Retro-Glam Loft in Los Angeles
Glamorous design, vintage finds and tufted upholstery echo homeowner Jessie Genie’s equally vibrant personality. Genie heated up her Los Angeles home’s exposed brick walls, industrial beams, tall ceilings and polished concrete flooring by successfully mixing a collection of original artwork with pieces that are inherited. Even a Francophile, she highlighted the loft with details that bring the love of 1920s Paris to mind, developing a boudoir-inspired design all its own.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Jessie Genie along with her puppy, Lola
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
Size: 900 square feet; 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms
That’s intriguing: Genie picked the seventh-floor corner unit loft for its prime people-watching vantage point.
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Genie reupholstered and tufted her big-box store sectional to create a custom look. She also refreshed the previously fringed Ethan Allen ottoman with a hot red-orange linen. Brightly patterned throw pillows add more visual flavor.
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The attic’s open dining and kitchen spaces easily accommodate intimate dinners and impromptu parties.
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Genie paired a contemporary glass dining table with midcentury contemporary chairs she discovered on Craigslist. She likes to park her bike front and center for simple accessibility, as opposed to hang it on a wall.
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Genie says she would love to splurge on a Sub-Zero kitchen. Meanwhile, her kitchen’s linear layout is an efficient utilization of space.
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Lola’s favorite nap spot is this Ethan Allen wing chair Genie had reupholstered. A vintage-style CD player by Crosley sits along with the Manchester media stand out from Urban Outfitters. The large portrait is about Genie as a girl; it was able to hang in her dad’s office.
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Genie’s gallery wall extends nearly to the ceiling. “Everything in the home reflects my way of life and travel adventures. It all has a personal touch,” she says. “Many of the images, artifacts and original paintings were passed down to me from my mother.”
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To create intimate seating, Genie broke off a bit of the sectional as a chair and had it reupholstered in a complementary fabric. The graceful swoop of the Arco floor lamp adds a line; its own shiny finish brings the bling.
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“I knew I had been home once my bar was set,” Genie says. A chandelier floor lamp from Adesso provides mood lighting and adds a Parisian ambience.
Minibar: Plummers Furniture
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“I really like to sit down on the purple chaise overlooking the city since I really like to people watch,” Genie says. The chaise began its life in a girly leopard print and finally matured to a rich purple velvet upholstery.
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Craigslist lamps with shades from Target flank the bed atop vintage nightstands. Genie discovered this wall decal .
Juxtaposing the glamorous lamp foundation against a industrial exposed brick wall reflects the aesthetic of Genie’s favorite designer, Jimmie Martin.
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Cinderblock and plywood shelving holds Genie’s beloved shoe collection.
See more great shoe storage thoughts
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It’s difficult to imagine, yet this vintage desk chair was once quite dowdy. A damask fabric reveals its Hollywood Regency lines. “Locating an excellent yet affordable firm to reupholster my furniture is the latest slip,” Genie says.
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Having a puppy in downtown L.A. encourages Genie to explore her neighborhood when she is not at home loving her distance. “I really like that on the weekends I no longer see my vehicle. I walk. I have access to restaurants and bars by simply taking a brief walk or riding the subway,” she says.
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