Beatrice Valenzuela first hit our radar when we discovered her chic and under-the-radar shoe line. (She also designs jewelry and bags, which she sells in her online shop, and is the founder and co-curator of the Echo Park Craft Fair.) Raised in Mexico City, Beatrice lives in a colorful Echo Park cottage with her partner Ramsey Conder, a fellow designer, and their two young children.
Good news for travelers: The couple recently renovated an aesthetically challenged neighborhood cottage for short-term rentals, recently listed on Airbnb. For the design, they opted to create a white canvas of sorts, “a tranquil backdrop with bursts of color and texture,” as they say. “It’s important to us that when people visit our neighborhood we can offer a similar experience to our own home. I love cooking, so the kitchen is outfitted for a cook. And the garden is full of California native and the scent of sage.” Here’s a first look.
Photography by Nancy Neil.
Above: The front (and back) door are painted a mustard shade. The couple contacted their color consultant, Teresa Grow from Madison and Grow, to help them choose the Dunn Edwards exterior semigloss DEA Pirate’s Gold.
Above: Ramsey designed the modular built-in sofa in ash and brass. The seating is covered in French military canvas with striped cushions from Heather Taylor Home. The hanging basket above the sofa is from a village in the jungle six hours from Puebla, Mexico, and is available via Beatrice Valenzuela.
Above: A view into the kitchen from the dining room. The lighting fixtures, along with most of the furniture, were designed by Ramsey, who works with his own fabricators in Los Angeles.
Above: The kitchen has a white farmhouse sink left exposed beneath. (Beatrice has the same in her own home.) She says, “We find it’s an opportunity for all the unconsidered details to be visible in a beautiful way.” The brass shelf brackets and hooks throughout the house were designed and produced by Ramsey. On display are Burnished Clay Pottery and Talavera Pitchers from Puebla, Mexico, which Beatrice sells online.
Above: Unlacquered brass is used in both the kitchen and bathroom; the faucet was sourced from Newport Brass. Ash was used throughout the kitchen: “It’s long-lasting and has a very delicate light color and grain pattern,” they say. They sealed the counter with linseed oil, but look forward to seeing a patina develop over time.
Above: The kitchen’s Moroccan Cement Tiles are from Badia Design in North Hollywood. In the foreground, brushes hang from a pair of Ramsey’s hooks.
Above: A custom kitchen table and bench by Ramsey, lit by one of his fixtures.
Above: A splash of color in an all-white bedroom with custom curtains by Heather Taylor Home woven on looms in Chiapas, Mexico.
Above: A weaving by Beatrice of cotton, sisal, and raw wool hangs in a second bedroom. The built-in wooden side table is made of reclaimed old-growth Douglas fir with Ramsey’s brass screws.
Above: Moroccan Tile in the bathroom from Badia is paired with brass fixtures.
Above: An ash daybed is piled with black and indigo cushions purchased on a trip to a remote village in the mountains near San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas.
Above: Beatrice in her new rental in Echo Park. The house sleeps five and is available for two-night-minimum stays: Go to Airbnb for details.
Above: The outdoor dining area.
Check out our posts on Beatrice and some of her Echo Park neighbors (and friends):
- A Cult Shoemaker in Echo Park
- A Minimalist LA Jewelry Designer Goes Maximalist
- Kelly Lamb’s Glamorous Art Studio
- Shopper’s Diary: Cookbook in Los Angeles
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