Tour This Fashionista Prop Stylist's LA Apartment Filled With Old-World Charm

Erik Staalberg's Old-World-meets-Spanish style LA apartment is the perfect eclectic reflection of his work as an interior prop stylist. Take a peek inside his secret accessories closet filled with silk scarves and hats, perfectly pink entertaining parlor, and the home's original green-and-yellow kitchen that still turns heads.

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April 26, 2023

By: Rachael Jones

Show: HGTV Handmade

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Photo By: Marcus Meisler

Tailoring Timeless Style

Erik Staalberg's love of fashion and vintage goods blend together in his lovely Los Angeles home like a well-made martini, equal parts classic and stylish. And possibly the best news of all for a creative interior prop stylist was discovering the home was left in its original state with decades of different designs throughout. "What made me want to move into this apartment was the fact that it was untouched," Erik says. "It kind of felt like this time capsule, and all of the original details had been preserved — like the crown molding, original tile and French windows in all the spaces. It has so much character and so much history that I immediately fell in love with it."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Setting the Tone

"One of the great things about this apartment is this entryway that is half-indoor, half-outdoor and has this amazing skylight," Erik says. "It was completely underutilized. So I started to fill it with plants and more plants and more plants. [Now] I kind of have this wonderful atrium, which is so nice with all of the Spanish tile and the wrought iron."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Prop-Styled Pad

"Coming up these old, terra-cotta tiled stairs and having all of these old plant stands with everything [that] is wrought iron has a good Spanish feel to it — and I think it’s a good precursor to the apartment," Erik adds. Just steps inside from the adorable atrium sits an antique wooden desk with two cushioned stools for visiting guests.

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Crisp Key Lime

"My living room is the room I definitely spend the most time in [and] it’s definitely the room I entertain the most in as well," Erik shares. "What I love about this space is this lime-green, key-lime-custard color. It’s almost like a jade and it has brought all of the hues that are in the space forward."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Recharging Room

"I think being in this room so often really is enriching," Erik says. "It definitely has more of an older character than some of the other rooms, and I’m loving that distinguishing difference between some of the spaces. It also gets the best light, so plants are pretty successful around here."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Library of Life

Erik's super-saturated living room is balanced perfectly with rich wood and burnt-red undertones, as seen on one of his favorite sources of design inspiration. "This amazing bookcase [is] just filled with so many memories, and it kind of feels like a library of my life," he says.

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Bookcase Styling 101

A closer look at Erik's library of memories reveals a stylized design that blends art, trinkets and books together to build on a theme. Learn how to style the perfect bookcase with Erik's easy organization steps.

Learn More: How to Style a Bookcase

Tear Down and Rebuild

"First, remove everything from the shelves and organize it by category: books, vases, art and trinkets," Erik says. "Then, pick a design pattern and duplicate it on both sides of the bookcase at varying heights. Start by adding books upright or in stacks, and then fill in any gaps with the biggest items, like large vases."

Learn More: How to Style a Bookcase

And Don't Forget Plants

"And, whatever you do, don’t forget to add plants," Erik continues. "This adds a natural element [and] keeps the bookcase from being too [stiff], making sure it feels organic and fresh. Lastly, pair 2D artwork with 3D objects and finish the style with your smallest trinkets placed all around any remaining space."

Learn More: How to Style a Bookcase

Behind Door Number One

Just as the bookcase is filled with decades of dashing tales, so is the nearest closet, neatly styled with a three-legged wooden chair beside the door. "This [closet] is typically meant to be a coat closet, but when I moved in it was so big that I knew it had a bigger purpose," Erik explains. "This is actually where I keep all of my accessories — it's kind of like the Grand Central Station of fashion in my home."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

No Bicycles Here

"[The walk-in closet] is filled from the floor to the ceiling with nothing but accessories," Erik continues with a laugh. "I have a vintage purse rack. I have all of my shoes. I hung this big cable for all of my silk scarves. The couple that lived here before just had their bicycles in it — and it was such a wasted space. So I completely retrofitted it for my needs and think it's the best DIY that has been the most successful."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Retrofitted Hand-Me-Down

