You’ve done something so many people worldwide have dreamed of doing: you’ve got yourself a studio apartment in Los Angeles! LA is where people start their lives afresh or for the first time. It’s a place full of opportunities, surrounded by gorgeous natural features, populated by a hugely diverse group of people, and now, you too. You’ve secured the studio apartment of your dreams, but so far, you’ve all decorated it with naught but moving boxes. To live the LA life you’ve always wanted, you need your home to reflect your style and join the ranks of excellently decorated apartments for which LA is famous. We’ve got the design tips to kit out your studio apartment with furniture, nicknacks, and personality at your personal price point.
LA Style
A few kinds of design typify an LA sense of style. Our favorites are:
- Mid-Century Modern: references American and European design popular post-war, from 1945-1969.
- Modern Farmhouse: references traditional, cozy farmhouse design and blends it with contemporary furnishings, design, and color schemes.
- Desert Minimal: embraces a natural aesthetic and raw materials with minimal clutter and an emphasis on textures.
- California Modern: emphasizes indoor-outdoor living, simple materials, and a warm, neutral color palette.
Since you’ve been perusing “apartments for rent Los Angeles” online, you’ve likely come across one or more of these design styles already. Rather than focusing on just one of these styles, we will share a few LA interior style trends you can choose from to furnish and dress up your home.
Soft Edges And Seventies Surf Chic
California Girls (and boys) know that the 70’s defined style for the Californian spirit, specifically in LA. Design sensibilities favored back in the seventies, like warm woods, blues, browns, and oranges (think the beach, mountains, and sunsets over the ocean), combine to bring a little of that surf chic into any home. The seventies design features a lot of organic shapes and soft edges, so choose shelving and tables with rounded edges. Colored glassware will go a long way to bring color into your new studio apartment without permanently changing the home or laying out too much money all at once. Choose cream or chocolate brown sofas, pillows, and maybe a short shag carpet to bring that seventies feeling home.
Key Pieces: Low, oval, or kidney-shaped coffee table and colorful ottomans.
Indoor-Outdoor Living
The weather in Los Angeles is so temperate almost year-round that spending time outdoors, even if it’s just on your patio, is a must. If you’re lucky enough to have a patio or balcony, furnish it with comfortable, laid-back seating (don’t forget pillows in hard-wearing fabrics), a small table in a matching hue, and some soft lighting: think candles on glass or hanging kerosene lamps. If you don’t have a patio, you can bring the outdoor feeling indoors by leaving your windows open as wide as possible and only hanging light, sheer window treatments that don’t block out the breeze, sound, or city lights. Choose house plants that lend an indoor jungle feeling to your space, and install a security gate (if your rental agreement allows for one) so that you can leave your front door propped open to let the fresh air in.
Key Pieces: Floating shelves and sheer, light window treatments.
Contemporary Country Chic
We mentioned the modern farmhouse aesthetic earlier, but we’re returning to it in detail because it’s easy to achieve (and cost-effective) if you know how. Many studio apartments have simple white walls and neutral tiled or wooden floors. These colors are the perfect setting to style a contemporary, country-chic abode for yourself. The way to go is to focus on bright whites and warm woods with a few soft blue and cream stripes thrown in. Whatever your main table, be it a dining or coffee table, choose a natural, warm wood finish to anchor the living space. Stick to the kind of wood that you choose for this piece to repeat in more minor ways (cutting boards, bowls, etc) throughout the home. Weathered white or cream wood is also a good choice. Add interest with some blue stripes in the form of cushions.
Key Pieces: A scrubbed wood island or bookcase.
Styling your studio apartment means dressing up in an intimate space. Choose furnishings that will work well in several configurations if you decide you’d like to shift things around at home to keep it interesting occasionally. Contemplate the space and work with what you’ve got regarding lighting and coordination. LA is an excellent place for thrifting and second-hand furniture. There are several sales and markets, antique stores, and brand-new design stores, so finding something to suit any taste, palette, or budget isn’t difficult.
