Name: David Del Fonzo
Location: Downtown; Los Angeles, CA
Size: 750 square feet
Years lived in: 1 month; Rented
David’s spacious Downtown LA studio epitomizes the ideal bachelor pad. Sturdy, industrial materials are combined with plush fabrics and personal accents from David’s childhood to create a handsome and inviting space with a healthy dose of personality.
In just 1 month, David has turned a stark, cavernous studio into a functional and cozy living space. “Quality over quantity” rings clear in David’s loft as a few sturdy pieces of varying scale are thoughtfully juxtaposed to create distinct divisions with a natural flow. A color scheme of dark grays, rich mahoganies and deep reds ground the bright space and give it warmth.
To cultivate a comfortable environment that feels like home, David has made a conscious effort to incorporate pieces that personally relate to him. He chose an Ekornes Stressless Recliner over an Eames Lounge Chair based solely on the fond memories he had dozing off in his uncle’s Ekornes as a child. Beakers from the lab his mother works in and a hard hat from his father’s construction job serve as striking design elements, neatly displayed in an open shelving unit amongst various home necessities.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Gentleman’s quarters
Inspiration: My parents had workplaces with a lot of cold industrial equipment and occasionally those elements made their way into the house. The mix of cold workplace efficiency inside a living space feels like home. There was an era before design incorporated heavy use of plastics, when metal, glass, and wood, were the only option… I’ve always been drawn to that. I’ve collected a lot of vintage keyboards and synthesizers from my touring days for similar reasons; they make beautiful sounds, but are heavy, over-built, and harsh to look at.
Favorite Element: Helium. It defies gravity and we’re running out of it!
Biggest Challenge: I recently moved from a larger 1 bedroom loft in the same building, so I had a pretty good idea of how and where I wanted things to be. The bigger challenge is somehow managing a studio with flow and distinct spaces without resorting to a lot of dividers.
What Friends Say: “The Clippers still suck and so do you for liking them. They’re going to have a terrible season. Also, don’t talk about us in that apartment thing.”
Biggest Embarrassment: I can’t put away clean laundry to save my life.
Proudest DIY: My first DIY build was an enormous 15-foot desk/bookcase/entertainment console out of particleboard, layers of tinted lacquer, and rows of corrugated plastic postal boxes for storage. It had a piano on a slide-out rack and enough storage to keep the rest of the house relatively clutter free. It was cheap, clean, and solved my problems without creating more. Growing up, my dad always built solutions to problems, and that create-your-answer mentality has always stuck with me.
Biggest Indulgence: A good mattress and a couple sets of linen sheets. It’s cliché, but I try not to cheap out on things that separate me from the ground (shoes, bed, mattress, car tires). Besides, rest is rare these days, I figure I might as well make the best of it.
Best Advice: It’s your home, and your guests should experience what makes you feel good. Personally, it’s a bit uncomfortable living in a space clearly decorated for someone else… even if it looks amazing. There is so much more depth to a space when you can connect to it.
Dream Sources: Dieter Rams’s garage sale. Since I’m dreaming, he’d probably want to talk shop over ramen… or ice cream…. pistachio ice cream.
Resources of Note:
- Jenna Gibson
- Bucks and Does
- Chandra Fredrickson
- Kelly Defayette
- Partick Carrie
- Friendly Ceramics
- Tigertree
PAINT COLORS
Black: Rust-Oleum Chalkboard paint
ENTRY
Painting – Kelly Defayette
LIVING ROOM
- Vintage Burled Wood and Glass Coffee Table – Inretrospect, Long Beach.
- Chesterfield-style Sofa (Black)– Craigslist
- Z Gallerie Harrison Sofa (Gray) – Craigslist
- Vintage Ekornes Stressless Chair and Ottoman — Craigslist
- Vintage Persian Rug – ebay
- Vintage TV Stand/Buffet – Rose Bowl Swap Meet
KITCHEN
- Restaurant Prep Table – Restaurant Supply Outlet
- Stools — National Public Seating
- Kitchen Cart – Ikea as-is section
- Art – Jenna Gibson, Lauren Becker, vintage, concert posters.
BEDROOM
- Bed – Ikea (Hemnes version 1)
- Mid Century Desk – Long Beach Swap Meet
- Bookcase — Ikea Expedit and Lack tv stand
- Mid Century nightstand – Urban Outfitters Surplus
Thanks, David!
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(Image credits: Jessica Isaac)
