Art Director Camille loves making crafts at home; think: designing jewelry, making prints, and airbrushing your nails. “I have this problem when I see something interesting, I think, I can do that…” she laughs. Camille lives with her husband, Josh, an environmental scientist who also enjoys woodworking. Here’s a look around…
LIVING ROOM
Sofa: EQ3. Leather chair: Bionic chair from the 70s inherited from the family. Lamp: World Market, similar. Carpet: Alameda Market. Curtains: Amazon.
About family rituals: I am Filipino-American and every home in my family has a karaoke machine. My machine has a grading feature and I always try to get the perfect score. Sometimes Josh asks, ‘Why are you trying so hard?’ when I’m singing alone in our living room. But I’m telling you, practice is key! A perfect warm-up song is Ain’t No Mountain High Enough because two people can sing together and it makes everyone relax.
Joni Mitchell Photography: Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal. Speakers: “Josh made the case and used a CSS 1TD kit for the internals.” Elephant side table: World Market.
About the meaning of the story: The previous owners lived here for 25 years and helped revive this home to its 1920s glory. There were seven layers of paint on the fireplace, and they meticulously removed each layer to discover that the tiles are Batchelder tiles, a very iconic Los Angeles designed by artist Ernest Allan Batchelder.
Shelf: “Custom plant/shoe rack made by Josh. It has movable shelves! BB King Print: Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal.
On trying new instruments: Both Josh and I play the piano and decided to learn different instruments. He chose the bass and I chose the guitar. So far I’ve learned a couple of songs; I like to play Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead.
DINING ROOM
Table and chairs: 1950s Chicago American dining set. Pendant: Amazon.
On meeting the neighbors: We live in Silver Lake, which is very friendly. Our vet is a five minute walk away and there are six cafes where we are regular customers. Everyone on our block knows each other: we share baked goods during the holidays and catch up while walking our dogs. I love it a lot.
Shelf: Josh’s. Cannon Illustrations: From Josh’s Grandma; “I lived in Lone Pine and did watercolors of the Eastern Sierras.”
In a music area: Josh has a huge CD collection; He always says: everyone loves CDs! When his friends come over, he’ll play Living Room by Lawrence, A Perfect Day by Bob Schneider, and Figure 8 by Elliot Smith.
Hanging shelves, side table and stool: by Josh.
At a nice meeting: When Josh and I first met at a friend’s house, he mentioned that he liked to work with wood. A few days earlier, I had drawn up plans for these hanging shelves, so I asked him if he would be interested in helping me put them together. We went to the lumberyard to look for wood, then we went to a museum and went out for drinks.
Alpacas: World Market.
About relationship traditions: For our first anniversary, we bought a furry alpaca and that became an annual thing. So the number of alpacas on this shelf represents the number of years we have been together. The other day, Josh asked, ‘What are we going to do when we get to our 50th anniversary?’ I replied: ‘I hope to have 50 alpacas!’
KITCHEN
When finding the house: We started looking for a house in 2021 and it was difficult. Everyone offered too much and we were outplayed many times. But one morning I found a listing for this house and sent it to our agent. It wasn’t on the market yet, but the seller’s agent agreed to show it. At the front door, he said, there is a superstition that whoever opens the door at the open house has good luck, and I said, ‘Let’s open the door!’ After walking, I turned to Josh, who said, “I love it.” What sold him was the kitchen; effusive about carpentry.
About that teal color: The previous owners loved the 50s, so they wanted a retro kitchen; They even removed the dishwasher and garbage disposal! Some buyers wanted a more modern feel, but we simply added a dishwasher; Josh made a cover for it so it wouldn’t disrupt the look of the space.
OFFICE
Shelves and Flat File – By Josh. Chair: Icons of Manhattan. Calendar: Amazon.
About engraving: My main hobby turned side job is printing. I used to teach it to my students when I was a high school art teacher and I picked it up again with this rolling art challenge in October where I learned something every day. I posted progress videos on TikTok and now have an online store where I sell Filipino-American growth prints.
About painting nails: Early last year, I got my nails done at the salon and thought: Oh my god, that’s so expensive. I decided I would learn to make them myself. I love the Jello peel-off foundation, which doesn’t destroy the nails. I also like chrome designs, airbrushing and gems.
Pegboard: Amazon. Bulletin Board: Amazon.
When starting a new hobby: People think that finishing a project is difficult, but I believe that from It’s the hardest part. Overcoming the obstacle of thinking you can’t do it is really impressive. Also, trust the process. The medium is rarely what you expect it to be, but you find out.
BEDROOM
Bedding: Amazon. Pink Launch: Objective. Nightstands: by Josh. Hanging lamp: CB2, similar. Butterfly photo: taken by Camille.
About night routines: After dinner, Josh and I always take our dog for a walk. Then Josh will read or write science fiction on the couch, while I go to my office and make art. We both threw ourselves into our projects. I’m a night owl, so Josh brings me coffee in the morning if I spend the night working on a print. It’s very nice to support and help each other.
Thank you Camila!
PS: Lots more house tours, including a book lover’s dream home and a family-friendly place in the Japanese countryside.
(Photos by Leela Cyd for Cup of Jo.)
