Adam Janeiro is a Los Angeles real estate agent who specializes in older homes. He was kind enough to indulge my curiosity about buying and selling older homes, and the impact of the economy on the real estate market in Los Angeles’ historic neighborhoods.

1. 1912 Bungalow: You seem to have a passion for older homes. Where did that start?

Adam Janeiro: I grew up in Oakland California. My parents were teachers and we would often summer elsewhere. I was energized by Manhattan and bored by Montana. I was powerfully drawn to cities. On weekends, I would take BART to San Francisco, exit a station and begin walking, without plan or destination. Later, I realized I was most often drawn to those sections of the city wherein the buildings were oldest.

2. 1912 Bungalow: You work in a niche market, representing buyers and sellers of older homes. Are there any differences within this market compared to the traditional real estate market?

Adam Janeiro: The neighborhoods (wherein older homes are found) often feature a more complex web of uses, which create greater differences over smaller areas. This requires navigation and an understanding that often transcends the immediate visual experience. Also, value is often vested—or realized differently.

A thorough knowledge of the styles are essential too, because the thing that is the most unusual frequently holds the most value. An agent has to be able to identify and quantify those elements to which the most value is attached. Certain alterations, celebrated elsewhere, might have grave re-sale implications in historic districts.

3. 1912 Bungalow: You run a wonderful blog, Recentering El Pueblo. First of all, what does Recentering El Plueblo mean? What prompted you to start your blog?

Adam Janeiro: Los Angeles, and certainly the Los Angeles real estate industry, tends to be very West-centric; yet, the historic center of the city (of the Pueblo) lies elsewhere. It began not as a marketing tool—nicely it’s become a bit of one—but as an intellectual regimen, a discipline.

4. 1912 Bungalow: What is the biggest misconception about the real estate market right now?

Adam Janeiro: The biggest misconception concerns inventory. Inventory while abundant in some markets is sorely lacking in quality. Real estate reporting is frequently focused on quantity, rather than quality.

5. 1912 Bungalow: Are people putting off buying a home because they are waiting for home prices to drop further? Are people afraid to buy?

Adam Janeiro: Some are delaying, some are afraid, others are licking their chops. Some homeowners are also putting off selling too.

6. 1912 Bungalow: What advice do you have for home owners looking to sell in today’s market?

Adam Janeiro: I give different advice to each and every client, based on their singular life situation, including not to sell or not to buy—or to buy at once and sell now.

However, if one is truly interested in buying pre war housing stock (particularly pre WWI), one needs to look in all market climates and let opportunity be the driver. Because the number of available fully realized houses, with a high degree of original fabric, and sensitive, system updates, is often quite limited. I’ve represented many a buyer and seller on properties with three or four title changes in 100 years. I’ve a listing upcoming for a property owned continuously by one family since it was constructed in 1912. The inventory doesn’t always cooperate with whim, demand or macro economics.

7. 1912 Bungalow: In your experience, what are the things that most buyers desire or look for when shopping for an older home?

Adam Janeiro: Integrity, that is, a high degree of originality; and, a sympathetic context. Some degree of conformity, some basis for district status.

8. 1912 Bungalow: What are the biggest mistakes homeowners make when upgrading older homes? (Changes that decrease the resale value of their home)

Adam Janeiro: One—stucco over wood siding. Two—window replacement.

9. 1912 Bungalow: Lets say you just bought an older home and it needs some work, or maybe a lot of work. Where should you spend the money?

Adam Janeiro: Water is the destroyer of homes, and its occurrence must be managed; be it, a good roof, grading or gutters or French drains, supply lines and drains.

10. 1912 Bungalow: You have been restoring your own bungalow. What are some of the projects that you have tackled? Do you have any house projects going on right now?

Adam Janeiro: The list is too numerous. In December I’ll install a copper drip edge and continue some weather proofing projects using rigid insulation. I often experiment with products, if only to discuss applications with clients. In fact, I’m hoping to acquire a preservation worthy property—a project house in 2009, to continue my mission and my education.

Thanks Adam!

Heather looked at some of the photos and thinks the house looks great, but that she looks fat – so she is now on a diet. Personally I hope we don’t come off looking like idiots.

They have a nice feature about the episode online (click on any of the photos to view larger).

