Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Apartment Decorating


Recently, my friend Joni blogged about downsizing into an apartment from her 3,100-squarefoot family home. Her story was heartfelt, and worth the read. She chose to use her best pieces, pulling antiques from the corners of her large house to beautifully decorate the new apartment which is about half the size.


I've lived in apartments for the last 5-years, a journey I've not regretted - particularly in a winter climate where the complex is responsible for snow removal six of our twelve months. I've done my best to decorate the box within my means so as to be comfortable, but beautiful - redecorating a few times.


I've also followed along with William McLure in his many moves from apartment, to loft, to apartment, to rental home, to his recent move to his first big home purchase!


The decorations and renovations of each of his apartments far exceeds what the Lease provides possible for people like me, and Joni. Painting our floors white would probably end up in eviction. But his creations are beautiful, and highly inspirational - even if for him it meant forfeiting a security deposit.


However, no apartment decorating compares to Dan Marty in West Hollywood, California. Maybe that's because Dan had the ability to live in one of the most beautiful apartment complexes ever designed: Villa D'Este.


Built in 1927-1928, and originally named "Court of The Fountains", Villa D'Este was the brainchild of architects and brothers F. Pierpont and Water Davis, of Los Angeles. Cecil B. DeMille lived there for some time, and the apartment featured in the 1963 movie "Under The Yum Yum Tree" was indeed at Villa D'Este.


Each of the eleven units is entered through this Spanish style courtyard, complete with fountains and hand-painted tiles on the floors, stairs, ceilings, and water features. Each unit also has its own secluded patio.


Situated in West Hollywood, near the Sunset Strip, the apartments are rarely available - and range in price from $4,000-$9,000/month depending on the floorplan. Dan lived in multiple apartments at Villa D'Este, two of which were featured in publications.

Dan owned Dan Marty Design, then Maison Au Naturel in Los Angeles for a number of years, moving around from shop to shop. If you watched Million Dollar Decorators, you remember Mary McDonald shopping in his store for her clients guest house redo, the one she did for them before they put the house up on the market. If you flip through any shelter magazine from 2005 - 2009, most every interesting piece of furniture or art is likely to be sourced through Dan. He had an unerring eye for picking pieces, creating vignettes, and styling. Even Mary, an amazing decorator in her own right, walked into DMD while filming MDD and bought the vignette as Dan had styled it.

In 2009, Western Interiors featured Dan's first apartment at Villa D'Este:






Shortly after this feature, a larger apartment opened up in the building, and Dan moved to the new space. It was picked up by House Beautiful. This apartment was actually one of the only units photographed when the building was first occupied. So it's wonderful to have the opportunity to show the original occupant photo next to Dan's, 82-years after!

The original occupant of Dan's second apartment with their beautiful mohair upholstered Spanish colonial chairs and religious statues, approximately 1928.

Dan's decoration of the same unit in 2010.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find any other antique photos of the apartment, but I do have many of the apartment as it looked when Dan lived there and decorated it.










Dan no longer lives at Villa D'Este, and his shops have long since closed - sorely missed among the Los Angeles designers who frequented them for objects unique and desired. In fact, his presence on the internet is nearly gone - with nothing posted about him or his shops since 2013. But thankfully, these photos of his apartment decorating still exist, and in my opinion deserve to be shared.

If you're renting and looking to jazz up your space in a "Dan Marty" way, take a look at these lovely things now available on Amazon:


40 comments:

  1. Thank you for another beautiful post. You have such a great eye and are an inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  2. As always, thank you for another delightful, informative post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. These decorating ideas are really awesome I like that specially the dining table decoration stuff. From last week i wan thinking to give new look to my apartment and now i found that i was looking for I have also seen some apartment decoration ideas on Apartment Design Dubai too Installing plants for decoration is new to new i have not done this before. Thanks for excellent post

