(PHOTOS: Laurie Joliet)
We love Buck Mason's clothing because it's deceptively simple, classically cool and thoroughly modern. The same, it seems, can be said for the home of the label's co-founder, Erik Allen. His place, a rental home in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, was just featured in Curbed and proves that renting does not mean you can't infuse your home with personal design touches. The home was designed by interior designer (and Allen's girlfriend) Leanne Ford and is full of examples on how to bend the rules without breaking them. Here are five takeaways you can use in your own home without pissing off your landlord.
Lesson
No Need to Hang
All of Your Art
One of the first things Ford noticed about the place was that there were more books than there are bookshelves. She arranged stacks of books and vinyl records around the room's perimeter. These stacks serve as defacto display shelves for small frames. To make leaning art look intentional, give an oversized piece some breathing room or cluster frames and canvases together and at different heights for a sleek yet bohemian feel.
Lesson
Furniture Placement Is Key
Don't fall back on the common living room layout. Think about how you'll want to use the space. Ford said this layout promotes socializing—connecting the sofa and dining table with the kitchen. They chose a small petrified wood coffee table because it makes circulating easier and "leaves plenty of room for dancing."
Petrified wood stump table,
$995 by RH
Lesson
Make It
Your Own
If you remove the refrigerator from its spot in the kitchen, you know what fits perfectly? An old school jukebox. The couple loves music and Allen doesn't cook much. So Ford relocated the main refrigerator to the garage, brought in a mini fridge and let a vintage jukebox take centerstage in the kitchen. It's at once a source of music and a bold piece of pop art. Plus, we have not doubt it's a magnet for guests when entertaining.
Lesson
You Can Have Sconces
in a Rental
Sconces on the sides of your bed makes your bedroom look grownup and tailored. Not to mention, they're great if you like reading in bed. But if you're in a rental, you're likely not going to have an electrician come wire some light fixtures into your wall. So here's what you do: mount some plug-in sconces on your wall and tuck the wires behind your headboard. You can also hide them within a paintable wire cover that sticks to your wall.
Bronze and brass sconce,$199 / $149 by
West Elm + Rejuvenation
Bronze and brass sconce,$199 / $149 by West Elm + Rejuvenation
Lesson
Change What
You Can
And don't fight the things you can't change. When it came to the kitchen, the turquoise formica and the red tile flooring isn't what either would've wanted. But it's an older home and Ford chose to embrace it. "The original elements add interest and personality," she told Curbed. "I admit, those are not the colors I am usually drawn to." But a quick swap of the hardware gave the cabinets a new, modern feel and by accessorizing the turquoise with accessories in complementary colors, it all looks intentional.
Want Your Own Jukebox?
You could scour vintage shops for an authentic secondhand model or go for this new version based on an actual design from the 1960s that recreates the best details from the buttons and lighting to the vintage lettering. Not only can it be loaded with 80 CDs, it also boasts Bluetooth input for listening to handheld devices wirelessly.
$9,995 by Crosley
$9,995 by Crosley
$9,995 by Crosley