Technology on the other hand, is my thing. That is why Heather mentioned that if I wanted to do any wiring or run any cables, now would be the time to do it. I also had a limited time since the contractors were trying to finish construction soon. So last week I spent the time making a list of what needed to be done:

• Remove the hanging coaxial cable from the OUTSIDE of the house that connects our cable modem in the office to the basement and re-wire through the walls on the inside of the house.

                              Before                                       After
  
  See how much nicer it looks without those ugly wires running down the side of the house?

• Remove the three coaxial cables connecting the satellite dish to the basment on the OUTSIDE of the house and re-wire through the walls on the inside.
• Cut three unused phone lines connecting our house to the telephone pole.
• Remove the ghetto installation of satellite cable through the cracked wood floor of the sun room connected to the dish on the roof and install the cable in the walls from the basement.
• Remove the unused hanging cable on the other side of the house which goes from the basement – through a hole in the shingles – through a hole in the closet wall – stapled around the door…
• Connect the DirecTv dish to the existing multiplexer switch in the basement and run cables to the bedroom and den.

  and to be adventurous…

• Setup and install Vonage VoIP phone service so we can stop paying expensive phone bills.

I honestly hated the thought that I would have to crawl on my back in the dirt and debris underneath the hardwood floors. The crawlspace under the house is very tight and cluttered with heating ducts, electrical wiring (old and new), phone wiring (old and new) and coaxil cables (old and new). As I was laying in the dirt underneath the house I thought to myself – “This would be a great place to film a scene about being buried alive”. Great thought huh?

On Sat I managed to rewire our cable modem and DirecTv service in the den. The bad part is I didn’t wear a mask while I worked in the basement so I breathed in a lot of dust and dirt. Definitely not good for the lungs. Tomorrow I would do better.

Sunday I started with the “easy” stuff first. I setup and installed the Vonage phone service which didn’t require me getting dirty. Once that was up and running I found our old gas mask and proceeded to the basement crawlspace for more crawling in the dirt fun. Everything went pretty smoothly. I was surprised that all the cables that I “made” actually worked. I was smart to test all the cables before running them in the wall by hooking the cable up to our old DirecTv receiver and connected the video output to my video camera. That way if I had a bad cable I wouldn’t have to rip the wire out of the walls and re-install.

After all the cables were installed and working I finally cut the remaining unsued phone cables from the back of the house.

Whew! I did it! I rewired all the cables to the inside of the house through the walls and under the floors. Plus – everything works!

Now I just need to tack up the wires to the wall studs and patch the holes in the walls and floors where the cables used to be.

It took all weekend to accomplish everything on the list but I’m happy to say that DirecTv, cable modem AND Vonage phone service is all up and running!

To say that the organization gene doesn’t run in my family is too kind. I come from a long line of hoarders and pack rats. I have never stumbled upon a pile of papers, stack of books, or box of magazines that I didn’t want to keep, just in case.

The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem. With this in mind, I contacted organization expert Dawn Sutterby to help cure my clutter addiction.

1912 Bungalow: Everyone wants an organized home. Why don’t we all have one?

Dawn Sutterby: I believe organization is a habit we either take on or discard, early in life. As a child, I loved helping my Mom keep the house clean and organized. Oh, to fold those soft, warm towels or to dust the precious knick-knacks in the living room. Both chores completely lost their luster when Mom yelled at me for folding towels the ‘wrong’ way. Did you know you could dust the ‘wrong’ way too? You can, and I did. This childhood disillusionment can lead to a life of clutter.

As an adult, one of the biggest obstacles to having an organized home is feeling too overwhelmed to start de-cluttering. The key is, get started! Then you can form better habits like getting into a ‘clean routine’, so you’re not overwhelmed again. 

1912 Bungalow: Once you’ve made the decision to clear the clutter, how do you get started?

Dawn Sutterby: 

1. Get ready.

What’s your goal? Cleaning out an office/attic/basement/closet/garage?

When can you start? Set aside some un-interrupted time when you can make progress on your project. Notice I said make progress, not necessarily finish the project. Real-life example: I’m going to cleanout & organize my bedroom closet, next Sunday afternoon!  

2. Get Set.

What’s your plan? Whatever you are tackling, break it into small groups of tasks.  This makes the project much less overwhelming! 

Real-life example: Cleaning the closet can be broken into: Floor, Overhead Shelf and Hanging Racks.

Each section can be done at separate times, yet completing each provides a sense of accomplishment and some motivation to finish the entire closet!

