linoleum City; credenza: vintage Broyhill; chair: vintage
AA: What's your latest splurge?
LC: This floating couch is one of my favorites and is something I've always dreamt of owning. I splurged in reupholstering the sofa in that color. One of my best friends works for Kelly Wearstler and couldn't believe I had the same couch Kelly was currently pricing out to go into production.
Design note: The high-pile orange shag carpeting is actually area rugs with the bindings cut off and laid as carpet.
Carpet: Linoleum City; couch: vintage; shelving: vintage Umbo
LC: This floating couch is one of my favorites and is something I've always dreamt of owning. I splurged in reupholstering the sofa in that color. One of my best friends works for Kelly Wearstler and couldn't believe I had the same couch Kelly was currently pricing out to go into production.
Design note: The high-pile orange shag carpeting is actually area rugs with the bindings cut off and laid as carpet.
Carpet: Linoleum City; couch: vintage; shelving: vintage Umbo
AA: Tell me about this space.
LC: I love the yellow Umbo shelves, I have vintage Barbie cases and other things on them, but I'm not sure that any trinket or knickknack could ever outshine the shelves themselves. I also find the materials plastic and Lucite very appealing. They're simply so pretty and shiny.
Carpet: Linoleum City; shelving: Ikea and vintage Umbo; chair: vintage
LC: I love the yellow Umbo shelves, I have vintage Barbie cases and other things on them, but I'm not sure that any trinket or knickknack could ever outshine the shelves themselves. I also find the materials plastic and Lucite very appealing. They're simply so pretty and shiny.
Carpet: Linoleum City; shelving: Ikea and vintage Umbo; chair: vintage
California built a loft in one of the bedrooms to create a workspace for her three-dimensional vintage-inspired collage art, which decorates many of the walls in her home. She says, "It's just a better way to display awesome stuff than in a drawer. I always include one thing in each collage that I really don't want to part with." Many of the furnishings and collectables come from Los Angeles flea markets, eBay and Fourth Street in Long Beach, California, also called "Retro Row."
Carpet: Linoleum City
Carpet: Linoleum City
AA: If you could have four famous people over for dinner, who would you invite?
LC: John, Paul, George and Ringo.
AA: What would be on your soundtrack?
LC: The Monkees' greatest hits.
Carpet: Linoleum City; table and chairs: vintage
LC: John, Paul, George and Ringo.
AA: What would be on your soundtrack?
LC: The Monkees' greatest hits.
Carpet: Linoleum City; table and chairs: vintage
Lorena renovated the kitchen with vintage appliances and reissued Formica countertops. "The countertop is an original Formica pattern from the '50s that was reissued a few years back when Disneyland revamped Tomorrowland," she says. Working pinball machines light up the space beyond.
AA: What do you love most about your city?
LC: Los Angeles is my oyster. Even though I am pretty much a homebody, if I wanted to go out and do anything, I certainly have the option. When we aren't playing at home, a favorite neighborhood spot is the nearby Pins and Needles pinball arcade.
AA: What do you love most about your city?
LC: Los Angeles is my oyster. Even though I am pretty much a homebody, if I wanted to go out and do anything, I certainly have the option. When we aren't playing at home, a favorite neighborhood spot is the nearby Pins and Needles pinball arcade.
AA: Was sourcing materials for your renovation a challenge?
LC: It would have been a lot easier if granite, stainless steel and hardwoods didn't make me gag!
Carpet: Linoleum City; shelving: vintage; chair: vintage Herman Miller
LC: It would have been a lot easier if granite, stainless steel and hardwoods didn't make me gag!
Carpet: Linoleum City; shelving: vintage; chair: vintage Herman Miller
During the remodel, California put a window above the bathtub to gain access to the formerly inaccessible roof space above the carport. That space now houses a hot tub and a sundeck. "We had to jump through a lot of hoops to get the permit for the window to go in," she says.
AA: What advice would you offer other homeowners going through a renovation?
LC: You shouldn't just double your worst-case-scenario estimate. You should triple it.
Glass tile: Modern Home
AA: What advice would you offer other homeowners going through a renovation?
LC: You shouldn't just double your worst-case-scenario estimate. You should triple it.
Glass tile: Modern Home
Many of the items in the home were found at flea markets and not always in the best condition, including the pendant lamps in the master bedroom. "They were gray with decades of filth and dust, but those spaghetti lamps always clean up if you soak them in the bathtub with dish soap for a day or two," California says. "Cut out the old wiring first, but it's cheap to replace that and the swag chain at the hardware store."
AA: Do you have any other home projects in the works?
LC: We just did the master bathroom, but we'd like to redo the fence in the front yard so it's accessible from the living room.
Wallpaper: Designyourwall.com; carpet: Linoleum City; lamps: vintage
AA: Do you have any other home projects in the works?
LC: We just did the master bathroom, but we'd like to redo the fence in the front yard so it's accessible from the living room.
Wallpaper: Designyourwall.com; carpet: Linoleum City; lamps: vintage
Every surface in her home holds something dear to California.
AA: Tell me about your collections.
LC: I like to collect female fetish figures, Dolly Lollies and the like; bright colors; trippy patterns; Lucite; '70s maxi dresses that were weird rehash mashes of '60s psychedelic motifs. I am ever refining and honing, replacing and upgrading.
Carpet: Linoleum City
AA: Tell me about your collections.
LC: I like to collect female fetish figures, Dolly Lollies and the like; bright colors; trippy patterns; Lucite; '70s maxi dresses that were weird rehash mashes of '60s psychedelic motifs. I am ever refining and honing, replacing and upgrading.
Carpet: Linoleum City
AA: How did you choose your color scheme?
LC: I really like the citrus palette for the downstairs, accented with coffee shop turquoise for the kitchen. Pink and red for love in the bedroom, and I'm sure most people would agree, but lime green really goes with anything.
Carpet: Linoleum City; dresser: vintage Broyhill; chair: vintage
LC: I really like the citrus palette for the downstairs, accented with coffee shop turquoise for the kitchen. Pink and red for love in the bedroom, and I'm sure most people would agree, but lime green really goes with anything.
Carpet: Linoleum City; dresser: vintage Broyhill; chair: vintage
Johnny Sleeper and Lorena California, with cat Gingersnap Snickerdoodle.
AA: Does your home decor influence your fashion and work as a wardrobe stylist?
LC: It does. If you love it, you should live it.
More Houzz Tours:
Exuberant, Spacious Hacienda in Texas
Retro Modern in East Austin
Cozy and Creative Vancouver Apartment
AA: Does your home decor influence your fashion and work as a wardrobe stylist?
LC: It does. If you love it, you should live it.
More Houzz Tours:
Exuberant, Spacious Hacienda in Texas
Retro Modern in East Austin
Cozy and Creative Vancouver Apartment
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Do you access the roof top space by using the ladder in the tub?
Everything else is amazing, so unique and tastefully colorful.