A Los Angeles Home That Epitomizes California Cool

Leila Sayegh (above) was waffling about purchasing a Craftsman fixer-upper for sale in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. She loved the 1915 bungalow’s period details and wasn’t fazed by the neglected interiors  —  she had the know-how she needed from reno’ing a home with her former husband years before.

The potential deal killer? The property was more than 300 miles away from an old friend she had started dating. “But I knew I couldn’t plan my life around a man,” she says. “If I wanted this home, I had to buy it myself.” To tackle major issues, like replacing the foundation and roof, and pull off interiors with an easygoing Cali vibe, she worked with interior designer Karen Vidal. In eight months the 1,556-square-foot space was transformed, its laid-back interiors in sync with Leila’s single-gal lifestyle.

And that’s when she got engaged to her long-distance beau, Erik Abel. “I decorated the place just for me and  —  boom!  —  he’s moving in,” says Leila. But the bungalow has proven to be surprisingly couple-friendly, “maybe because I told Erik the only thing he could bring with him was his clothes!”