Houzz TV: Love and Loft Life in Downtown L.A.
Skyscraper views, exposed brick and the buzz of city life create a rich environment for a creative couple and their French bulldog, Oliver
Carolyn Reyes
April 19, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Los Angeles-based art director, photographer, graphic designer and mom. www.carolyn-reyes.com
Houzz Contributor. Los Angeles-based art director, photographer, graphic designer... More
Beachfront properties and hillside bungalows are often the first images that come to mind when envisioning Los Angeles living. But a revitalization has been taking place in the city’s historic center that now offers Angelenos chic industrial spaces, a vibrant cultural scene and life without a car. For Glenn Shelhamer and Yara Jasso, there was little discussion about where to live once they got engaged.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Glenn Shelhamer and Yara Jasso, with their French bulldog, Oliver
Location: Historic Spring Street Financial District in downtown Los Angeles
Size: About 900 square feet (84 square meters); one bedroom, two baths
Year built: 1913
Watch now: See more of this downtown loft on Houzz TV
Who lives here: Glenn Shelhamer and Yara Jasso, with their French bulldog, Oliver
Location: Historic Spring Street Financial District in downtown Los Angeles
Size: About 900 square feet (84 square meters); one bedroom, two baths
Year built: 1913
Watch now: See more of this downtown loft on Houzz TV
“I’m definitely an Eastside girl,” says Jasso, who works in transportation and urban planning and grew up in Echo Park and Mount Washington, two neighborhoods close to downtown. “I love living downtown and using the transit systems. I actually went three years without a car here.”
For Shelhamer, a real estate expert for Sotheby’s International Realty and editor of the Silver Lake Blog, it’s all about the great sense of community. “We’ve made friends with about 70 percent of the building’s residents,” he says. “Nothing beats just having to take an elevator ride to see your friends.”
Shelhamer and Jasso’s loft is located in what was once Lloyd’s Bank, when Spring Street was known as the Wall Street of the West. The street is now called Gallery Row, thanks to the more than 40 galleries and museums that have moved in. It’s also home to the monthly Downtown Art Walk, a self-guided nighttime art tour and celebration. Unlike the neighboring buildings, which were built in the Beaux Arts style popular at the time, Lloyd’s Bank was built in the Commercial style, which used steel frame construction to allow for larger window areas. The building was converted into rental lofts in 2000.
“The large windows are a huge plus not only for the great natural light but also for the connection to the street,” Jasso says. “The Art Walk festivities and live music starts at 6 p.m. and we only need to open our windows to feel like we are right in the thick of it.”
For Shelhamer, a real estate expert for Sotheby’s International Realty and editor of the Silver Lake Blog, it’s all about the great sense of community. “We’ve made friends with about 70 percent of the building’s residents,” he says. “Nothing beats just having to take an elevator ride to see your friends.”
Shelhamer and Jasso’s loft is located in what was once Lloyd’s Bank, when Spring Street was known as the Wall Street of the West. The street is now called Gallery Row, thanks to the more than 40 galleries and museums that have moved in. It’s also home to the monthly Downtown Art Walk, a self-guided nighttime art tour and celebration. Unlike the neighboring buildings, which were built in the Beaux Arts style popular at the time, Lloyd’s Bank was built in the Commercial style, which used steel frame construction to allow for larger window areas. The building was converted into rental lofts in 2000.
“The large windows are a huge plus not only for the great natural light but also for the connection to the street,” Jasso says. “The Art Walk festivities and live music starts at 6 p.m. and we only need to open our windows to feel like we are right in the thick of it.”
The couple’s style is a mix of vintage, rustic and modern elements punctuated by a few bright and colorful pieces. Here, a 1960s TV cabinet modified by Shelhamer serves as an armoire. “The loft is truly an open space and comes with no closets,” Shelhamer says, “so we’ve had to be creative coming up with storage solutions.” When they found the cabinet on Craigslist, it had a peach veneer. They painted it black and gold using Ralph Lauren paints.
A collection of antique Turkish and Persian rugs warms up the floor. “I love antique rugs since they all have a story to tell,” Shelhamer says. The couple have acquired them from vendors and flea markets all over the world. Of the one in front of the armoire, Shelhamer says he found it in a used bookstore in Brooklyn. “It wasn’t for sale and I just had to have it,” he says.
The couple enjoy bargain hunting and find Craigslist and garage sales to be reliable sources, though they say flea markets are more exciting. However, the weathered leather couch was a big splurge. “Sometimes it’s worth it to go all out. We looked around but no other couch was just right,” Shelhamer says. “It’s the couch I’ve always dreamed of, and the distressed leather also makes it practical with a dog.”
Maxwell Sofa: Restoration Hardware; midcentury glass and marble coffee table: garage sale
A collection of antique Turkish and Persian rugs warms up the floor. “I love antique rugs since they all have a story to tell,” Shelhamer says. The couple have acquired them from vendors and flea markets all over the world. Of the one in front of the armoire, Shelhamer says he found it in a used bookstore in Brooklyn. “It wasn’t for sale and I just had to have it,” he says.
