A Small 100-Year-Old House Renovated on a Budget Has an Incredibly Cute DIY Paint Detail
Name:Deanna Jacoby McEachin, my husband Shawn, and my doggo, Finn
Location:Los Angeles
Type of home:House
Size:865 square feet
Years lived in:1.5 years, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there:My name is Deanna Jacoby and I work as the senior design manager atJenn Feldman Designshere in Los Angeles—though, for the first time, I’m finally pitching my own work! My husband and I just recently completed (though I don’t really think we’re truly ever done!) the interior renovation of our first home in LA with our own two hands (almost). At just 865 square feet and 100 years old, it is small but mighty, and was done on a very tight first-home buyer budget! We’ve spent endless days and late nights bringing this home back to life—it is a true labor of love. It has been so fun to flex my creative muscles and industry knowledge, but with myself as the client. It’s amazing what a coat of fresh paint and some creative styling can do.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less:Cozy, charming, never truly finished.
你最喜欢的房间是什么,为什么?Does the entry count?! Our house may be small, but it has a really great and really sizable front entry, which used to be a porch that was closed in sometime in the ’60s. It gets the best light, has an old tongue + groove ceiling, and a funky chair rail detail that our dog, Finn, adorably uses as a step stool to survey his kingdom (read: neighborhood). We’ve added a small gallery wall of pieces we’ve lovingly collected, and maximized the vertical space for a great focal point of low-cost IKEA shelving and some good styling! Whenever I’m feeling in a funk, I find myself in here, either reading in the sun in our heirloom corner chair, or tackling the shelves for the umpteenth time.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home?Finding is my JAM! I recently found this old, tiny table laying upside down on the side of the road at about 6 a.m., taking my dog to the park; I hopped out of the car and grabbed it without a second thought! It just so happens to be the most perfect size for our functional entry anchor! I’m a huge believer in pieces that show a little LIFE. I always wonder what stories they would tell.
If we’re talking recent purchases; when the pandemic hit, I hit a whole new wave of nesting—the homeowners equivalent of retail therapy. I find that investing my energy in my home is actually really valuable to my mental health! I found this killer vintage runner for our entry off eBay—shout out to rugemporium240! Didn’t I tell you I have a strange love for our entry?!
Any advice for creating a home you love?It is so important to find ways to make a HOUSE a HOME. Fill it with things that bring you joy, that smell good, that spark wonderful memories. It should be a reflection of YOU-ness. I like the saying—home wasn’t built in a day. It should be a culmination of collections and adventures!
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.