"Then I brought in this dresser, which was actually in my mother’s nursery as a child," Erik adds. "And the drawers had been all dinged up ... so I just wanted to kind of give the drawer fronts a refresh and I painted them in a pattern similar to the three-legged chair just outside. Now, each drawer has a different accessory: earrings, bracelets, belts, purses and sunglasses."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Pretty Ribbons

Erik's pink hallway is filled with various stencil and painted artwork all displayed in black frames to keep the look consistent. "I recently just painted [the walls] this dusty lilac and had my friend Issa paint these trompe l'oeil-style ribbons with bows at the top, all in different hues."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Visual Transitions

"[The ribbons] have added so much whimsy to this space and it just makes me smile so much, which is great to have in the center of the house," Erik says. "It kind of leads you into each space, which is a good transition."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

The Littlest Green Bathroom

"This is my tiny, little, original tile, original pedestal sink bathroom ... when I moved in here, the walls were painted a chocolate brown — and when you have this kind of canary-yellow tile, it [was] just so bizarre," Erik says with a laugh. And for that reason, it was one of the first rooms Erik redesigned, though he made sure to leave the cute, original fixtures like the towel bar, soap holder and toothbrush holder.

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

When in Doubt: Use Plants

As for any unsightly, can't-be-removed fixtures, Erik's simple styling trick is one that anyone can do. "There’s some ugly pipes and wiring down underneath the pedestal sink, so all I did was bring in some plants down at the bottom and it definitely looks a lot more homey," he shares. "I always try to make sure there’s plants and life in the [bathroom] because you don’t want things to be too sterile."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Pretty in Pink

Erik's outfit isn't the only thing that's rosy. "My pink parlor is essentially a dining room," he says. "It’s very prissy pink and it’s where I do the majority of my hosting."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Perfect Parlor for Tapas

"I love to set a table, so that’s always a good opportunity for me to really impress," Erik continues. "And it kind of feels like the most glamorous room out of all of my apartment." A modern, globed chandelier certainly gives a glimpse of glamour, paired with bold, colorful artwork and matching white cabinets.

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Brass and Sass

Quite possibly a runner-up for the best bling, Erik says, "[The parlor] definitely has the most jewelry in it. There’s tons of brass and tons of bright-color glass, and the pink elements, too. I think it's always crowd-pleasing for anyone I have over."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

The Cat's Pajamas

"The kitchen is my least favorite room, mainly because I hate to cook," Erik says. "But, I will say, I’ve done enough cosmetic [things] in here that have made it not a terrible place to be." The style invokes a kitsch, yellow-and-green vibe, playing with a retro kitty cat clock and the original 1930s Wedgewood stove.

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Keep It OG

Erik continues, "Something I love is the original tile — like in the bathroom — where we have this really nice canary yellow. But then there’s all these green accents, and I didn’t love the forest green with the yellow. So I [broke] that up a little by confusing the eye and bringing in other shades of green throughout, making it more of an ensemble piece."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Neutral and Bold

"My bedroom is probably my favorite room in the house," Erik shares. "It recently got a refresh and I just think it really speaks to my personality. Even though it’s a pretty neutral bedroom, if you look at it, the foundation of the room is white — the bedding, the walls and the furniture. So I brought in all of these really saturated colors and all the accessories."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

A Room Divided

"I obviously love the old stuff, but there’s something about these contemporary lines [in the bedroom] that make it feel more modern," Erik says. "I just think it adds so much personality while still being calm and not crazy or antique."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

Layering Is Key

"My favorite part of [the bedroom] space is this collage wall, which is kind of like a gallery wall, but I have layered art on top of other pieces," Erik says. "It looks trickier than it is. But I basically just found the longest nails I could find and kind of artfully placed them. And I love how it just feels super layered and collected." Erik combines black-and-white photography, 2D and 3D art and textured objects to create the theme.

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

In Search of Soul

"One thing that every home needs is soul," Erik says. "I want to walk into a place and know exactly who lives there just based on how it’s furnished. It really is the most important thing someone can have in their home because only you can create it for yourself. And it is so powerful to have a space that reflects who you are. It’s really energizing and rejuvenating and I absolutely would recommend digging into the soul of your space."

Watch the Video: Tour an Interior Stylist's Los Angeles Apartment

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