Houzz Tours
My Houzz: 'Minimalist Meets Manic' Style in Los Angeles
Exposed brick, wood floors and vintage finds make a homey cocoon for a California couple. Oh, and for the snake too
When someone works in a vintage shop whose fanatic following includes set designers for Mad Men, you’d expect the person's home to be something of a knockout. Self-professed thrift queen and social media freelancer for Casa Victoria Nicole Paulus and her boyfriend, Timothy Johnson, deliver on that assumption with a Los Angeles apartment full of camera-ready midcentury style.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Nicole Paulus and Timothy Johnson, dog Rudolph, cat Kurt and (female) snake Mitch
Location: Angeleno Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles (between downtown, Echo Park and Chinatown)
Size: 800 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Nicole Paulus and Timothy Johnson, dog Rudolph, cat Kurt and (female) snake Mitch
Location: Angeleno Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles (between downtown, Echo Park and Chinatown)
Size: 800 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
The open floor plan combines the office, dining, kitchen and living spaces, a setup that fosters interaction. "My boyfriend and I both have pretty hectic independent lives," Paulus says. "But we can still spend quality time together even if we are doing different things."
Sofa, vintage orange chair: Casa Victoria
Paulus and Johnson enjoy cooking together — spring rolls and lettuce wraps, lately — in their efficient kitchen that spans one wall.
Vintage floor lamp: Casa Victoria
Vintage floor lamp: Casa Victoria
With so many furnishings surrounding Paulus at work, she tries to adopt a clutter-free design philosophy at home.
Here low-maintenance indoor plants and a few accessories sit atop a ledge that wraps around the main room.
Here low-maintenance indoor plants and a few accessories sit atop a ledge that wraps around the main room.
Paulus describes her style as a "hodgepodge of things that strike my fancy in the moment," though her boyfriend has a much different style. "He is a fan of a more modern and minimalist feel," Paulus says. "After almost three years of living together, we have finally found a sweet compromise between the two extremes — minimalist meets manic."
The grand tufted velvet bed in the bedroom is from Haute House Home, where Paulus previously worked as a freelance writer.
"I love the time right before we all go to sleep and everyone is piled in the bed," says Paulus. "Except for the snake — she sleeps alone." The reptile's terrarium is perched on the window ledge.
"I love the time right before we all go to sleep and everyone is piled in the bed," says Paulus. "Except for the snake — she sleeps alone." The reptile's terrarium is perched on the window ledge.
While Paulus actively declutters, one thing she can't part with is personal correspondence. "I have kept every single card or letter someone has hand written me. I also have all of my old journals over the years," she says, many of which are tucked in this corner on the ledge. "It's fun to look back and see what the younger me was so distraught over. It’s usually something very, very silly."
"I love that our home is a place where we can bounce ideas off each other, plan our great escape or just relax with our fur babies in front of the TV," says Paulus.
Show us your creative apartment
Show us your creative apartment
"My home is my sanctuary," she adds. "I know it sounds cliché, but my home is the place that I go to decompress. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the big city, but there is nothing that brings you back down to earth than having a solid foundation — and a silly boyfriend."