    ReplyDelete
  4. There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the Curtains-dubai.ae has to offer. The first thing that you should look at is whether the curtains are stylish and contemporary, or traditional and contemporary. There are some people who look for something which is timeless, whilst others prefer something that is not so predictable and obvious. The color is also important, especially if you are buying curtains for a room in your home that needs a change. You can go for either traditional or contemporary, but it would be a good idea to go for something that is colorfully vibrant as opposed to something that is light colored. You may also choose to choose a different type of fabric for your curtains depending on the room where they will be used. One of the reasons why curtains are an integral part of any home, no matter what size or budget, is because they make a room look spacious and warm and they also provide a barrier against the external elements and help to reflect light.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Choosing the right flooring material for your home will help you create a home that is comfortable, inviting and attractive. However, what most people don't realize is that there are a variety of different types of flooring that can be used throughout the home. You need to have some idea of how you want your flooring to look like before you begin choosing the perfect type of flooring for your home. There are many different types of flooring materials to choose from including stone, vinyl, wood, tile, carpet and laminate flooring.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Many people in the UAE and Abu Dhabi have been talking about the high-class hospitality of the society and having the desired furnishings at their homes, so what happens when the furniture is damaged? In the world of high-end consumerism, nothing can tarnish the reputation of an establishment. That is why all Furniture Repairing Abu Dhabi keep their inventory as well as stocks to ensure a wide variety of goods for all types of customers. However, due to the vastness of Abu Dhabi, it is almost impossible to source furniture for the whole region. Hence, we can seek for furniture stores on Abu Dhabi malls.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dubai Parquet Flooring is one of the leading manufacturers of Flooring in Dubai. Their products are known for their high quality, beauty, durability, easy installation, and affordable price.There are plenty of flooring shops in Dubai, but we can choose to deliver the best product at home at very reasonable prices and at record times.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice Blog! Thanks for sharing the useful information.
    curtains and blinds shop

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice Article. Thanks for sharing .
    Blinds Shop

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow amazing. Thank you so much for sharing such a good blog.
    Best Curtains and Blinds

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very nice article. Thank you so much for updating this nice blog.
    Sofa Abu Dhabi

    ReplyDelete
  12. Luxe design is specialized in providing high quality, stunning and magnificent interior design dubai services that include creative retail design in dubai, space planning, designing, and project management for both residential and elegant commercial projects in the Middle East region.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The way you have described, you just nailed it. However I would like to some Blackout curtains where the daylight is more vibrant. The collection are nice and well matched.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Five weeks ago my boyfriend broke up with me. It all started when i went to summer camp i was trying to contact him but it was not going through. So when I came back from camp I saw him with a young lady kissing in his bed room, I was frustrated and it gave me a sleepless night. I thought he will come back to apologies but he didn't come for almost three week i was really hurt but i thank Dr.Azuka for all he did i met Dr.Azuka during my search at the internet i decided to contact him on his email dr.azukasolutionhome@gmail.com he brought my boyfriend back to me just within 48 hours i am really happy. What’s app contact : +44 7520 636249‬

    ReplyDelete
  15. Superbly written article, if only all bloggers offered the same content as you, the internet would be a far better place..
    These decorating ideas are really awesome I like that specially the dining table decoration stuff. Our designers make it a point to incorporate rich architectural ideas and expectations of our clients while working on villa design in dubai. Thanks for excellent post.
    Visit
    interior fit out companies in dubai
    best engineering consultants in abu dhabi

    ReplyDelete
  16. I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading.
    trakhees approval
    itc abu dhabi

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks For sharing
    Very Informative article. We provide software for multi level marketing network try our free demo account.