• Are you really ready?

• Do you have enough hangers, trash bags and storage boxes?

• Are you moving some items into another room or closet? Is that space ready?

3. Go!

When it’s GO TIME, turn on some music and stay focused on your immediate set of tasks.

Real-life example:  Do use the standard “Keep”, “Trash”, “Donate”, “Mend/Clean” piles to keep your focus. Don’t get side-tracked by that box of old love-letters on the floor, under a pile of sweaters; set it aside for later & clear that floor!  

Congratulations!

Celebrate your success. You can see the closet floor? Hooray!  

1912 Bungalow: How do you keep from feeling overwhelmed?

Dawn Sutterby: Focus on a small area of your project or small set of tasks. Clearing off a desk-top, the floor, or the stairs does wonders for your motivation. When you see you’re making progress, you’ll want to keep going!

By the way, I still fold my towels the ‘wrong’ way.

1912 Bungalow: Thanks Dawn! These tips should help me to conquer the clutter in my home office. Stay tuned…

I will be talking with Dawn in the future about tackling day-to-day clutter and organizing old family “treasures.”

I recently ran across several original images of bungalows that I had saved. Enjoy!

Postcard of a California bungalow

Photograph of a California bungalow featured in the Wilson plan book that was published in 1908.

The Wilson plan book states: “This six-room bungalow has cobblestone chimney and porch balustrade, cement porch steps, shingled roof and gables and re-sawed siding walls. A disappearing bed receptacle is thus provided, which can be utilized from either the bedroom or the den, as owner may prefer. The house can be built for $2000, including the bed.”

I am intrigued by the disappearing bed. I wish our house had one.

Bungalow with upstairs rooms

Photograph of an early Los Angeles, CA bungalow

Photograph of a New Jersey bungalow taken in 1914

Tiny California bungalow with a cat sitting on the front porch

Postcard of Whittier, CA bungalow that is almost completely covered with vines

If you look closely at the above photo, you will see a man wearing a top hat standing in front of the house.

Los Angeles Bungalow from the Wilson plan book

Wilson plan book states: “This is a typical Bungalow, with a low roof, broken by long shed dormer, wide overhanging eaves and gables, battened side walls to the belt course, exposed chimney and fine large front porch. It is 30 feet by 52 feet over all, and can be built for about $1900.”

Another Los Angeles bungalow from the Wilson plan book

“For a six-room house, perhaps this is the plan which I most frequently suggest, and it has never failed to bear out my recommendation. Its exterior is massive, solid and artistic. The broad span of the front, the heavy cobblestone pillars, foundation walls and exposed chimney, in connection with overhanging eaves and shed-roof, all add artistic beauty.”

I couldn’t agree more. This house could be built for around $2350 in 1906.

We replaced the mirror from the back of the built-in bench in our living room. We discovered an old newspaper placed behind the original mirror. The first thing I did was look at the year – 1912. Then I looked at the date. January 13, 1912. A little chill ran up my spine. Was this some kind-of sign from the house or just a strange coincidence that we discovered a newspaper 92 years later with today’s date printed on it?

The dual headlines read ‘All Californians for One California, Battle Cry of State Boosters’ and ‘North and South Grip Hands in Pledge to Share Future Prosperity’. The North and South the headline refers to are Northern and Southern California.

Also on the front page is First Lady Taft’s chicken salad recipe which, according to the article, had gained vogue with Washington’s smart set. This salad was made under Mrs. Taft’s personal direction:
Equal parts of white meat of chicken and hard boiled eggs cut in dices, sprinkling of celery and white nuts, the whole being covered with mayonnaise.

Listed right next to Mrs. Taft’s chicken salad is the headline “German Socialists Win Great Victory”.

Inside, the paper offers an interesting advertisement on hair health. “Scalp and hair troubles generally caused by carelessness. Dandruff is a contagious disease caused by a microbe which also produces baldness.” The cure was Rexall 93 Hair Tonic.

Boy, times have changed! “Los Angeles No.1 in List of Moral Cities, Speaker says this is cleanest municipality of Nation, San Francisco worst.”

