When you’re on a budget, the prospect of modern furniture is an attractive one—especially when a single vintage midcentury chair can put you out close to a grand. But if you have a home of true midcentury pieces, how do you blend your new pieces with your old? Just ask Lauren and Neil Apodaca, the new homeowners of a 1960s Charles Dubois home in Woodland Hills, California, and the subjects one of Joybird Furniture‘s stories.
Read on for an excerpt of the Apodaca’s tale of settling into their new home, collecting their midcentury pieces and tailoring their modern furniture pieces from Joybird to fit their modernist lifestyle…and their kids!
It’s hard to believe that Lauren and Neil Apodaca—along with their two young daughters, two dachshunds and one cat—only recently moved into their Woodland Hills home after relocating from Fresno. A palette of exuberant colors, Neil’s carefully-chosen antiques and the constant play of kids gives this four-bedroom Mid-century modern rancher real lived-in charm. “We’ve got two girls, Natalie who is 6 and Liberty is 3, so our life is very busy,” begins Lauren, a registered nurse whose job relocated her to the Valley. “I think our home is a reflection of ourselves; we like to entertain and have an open space that can be comfortably lived in.”
What were the thoughts behind your laid-back style?
Lauren: We want our kids to be just as they are in their own environment. Does that mean they want to take out Play-doh and it ends up all over the carpet? Yes, but we deal with the ramifications of that because we really want them to be able to live and do what they want in their home.
Neil: It’s a great house. It’s fun and the kids can go crazy without you really worrying about it. We have a lot of activities for the kids: there’s a trampoline, a swimming pool and lots of fun stuff to entertain our friends. I love it here.
Lauren: Most of the day, I’m away from home working, and when I come back I want a place that’s comfortable, not stuffy and I can just be myself whether that’s jumping on the sofa and putting my feet up, doing an activity in the backyard or cooking in the kitchen. This space for me is the epitome of comfort.
How would you describe your design aesthetic?
Lauren: We love Mid-century modern and we try to make our home real and lived-in. With each house Neil has searched for the perfect pieces to preserve that vibe, and to make a personal touch that’s unique to us.
Neil: Mid-century modern furniture has personality to it, it’s not the same stuff that every other person on your block has. I don’t like to be run-of-the-mill I guess, so I think the furniture says that also.
Lauren: It took me a period of time to catch on and realize the magic behind Mid-century modern style. I’m on board now.
