A Small Laurel Canyon House

Betsy Simon, the founder of marketing company Marshell Consulting, happened upon a small hilltop house to rent in Lauren Canyon.

She now shares it with her fiance Greg Sadler.

Simon has since created a magical outdoor dining area with comfortable seating, a fire pit, and string lights. Most of it was created with found and repurposed items.

Vintage chairs were arranged around a long wood table, a flea market find, and the sofas were inherited from the previous owner.

Betsy Simon loves sharing her 900 square foot home with family and friends.

Because it’s a rental, she says she and her fiance had to find creative and non-permanent ways to decorate and alter the space.

They had the interior painted white and swapped out some of the light fixtures and kitchen knobs.

Her favorite room is the white farmhouse-style kitchen. It is accented with natural wood elements.

The kitchen space has stools from Saffron + Poe, a brand owned by friends.

The cabinets have hardware from Rejuvenation and a Ruggable area rug warms up the space. A light fixture from Cedar & Moss bring a touch of contemporary style to the space.

“We love being in the kitchen, looking through the main room to the view of the mountains. It’s the space we come to every evening — cooking dinner together, chatting about our days, watching the sunset as our tiny home fills with golden light, dancing to records, and drinking wine,” she says.

Cooking has been one of the things Simon has loved doing in the year she’s lived in her home. She hosted a Friendsgiving for her girlfriends.

“I only recently learned to cook (thanks, quarantine), so it’s been nice to share my own meals — even when they are absolute garbage — with people I love,” she jokes. 

She says a dining table was necessary when she was shopping for furniture. But with such a tiny space, she knew it would be difficult to find one.

Friend and interior designer Claire Thomas suggested a long narrow table positioned under the window. It is made from reclaimed wood from the couple’s previous West Elm table.

They arranged Saffron + Poe chairs around it and added a wall sconce from CB2.

“Because the interior is tiny, we wanted to maximize the space as much as possible without it feeling cluttered. We wanted the space to be cozy and inviting,” says Simon.

Another great feature is the fireplace in the living room.

“It’s surrounded by so many beautiful wood details. The original owner was a woodworker (he built a workshop in the shed behind the house), so the home is covered with his gorgeous wood designs,” she said.

The living room has built-in shelves for showcasing books and decor. They have a custom white sofa from Saffron + Poe, accented with throw pillows from the same brand.

The nesting tables are from Rejuvenation and serve as a coffee table atop a Pottery Barn area rug.

But the best thing about the space is the abundance of natural light

The bedroom is a space they go to unwind. It too has sunlight coming in from a unique corner window.

The couple chose a Saffron + Poe leather strap headboard, a leather lounge chair, and a decorative throw blanket.

The wall sconce is from Serena & Lily, and the curtains are from Pottery Barn.

A few one-of-a-kind pieces is the Moroccan flat weave rug. The antique bronze curtain rod accent the space as does a repurposed media console from West Elm.

“We completed everything within a few months of moving in, but are forever tweaking and would love to redo the outdoor space!”

“The location is our absolute favorite part of the house — the views, the natural elements (deer, coyotes, hawks, hummingbirds), the sunrises that light up our entire home and sunsets that turn the entire sky magenta,” said Simon.

“The canyon is very peaceful; it’s quiet and at the same time so alive, filled with the love and community that makes Laurel Canyon such a special place.”

Their home has views of the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

“Once you wind down the treacherous road to our home, you completely forget you’re in Los Angeles. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a lovely outdoor space to host brunches, dinners or cocktail hours al fresco,” she says.

{Photos courtesy of Margaret Austin; content courtesy of Lonny}