An article that was of particular interest to David, who is half Chinese and half Filipino, “Chinese Soon Begin Observance of New Customs”. The article discusses how Chinese citizens living in Los Angeles will adopt a Roman calendar and set aside observance of the Chinese new year. The article went on to say, “Chinese new year, the great religious and commercial fete known to the followers of Confucius – a revolution of little less importance than that recently ended in the orient will be in progress, but it will be a revolution among the revolutionists, a transformation of spiritual, social and commercial ideas and customs, formally launching Christianity and it’s manifold advantages into the land of the rising sun.”

Another article discusses how a woman’s reply of “yes” to a written proposal was lost in the mail and finally delivered six years later. In the mean time, the would be groom decided that the answer must have been “no” when he did not receive an answer, so he married someone else. When the would be bride learned of his marriage she decided that he must have changed his mind. She also married someone else. It could not be determined where the letter was during those six years.

Years before Imelda Marcos, “Woman Buys 58 Pairs of Shoes At One Time”.

We recently received this question:

I just purchased a bungalow and need to replace the roof. Do you have any suggestions on what would be historically accurate? Thanks!

First, congratulations you on your new home! Next, I want to refer you to Robert Schweitzer’s book, Bungalow Colors: Exteriors. This book was immensely helpful during our exterior restoration.

Schweitzer recommends taking the color of the roof into consideration as part of the home’s overall color scheme. He makes a very good point that the roof is a prominent feature on many bungalows and should compliment the overall color scheme of the house.

Now to answer your question, we found remnants of our home’s original roofing material in the attic. Our bungalow had a wood shingle roof that had been stained a dark red color. Although, many would find a wood roof impractical today.

Asphalt shingles

Asphalt is another historically accurate choice. Many of the bungalows in our area with very old asphalt roofs still intact have either red or green shingles.

I photographed the kitchen cupboards of a 1911 bungalow a few years back and saved them for the day when we remodel our kitchen.

What I like is the vast expanse of storage. It was difficult to photograph because the cupboards filled the whole wall.

This cupboard was built into the corner.

Bottom cupboards. The middle cupboard had a hinged bottom and was a flour bin.

See more bungalow kitchens!

Looking at these historic photos and illustrations from the early 1900′s, I find it interesting that so many of the living rooms feature a table or desk in the middle of the room. This was the era before coffee tables were popular.

Photo of an upper class home, taken around 1914

Armstrong linoleum advertisement featuring a desk placed behind the sofa.

This photo was captioned “A simple bungalow living room” in the original publication. The room is sparsely decorated with a small table and lamp in the middle of the room.

Desk in front of the fireplace.

Side table and chair in front of the fireplace.

Desk in the center of the room.

Desk is prominently placed in the living room.

These are the books that I refer to time and time again:
Bungalow Kitchens
Bungalow Bathrooms
Bungalow Colors Exteriors

Other great books:
Outside the Bungalow
Inside the Bungalow
Dare to Repair

Magazines:
American Bungalow
This Old House
Old House Journal

Websites:
American Bungalow Magazine’s Online Forum

Other home restoration websites:
HouseBlogs.net

I didn’t think it was possible, but the room has gone from bad to worse! With the wallpaper removed we can see the original wall color from 1912. I love green, so I don’t mind this color, but I’m planning on a paint color that is lighter and more soothing.

The little corner area used to be my home office. I spent hours, toiling away at my computer, crammed into this corner. It wasn’t the most inspiring work environment.

Bedroom windows

Looking towards the newly renovated home office.

Camping out in the home office makes for cozy quarters.

Our neighborhood has many buildings that began their lives as bungalows but have been converted, sometimes almost unrecognizably, into buildings now used for commerce. This is what happens when a predominantly residential area is rezoned for a commercial corridor.

Local Dentist

Bungalows have been converted into little shops, markets, dental offices and even churches.

Church

Realty Office

We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season!

I recently stumbled across OldHouseColors.com, a site that provides information on historic paint and stain colors. Boy, would this have been helpful a few years ago when we were painting the exterior of our house!

Our house was originally stained a bright green color very similar to the brightest green stain sample.

I particularly enjoyed Restoring the Colors of a 1912 Arts & Crafts House: Shingle Stains of 1912, an article on the exterior restoration of a beautiful Arts & Crafts home designed by a Pasadena architect.

Finding the right shade of white paint can be a very difficult process. After trying numerous whites that were too blue, too green or too just not right, I hand mixed my own color. It is a pretty, soft white with a gray undertone. The bright white trim makes the wall color stand out.

