Reader's home - Tom's Hollywood haven
Wed, 7 Sep 2011There once was a boy named Tom. Tom was a naughty boy. Tom did not play nice with others. Tom would visit a certain blog and every now and again leave really mean comments. One day one of the girls from that blog told him he should shut his big mouth and show her what he's made of. Finally, Tom did just that, and sent photos of his home to share. As much as the girl wanted to be mean right back and rip him a new one (perhaps poke fun at the tables with 2 lamps on either side of his sofa, or the tables piled with wood in his dining room), alas she could not once she saw these photos. Because she loved his home. Very very much. She forgave Tom right then and there. She found out Tom wasn't as mean as he seemed, and Tom promised to behave from then on. THE END.
My apartment is in a historical building on Hollywood Blvd across from the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
"The Hollywood Professional Building, is a prime example of Gothic Revival architecture. Completed in 1925, the building housed the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and was later home to the Screen Actor's Guild. From its inception, these offices served industry stars, the seminal architect John Lautner and earned its listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it reigns at the center of a new Hollywood heyday, this time as modern open spaces in which to live or work (or both), only two blocks from the Metro line, in one of the coolest and most dynamic neighborhoods in LA."
I took the photograph that is in my entry on Hollywood Blvd last year.
My living room was Ronald Reagan's office when he was the president of the Screen Actors Guild.
You will notice a lot of the same sculptures moved around to various tables, it's a work in progress. I mostly shop at flea markets, I'm constantly switching stuff out as I find it.
I made the hanging glass mobile out of an old chandelier and added the textured panel to the wall. The sculpture is constantly spinning.
Views from my apartment:
Reader Comments (49)
Oh yes: masterful. Tom walks his talk (and I'm glad he's not being mean any more, he can afford to be magnanimous!)
I wonder if he got a release for that first wonderful photo?!
Such a great apartment, but the decoration feels so artificial.
Tom - you done REAL good. And I think I rather like you now. :)
REALLY beautiful! love how the modern mix feels with the more traditional wood paneling.
WOW, Tom your home is amazing! Great job! Warm atmosphere, perfect!
Nice space and the views are amazing. The Ghost chair and side table on that wee-rug in the Living Room is KILLING me though.
What kind of tree is it next to the bed? That tall one with 7 stems?
Thanks.
Thanks for the comments :)
JTinLA I agree that rug is lame, it's on the list of things to be replaced.
That awful little rug is the only rug in my apartment.
Hit me with the good and the bad, I will listen.
Clem, the tree is a Dracaena and it's very easy to take care.
I just gave the one next to my bed a major haircut, it looks much better now.
Thanks Tom!
What an amazing apartment! I love you, Tom, even if you are mean. Will you marry me...or at least let me move in? :-)
What a wonderful apartment with a fresh feel to it. His plants are sculptures in their own right and its pleasing to see how they
are placed in containers that bring out this point.
I don't know how, but I missed the mean comments. Your home is lovely, I love the shapes and the organic mixed with the fine. I adore the two lamps on either side of your sofa. Sorry, but I do find it a tad overdone. It needs just a tiny bit of editing. But all in all a fabulous home, you obviously have an eye.
Awesome, thanks Tom! FYI- my dracaena is one of only two survivors in my house. So yes, VERY easy to care for. Even I couldn't kill it.
Am inspired by the images that include the big plants. Have one similar to the one left of your white couch, though mine grows more sideways than up. Also love the one in your dining room. What kind is that one? Is it easy to take care of, too?
Thanks in advance.
It's kind of perfect...
Love your place and the decor. Despite the "ghost chair" comments, I especially love the way the lamp is positioned on the unsupported end of the natural tree table in the living room. If it was on the other end, it wouldn't look so cool. Kinda reminds me of when I was a kid and used to watch the road runner cartoons :-).
Now, that's very very nice. A bit of a showroom feel, but which photo session doesn't cause that? You might want to try and mess things up a bit, photos would still be great, just different.
Many nice details add to the arhitecture. Heh, I love the frameless clock. Funny thing - we share a similar taste in green plants. Hope you'll be able to keep those Dracenas growing straight. God know I have them pointing in all possible directions, anywhere but straight up. I know, I know, turn 'em around regularly, in small steps. I do that, I promise! :)
And a great photograph you've got hanging there!
would you marry me, Tom? :DDDDD
Tom, I'm in lerrrrrrrrrrrrrrv!
I like this a lot, love the b&w photo, BUT I think the acrylic coffee table is off. The scale and quality do not fit the rest of the space.
I like what you did to the bathroom walls.
What are they?
Beautiful intelligent treatment lending warmth and personality - Congratulations and the imagery is duly impressive.
Thanks for the comments, I appreciate them.
So far I would have to say I agree with everything that you guys have pointed out that needs to change or could be better.
It's a work in progress so it will always change as I find new things.
I have sold chairs etc on Craigslist that I ended up not liking, I love selling the stuff and finding new pieces.
Marieke the tall plant in my dining room is a Fiddle Leaf Ficus, it likes bright light and is fairly easy to care for.
The ceilings in my apartment are 12' tall so the plants are actually much taller than they appear in the photos.
LightDot I like your idea of a messed up photo shoot, I prefer how my bedroom looks when the bed is unmade, it looks more inviting.
Chris I glued small metal dots from a jewelry store in downtown Los Angeles to the walls, the paint is a metallic blue paint that only covers a small portion of the white walls in the bathroom.
Thanks again for taking the time to leave comments.