Irina “Riri” Lazar wanted her new home to be practical—to a point, anyway.

After living for years in New York City and Mexico City, she felt it was time to return to California to be closer to her parents. Riri was originally drawn to the casual atmosphere and oceanside location of L.A.’s Venice Beach, but as an interior designer, she was deterred by the rental extremes of “dilapidated bungalows or ultramodern houses,” she says. That’s when she set her sights on West Hollywood, which is actually further east.

The area is a hub of creativity, where newcomers and established artists have galleries within walking distance to their homes. Riri knew that living in this part of town would be good for her career, so she took a levelheaded approach to what she calls “winning the lottery” of finding a worthwhile rental in a highly competitive market.

“I was committed to checking listings every day, three times per day,” she says. “I did this for three whole months and probably sifted through hundreds, if not thousands, of duds. It was tedious! But one day this place came up and it had only been listed for thirty minutes. I was the first to respond and wrote a compelling and charming enough letter to land me the coveted first-look spot.”

She toured the 900-square-foot, one-bedroom, rent-controlled apartment, which is set in a century-old chateau-style building not far from its structural cousin, Chateau Marmont. Its full bathroom and kitchen still had colorful glass tiles that harkened back to Hollywood’s Golden Age, while the living room made a statement with an archway and 18-foot-tall ceilings. The home even had a dramatic staircase, for whenever Riri was ready for her close-up.

“It looks like a Disneyland castle,” she says. “The archways, the original hardwood floors, the curved stairs, and hand-carved beams and moldings are not ‘perfect’ and clearly have a lot of mystery. I’m sure there has been a wacky cast of Hollywood characters here, and that’s why I fell in love with it.”

When Riri picked up the keys in January 2023, she wanted her new home to reflect her travels and personality—and to celebrate its unusual quirks. “I study and teach neuroaesthetics, which essentially examines how the brain responds to its environment—particularly art and design—and how these things can create a sense of pleasure, positive emotion, and meaning,” she explains. “Our environments are an extremely powerful tool that can be used to optimize our overall well-being, and for me, interior design starts with authentically expressing your unique self and view on the world.”

The kitchen features an original blue backsplash that Riri wanted to highlight with equally colorful accessories. “I added lots of graphic art and anchored it with all-black appliances and baskets,” she notes. " layout="" credit="Photo by Olivia Pierce" photoUserId=""/>

She searched for a deep and long sofa with a slight curve that was soft enough for naps yet striking enough to match the scope of the living area, and she found it in a stroke of luck at the Timothy Oulton showroom at the former HD Buttercup. The white fabric is accented by a flurry of black lines that make the whole thing resemble marble—and it came with a good story to boot.

“The showroom had two of these sofas, but they were both on hold! I was gutted, and even though I said I’d pay right then and there, they honored the three-day hold—you can’t imagine how many manifestation rituals I did in that time period,” Riri says. “They finally called and released one to me, and then a few weeks later, a friend sent me a photo from her friend’s house who had the same sofa. She had gotten the other one. And here is the kicker: her name is Irina, too!” She eventually paired the sofa with a colorful polka-dot rug made by Emma Boomkamp in Mexico City.

The story behind the dining room is decidedly more pragmatic, since it had to accommodate eating, working, and storage. “I knew that the classic Saarinen table and chairs were the way to go, but the very high price tag felt like a lot,” Riri says. “After six months, I finally gave in. The savvy part of me knew that it ultimately was a good investment because this set will retain value in the secondary market. So I went for it and luckily never regretted it.” The set sits under a vintage light fixture, beside the kitchen with its ocean-blue tiles.

Riri wanted the bedroom to feel romantic, so she started with a foundation of a high-pile sheepskin rug. “Sometimes I just lay on it instead of my bed,” she notes. She hung sheer curtains behind velvet drapes and installed antique brass knobs on the dresser to match the sheen of the golden chair in the corner.

The yellow-tile bathroom a few steps away is her “happy place,” which she made even more colorful with Missoni towels and a handwoven laundry basket from Mexico. For the finishing touch, Riri spent eight months searching for vintage heels with similar shapes to line her staircase, giving it an air of playful impermanence.

Nevertheless, she’s planning to stick around for the long run because it’s such a rare and wonderful find. “I will never leave,” Riri says. “This place feels so magical to me, and I wake up grateful every morning for this tiny, sweet jewel box.”

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:

Interior Design: Irina “Riri” Lazar / @ririlazar

Editor’s Note: The original captions of this story were revised on May 29, 2025, to correctly identify finishes and furnishings in the kitchen and bedroom.

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Rental Revamp: She Gave Her West Hollywood Chateau the Princess Treatment