We still have lots of little touches to finish up, but the tub, toilet and sink are installed. Oh, happy day!

We have been asked why we didn’t use refurbished antique or vintage plumbing fixtures. I think they are lovely and worth every penny if you can afford it. But, this is a bathroom remodel on a budget where every penny counts. It was more important for us to put our money towards desperately needed storage space.

Truth be told, after living with our old bathroom for 7 years, I just wanted everything to be brand new and to feel clean. No matter how much we cleaned the old bathroom, it never really felt clean.

Whether you decide to go with antique plumbing fixtures, modern fixtures in a vintage style or something completely modern, get something that you love and that makes you feel happy whenever you walk into the room.

See more: Our Bathroom Fixtures, Inspiration Room

The front entry seems so much more inviting now.

The plaster wall has been repaired, the wood stripped and stained, and the walls painted.

Looking into the den before.

Looking into the den now.

Built-in book shelf and the gentleman caller’s bench.

David stripping the paint of our fireplace and fireplace today.

:: See how we brought back our fireplace’s luster after the bricks faded during the paint stripping process. ::

Stripping away layers of paint.

Lulu in the finished living room.

See Living Room Resources to learn about the products used in our restoration.

Ok, I admit it. Once I get excited about something it is hard for me to stop focusing on it. Some might call it an obsession, I think of it more as enthusiasm. Last night I found myself recording a scene from the movie “Catch Me if You Can” filmed in an old fashioned kitchen.

“Catch Me if You Can” is a good movie, but I became more engrossed with the kitchen than the storyline. The kitchen had built-in cupboards and a sink in the same configuration as in our house. I kept wishing the camera would pull back so I could see where the refrigerator and stove were placed instead of a close-up shot of Leonardo DiCaprio. You know your priorities have changed when you are more excited by a kitchen than a heartthrob!

I did a little research and found a list of bungalows and Craftsman homes in the movies and on TV:

All in the Family: TV series, the classic 1970’s family home of Archie and Edith Bunker.

Back to the Future: movie, filmed at the quintessential Arts and Crafts home, the Gamble house in Pasadena. It was the setting of the professor’s house and the science lab. For a lover of older homes, it doesn’t get better than this!

Beverly Hills 90210: TV series. Dylan McKay’s gorgeous California bungalow. This house was also used in the 2002 movie Clockstoppers. Read about how the house was saved from demolition and see more photos.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: TV series. Here is an exterior photo of the house Buffy lives in with her mother. The interior is full of period furnishings, has nice tile work and wainscoting, too. The town of Sunnydale is full of California style bungalows.

Grumpy Old Men: movie, starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margaret has some great bungalows.

Hanging Up: movie, starring Diane Keaton, Meg Ryan and Lisa Kudrow. Meg Ryan’s character lives in a Spanish-style bungalow that has some interesting interiors; mostly Monterrey/Western furnishings and a great Bauer, California pottery collection in the kitchen.

LA Confidential: movie. The whole movie is filled with period homes. This is Bidwell’s house.

My Life as a House: movie, starring Kevin Kline. Tear jerker.

Monster-in-Law: movie, starring Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer Lopez falls in love with a doctor and moves into his house…this house. The house steals the show: gorgeous woodwork; green subway tiled bathroom; beautiful tiled fireplace complete with a wood mantel, flanked by a built-in bookcase and more. Watch this movie just for the house.

Multiplicity: movie, starring Michael Keaton. Michael Keaton creates clones of himself to help in rehabbing his family’s bungalow. Hmmmmm…that doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.

My Dog Skip: movie. A coming of age story starring Frankie Muniz, Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane.

Old School: movie, starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn. Who can forget their frat house?

Radio Days: movie, Woody Allen. Set in a bungalow and the interior shots had craftsman influences.

Six Feet Under: TV series, funeral home. This house is located in my neighborhood on Arlington Ave in the West Adams area of Los Angeles.

Swing Shift: movie, starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Goldie lives in a gorgeous bungalow court. This location was also used for the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie.

The Man Who Wasn’t There: movie, starring Billy Bob Thornton and directed by the Coen brothers.

The Shining: movie, famously starring Jack Nicholson. The hotel interior. I spent a good part of my childhood being afraid of “red rum, red rum…”

Training Day: movie, starring Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and Scott Glenn.

What Lies Beneath: movie, starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. This gives you a glimpse of some of the built-ins you will see throughout the house.

