Sometimes, it’s love at first sight. That was the case for textile designer Josie Ford when she first saw an online listing for an apartment in a vintage building in the Hollywood Hills. “I had been living in Venice, but I was ready to leave,” recalls Josie. “I found this apartment, and it was the only one I looked at. I was attracted to the charm of the building and the fact that the unit had historic details from the 1920s that hadn’t been touched.”

Known for reinterpreting traditional printmaking techniques to create contemporary, functional soft goods like quilts and pillows, Josie is a longtime student of history and appreciates the small details that make a design come to life. “The whole neighborhood of this building was so charming,” she says. “The first time I visited, it felt like I had left L.A. and was in Europe.”

When it came time to make the apartment her own, Josie knew she wanted to introduce art, furnishings, and textiles that would complement the inherent beauty of the unit’s historic details. “I loved this spot because it felt untouched: the windows, the tile in the bathroom and the kitchen, the high ceilings. Even the placement of the light fixtures is all original,” she says. “I didn’t want to do any renovations to the space itself, because I would rather preserve something than put my stamp on it.”

“I’m attracted to more antique, old-world pieces, so I felt this apartment would be a perfect backdrop for the things I had collected or made over time,” says Josie, who designed many of the furnishings in the apartment herself and describes her style as collected and artistic. “I love the Art Deco style of the 1920s, but I also love earlier movements like Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts. Anything glam that nods to the past is what I gravitate toward.”

In the living room, Josie introduced two sofas she designed, both of which were inspired by antique pieces. She selected an eye-catching red mohair velvet for the showpiece sofa, which matches the red mohair rug she brought from her previous place in Venice. (She had the rug custom made by her friend Gregory Parkinson, who works directly with weavers in India.) “I went through a really big red phase,” says Josie. “Even though it’s a bold color, I feel like it’s aging well with me.”

When it came to art, Josie juxtaposed antique and vintage pieces with more contemporary selections, including several ceramic vases made by her uncle, potter Bayard Maybank. Many of the pieces in the apartment combine vintage and contemporary elements, including several of the lamps which feature Josie’s custom-designed shades atop antique bases. “I love the charm of historic details; they just feel warm and authentic,” she says. “It’s very comforting to be in a space like that for your home.”

Danièle de Courval. The pendant light is original to the building." layout="" credit="Preston Alba" photoUserId=""/>

At the beginning, Josie had no desire to make larger updates to the apartment, as she was charmed by its original finishes—like the clay tile in the dining room and the original 1920s light fixtures. However, after discovering the engineered wood floors in the main living area were not original to the building, she had thoughts of updating them. “If I owned the unit, I would probably switch out the engineered wood to match the original floors. Maybe I would do the tile from the kitchen throughout, or just use a darker real wood.”

Although the apartment has a compact footprint, Josie found she had no trouble sharing the space with her roommate: a 200-pound Great Dane named Atticus. “He is a very chill dog, so he just loves to lay around on the sofas. He’s a great apartment dog, surprisingly,” says Josie. The neighborhood park next to her apartment building is the perfect play area for Atticus, and it was also a draw for Josie in selecting the apartment.

All told, Josie says the apartment is a place of calm where she can find a creative reset. “I love being able to sit on the sofa and read a book, turn to my left, and look out the window to the church steeple next door, with ivy crawling on my windows,” says Josie. “The whole space just feels very inspiring.”

Have you taken on an ambitious Rental Revamp—or do you know someone who has? We want to hear about it! Reach out to edit@dwell.com with photos and a brief description.

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Frank Webster

Interior Design: Studio Ford / @studio_ford

Appears In

Rental Revamp: Textile Designer Josie Ford Adds Layers of History to Her 1920s L.A. Apartment