I am so excited to introduce this new addition to the blog, where I will be sharing beautiful homes and inspirational spaces. For my first post I will take you inside the home of my dear friend Kate Danson {you might remember her sweetest day}. Kate is an actress and a photographer who lives in LA with her husband Jesse and their adorable pup, Birdie. Kate has always had an eye for style and I am consistently amazed by the ease in which she mixes and matches eras. I had far too much fun photographing every corner of her home. Please enjoy...
What is your design aesthetic and how has it evolved though out the years?
When I was younger, most of my furniture consisted of hand me downs that I would mix with flea market finds and collected objects. Since moving into a modern house, my style has changed quite a bit. I still have lots of flea market pieces that I've held onto over the years, but now I mix them with modern pieces. I've started to love how it looks, it makes the house feel cozy and warm.
Does your taste in fashion meld with your taste in home decor?
It does! I've never even thought about it but the truth is that it does. I love vintage clothing and still have a few hippie dresses that I wear quite a bit. But I also love contemporary designers and more tailored/modern shapes. Freaky.
What are the 5 items you cherish the most in your home and why?
1. Pink corduroy Sofa. It was one of the first things my husband and I bought together for our new house and we both instantly fell in love with it. For him it was more about the corduroy and for me it was the pink!
2. Orange Moroccan Rug. The cabinets in our house are orange and we almost repainted them... what we were thinking I'll never know! It has sparked a serious love affair with all things orange and the rug is the object in our house that I love most. I've always fantasized about going to Turkey or Morocco to buy rugs, so this rug is functioning as a sort place holder until that fantasy of mine can be realized.
3. White Leather Bent Wood Chair. I bought this chair years ago at the Rose Bowl for nothing. It was the first piece of furniture that I bought for myself in college and really I can't imagine ever falling out of love with it.
4. Horse Painting. I subleased an apartment years ago that had the most amazing western horse portrait hanging in the living room. For years I searched high and low for a painting like it and came up empty handed. Being all too familiar with this horse portrait obsession of mine, my husband ended up tracking down this painting and surprised me with it on my birthday.
5. Record Collection. I have a great collection of 78's that were once my maternal grandfather's, mostly jazz and classical, as well as my parents old records that they listened to in the 70's. I feel so lucky to have them and love listening to them whenever I get the chance.
What was the hardest item to find for your home?
Actually, the hardest item, I still haven't found yet...good dining room chairs. We bought our chairs at West Elm and they're great but they're not quite right. The search continues.
What are your favorite places to shop for your home, both stores and online?
I like looking online at 1stdibs, Design Within Reach, and Lawson and Fenning for inspiration, and occasional purchases. I've found some great things at West Elm like chairs and rugs. Of course the Rose Bowl flea market is amazing if you're not looking for anything in particular. That's when I've found the most unexpected pieces. There's a furniture store on Abbot Kinney called Surfing Cowboys that has amazing vintage furniture from the 60's and 70's. Another great store is Mohawk General Store in Silverlake- they have great ceramics and light fixtures, not to mention clothes and jewelry.
{photo of kate by juan iglesias, all the rest by me}