Last night I spotted a dark gray cat perched in the very center of our roof. He looked like a Medieval gargoyle, waiting, keeping a watchful eye on the neighborhood, hoping to catch a pigeon for his dinner.

Our house is finally decked out for the holidays. After a slow start this year, we finished with the holiday decorations yesterday. Just in the nick of time!

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite house in our Make The Season Bright Contest. There is still time to enter your house! Winners announced December 24th.

The bathroom project is finally complete. Whew! We are thrilled with the results.

Starting with an inspiration photo, to picking out all the fixtures, to taking the room down to the studs and slowly putting it back together again; this has been the most difficult project completed in our house. So many decisions…

The updated bathroom is the project that has increased our enjoyment of the house the most. It is hard to believe that such a little room can have a big impact.

Our contractor built a door to match the original closet door and framed out a larger storage space.

For the first time in 98 years our house has a shower!

The ceiling fixture and sconce from Schoolhouse Electric help pull the room together.

My favorite things about the remodel? The marble floors…

the additional storage space…

and the color…

All the soft white tones make me happy!

Slow and steady wins the race, right? We might not be fast but we sure are proud! Check out the subway tile.

It is very exciting to see the walls tiled. Finally, after all these years.

Our little Project Supervisor.

I have decided that our cat Jack used to work in construction or as a building inspector in a past life. Every day he walks into the room and inspects all the work that has been done.

White ceramic subway tile from Dal-Tile is being installed. I’m so excited! The bathroom is finally starting to look a little bit like my inspiration photo.

It is horrible! What else is there to say? This upstairs room functioned as my office for many years. Because it is located off of our bathroom we decided to switch the rooms, making our old bedroom into our new home office.

The truth is I have been holding out on you guys. This room is almost finished! I’ve been a little distracted lately and I’m behind on posting.

The dog matches the wall color in the above photo. Really, we didn’t plan it that way. Although, I do have a confession. Here is a picture of me starting my very first home improvement project. Notice the paint color? I take full responsibility for the orange walls.

Most of the wood trim was removed to be stripped and sanded outside. I usually advocate stripping trim in place (leaving it attached), but removing the trim leaves much less mess and smell inside the house. I am at the point where I want our lives disrupted as little as possible.

I have hated this ceiling fan since the day we moved into the house. Taking the fan down felt like a final victory of over the ugly!

Our bedroom is finished! Out of all the rooms we have completed, I am enjoying this room the most. It feels so nice to finally have a little haven, a place to rest, after basically camping out for all of these years. Why didn’t we do our bedroom first?

The room was in awful shape before with peeling wallpaper and holes in the walls.

This room was my home office for years. How did I ever work in here? Lets face it, the room before is not at all inspiring.

The bedroom feels very warm and inviting now.

I framed and hung artwork over the bed from a printmaking course I took while in college.

I am in love with the little closet we had built into the dead space behind the wall. I like that the closet feels like it has always been here.

Our contractor did an amazing job building the door and matching the trim with the existing trim in the house.

This room was missing baseboards and some of the original trim.

New baseboards and trim were installed, replicating the rest of the trim in the house.

These windows were salvaged. We had added them to the house when we worked on the exterior. They needed some attention.

The windows are now working smoothly.

Open bedroom door and closed bathroom door.

Closet door, bedroom door and bathroom door.

The armoire survived being pulled through a second story window and is just slightly worse for the wear.

The bedroom ceiling has been repaired. The plaster was filled with numerous cracks. I’m just glad to say good-bye to the hideous ceiling fan!

Closet before and after. The elfa closet system is working out well.

Details
Paint Color: Dunn Edwards called Chocolate Milk (DE6059); Restoration Hardware Empire Rosette sleigh bed; Crate & Barrel Jules accent table; West Elm organic cotton sheets; West Elm Lexington quilt and shams; Overstock silk curtains; flor tiles rug; Restoration Hardware fan; eBay ceiling fixture; etsy table lamp; sarah & bendrix artwork; Luke Stephenson love bird prints; artwork above the bed is from a college print making course; elfa closet system; and last, but certainly not least, our contractor Juan Reyes 626.793.7091

The plaster walls are sanded and ready to be primed.

The wood trim is stripped and starting to be put back in place.

The little storage closet we had built into the dead space behind the wall now has wood trim and shelves.