    ReplyDelete
  18. It is an excellent blog, I have ever seen. I found all the material on this blog utmost unique and well written. And, I have decided to visit it again and again.
    Our design process works towards ensuring optimum utilization of space whilst achieving a unique comforting ambience. The designs we promote are a curtains in dubai combination of genuine middle eastern artistry and contemporary modern Office interior design trends. In some particular cases and only based on special requests, we do resort to blends of classical designs from the 19th century.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm using your style and colors as inspiration for my kitchen remodel! Any chance you could share what your wall and trim colors are? Thank you! Home lifts have become so common in every home. Either at the time of construction or later when required people like to install this convenient feature in their homes. Elite Elevators Best home elevators across India, UAE, Malaysia, Australia. Visit : Elite Elevators Call: +971 4278 0592
    Gmail : enquiry@eliteelevators.ae

    ReplyDelete
  20. Search Engines List has the most comprehensive search engines list that every researcher need in his research. Collected world's top rated search engines list.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Warehousedealo strives to be the world's top online warehouse-to-consumer "Open to Public" worldwide marketplace for luxury fashion and accessories. Our warehouse clothing outlet offers come from overstock and previous year's collections of distribution centers, vendors, retail stores, and a range of other sources, allowing us to serve our global consumers for a fraction of the retail price.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am a Certified Internet Research Specialist with extensive knowledge of Internet search engines, job boards, web research courses, research associations, groups, and forums, as well as experience managing research on the Internet. I conducted internet research on a variety of websites and kept track of everything.

    ReplyDelete
  23. For Quran interpretation, you really want recitation and perusing of the Quran.

    online quran academy

    Learn Quran with Tajweed

    ReplyDelete
  24. ARoofer Barnet typical service will include inspecting the roof and conducting a structural analysis to identify any problems and discussing with the customer what they want done.

    ReplyDelete
  25. With regards to online Quran classes UK, recitation, Tajweed, and interpretation of the Holy Quran, the guardians are looking for an accomplished.

    Online Quran Classes UK

    Online Quran Academy UK

    ReplyDelete
  26. thanks for such a great post man it was amazing
    regards blackout blinds Dubai

    ReplyDelete
  27. thanks for such a great post man and the pictures you used are just awesome
    regards Roller Blinds Dubai

    ReplyDelete
  28. are made from polyethylene, PVC and polypropylene materials. PVC tarps are mostly used as truck covers while the tarps made from polyethylene and polypropylene are used for grain bunker covers and large shelters. These Tarps are available in different sizes and weights which makes them flexible to use in different conditions.
    예산출장샵
    당진출장샵
    충주출장샵
    제천출장샵
    청주출장샵
    광양출장샵

    ReplyDelete
  29. This blog is very good. Your home looks great and interactive. I am very excited because I want to make my home like yours.
    window blinds shop

    ReplyDelete
  30. Great Article. Read more interior design posts

    ReplyDelete
  31. When it comes to apartment decorating, painting is one of the easiest and most transformative ways to make a space your own. But if you're not up for the task of painting your entire apartment yourself, there are plenty of apartment painting services that can do it for you.

    Whether you want to go for a bold and dramatic look or something more subdued and calming, there's a paint color out there that will suit your style. And with a professional painting service, you can rest assured that your apartment will be looking its best in no time.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Decorative laminate sheets deliver a desired personalized look for your space with their variety of colors and textures. High-quality best laminates in India with exclusive modern designs are economical at the same time.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Love the blog very much. Your story is so inspiring! This is exactly what I want in life and I really admire you for getting there.BlindDXB excels in offering high-quality electric roller blinds in Dubai, UAE. Their blinds are a perfect fusion of functionality and style, providing effortless light control. With a vast selection of fabrics and designs, they cater to various interior preferences. BlindDXB is renowned for its impeccable service, tailored solutions, and swift installations. For those seeking innovative electric roller blinds in Dubai, UAE, BlindDXB is a dependable choice to enhance both convenience and aesthetics in any space.

    ReplyDelete
  34. saif zone sharjah
    Want to learn about the UAE's beauty industry? Work with Arab business experts specializing in Saif Zone Sharjah. Our experts offer onboarding strategies, compliance management and accelerated growth to ensure your success at the heart of this growing industry.

    ReplyDelete