The couple enjoy bargain hunting and find Craigslist and garage sales to be reliable sources, though they say flea markets are more exciting. However, the weathered leather couch was a big splurge. “Sometimes it’s worth it to go all out. We looked around but no other couch was just right,” Shelhamer says. “It’s the couch I’ve always dreamed of, and the distressed leather also makes it practical with a dog.”
Maxwell Sofa: Restoration Hardware; midcentury glass and marble coffee table: garage sale
Linoleum in a faux marble pattern covers the floor. It’s warmer underfoot and handles sound better than the polished concrete found in most lofts.
Pacific Northwest Bank, which has also been converted into lofts, can be seen through the windows.
Pacific Northwest Bank, which has also been converted into lofts, can be seen through the windows.
“We entertain a lot and often have dinner parties,” Jasso says, “so the open kitchen and dining area works great.”
One of the couple’s best Craigslist finds is a set of four original 1960s Mies van der Rohe Brno chairs in purple velvet.
The dining table was custom-made with reclaimed wood by a French carpenter in Venice Beach. Jasso loves the table and imagines it being in a garden one day.
One of the couple’s best Craigslist finds is a set of four original 1960s Mies van der Rohe Brno chairs in purple velvet.
The dining table was custom-made with reclaimed wood by a French carpenter in Venice Beach. Jasso loves the table and imagines it being in a garden one day.
The kitchen is largely unadorned except for two framed pieces made by Shelhamer for Jasso, which hang above the cabinets. “To the left is a drawing I made of Yara’s favorite photo of the two of us. To the right are printouts of our first emails to each other right after we met. We’ll be getting a laugh out of these emails for many years to come,” he says.
Watch now: Step inside this downtown home on Houzz TV
Watch now: Step inside this downtown home on Houzz TV
An indigo-colored ceramic French bulldog and mosaic mirror liven up a countertop corner.
The far corner of the loft is used as a home office for Shelhamer, who specializes in selling residential real estate properties east of the 101 freeway. “These are neighborhoods, like downtown,” he says, “that are experiencing active gentrification and are the focus of Silver Lake Blog,” which he edits.
The office space is outfitted simply, with a 19th-century oak desk from a Maryland antiques store and a pine chest found on Craigslist. A large portrait by Furtographs of their French bulldog, Oliver, hangs above the chest.
The office space is outfitted simply, with a 19th-century oak desk from a Maryland antiques store and a pine chest found on Craigslist. A large portrait by Furtographs of their French bulldog, Oliver, hangs above the chest.
Industrial shelves for shoes and a rolling clothes rack serve as an alternative to closet space. “I actually don’t mind not having a closet since it forces me to keep everything neat and tidy,” Jasso says. A small space beneath the ceiling is cleverly used for additional storage. “Glenn built this simple ladder to gain access to it,” she says.
Shelhamer also built the couple’s bed frame. “I wanted something midcentury but with an antique finish,” he says. “I went to Home Depot and had the wood cut to my specifications. The finish is white paint that was sanded and then covered in different colored lacquers.” They splurged on the mattress and bedding. “Getting a good rest and having a luxurious bed to relax in is an indulgence worth having,” Jasso says.
Stonewashed Belgian linen bedding: Restoration Hardware
Shelhamer also built the couple’s bed frame. “I wanted something midcentury but with an antique finish,” he says. “I went to Home Depot and had the wood cut to my specifications. The finish is white paint that was sanded and then covered in different colored lacquers.” They splurged on the mattress and bedding. “Getting a good rest and having a luxurious bed to relax in is an indulgence worth having,” Jasso says.
Stonewashed Belgian linen bedding: Restoration Hardware
Glenn Shelhamer and Yara Jasso with their dog, Oliver.
Watch now: See more of this urban loft on Houzz TV
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style and type: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes |Townhouses | Traditional Homes| Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Watch now: See more of this urban loft on Houzz TV
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style and type: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes |Townhouses | Traditional Homes| Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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Great space and what a cute couple!! I do have to say since this "tiny house" movement has begun, which I love by the way, I have recently come to learn that my 937 sq foot house is considered small!! We are a family of five and I never considered my home "small". I grew up in large houses, the last I lived in before moving out was 3000 sq ft....I would take a small space over a huge space any day.
Cute couple. Cute dog. They are clearly happy with their home, but I thought it had a 'still in college' cast-off vibe. No cohesion, everything a mish-mash. The tied drapes detract from rather than enhance the windows and view. The bedroom is far too cramped. Although they mention living minimally and maximizing storage repeatedly, their solutions - an armoire, a dresser, rolling racks and a funky ladder to a storage niche (do you really want to climb that to get a towel?) really don't effectively solve their storage problems. To really maximize the space they could have custom built in's running under the windows - that would provide not only lots storage but window seating or display space. Although the bedroom is small, it appears there's space to build a real closet. Rotating the bed to the wall facing the window and elevating it (think storage drawers underneath) would provide more storage and room to move around. Instead of nightstands, use wall mounted shelves and lighting. Lofts typically don't have many doors, but where there is a door take advantage of the space above. A long shelf above the bedroom door (both sides) would provide extra storage space (think decorative bins, baskets or boxes to neatly house items), and would make better use of their ladder. The brief view of the bathroom shows lots of blank wall space and one tiny towel bar - make use of that space for shelving to hold towels and bath items. This loft has good bones, but I just kept thinking it could have been so much more.