A Bold DM to an Architecture Account Secured This Marketing Executive a Coveted L.A. Rental

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Most apartment seekers compose wish lists centered on practical amenities—a dishwasher, perhaps, or south-facing windows. Erin Starkweather wrote down architects. “I had moved to Los Angeles quite suddenly and found myself in this ultra-modern building, daydreaming about mid-century design,” says the head of brand marketing at Saie. Her next residence simply had to be the work of Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, or Craig Ellwood—though the latter felt like a distant fantasy, given his scarce residential portfolio.

After nearly a year of wistfully browsing L.A. architecture accounts on Instagram, Starkweather discovered her ideal property—a three-unit apartment building designed by none other than Ellwood—and sent a direct message on impulse. Did they happen to know the building's owner? As it turned out, yes. “I implored the landlord to notify me if anyone was even considering vacating,” she recalls. Coincidentally, one of the leases was not being renewed; Starkweather submitted her application for the two-bedroom unit the following week, sight unseen. “It was kismet,” she reflects.

A firm believer in manifestation, Starkweather had been amassing mid-century furniture for years in anticipation of precisely this moment. “I visualized each piece I would need, even when they barely fit into my New York one-bedroom,” she recalls, and that collection was essentially all the apartment required. With its striking alternating black-and-white kitchen cabinetry and an open, railing-free staircase, she felt no desire to alter anything structurally.

Serendipity struck once more on move-in day. Without any prior familiarity with the unit's floor plan, Starkweather's Wassily armchairs and Noguchi lanterns found their ideal positions as though predestined. The apartment was nearly complete by the time the movers departed, with only a sofa remaining—an unresolved question. For seating that would harmonize with the space, Starkweather commissioned a custom design. Inspired by Donald Judd's streamlined plywood creations, she conceived a high-backed frame evoking the proportions of a daybed, crafted in the same material.

“I gravitate toward furniture that allows the architecture to speak for itself,” she explains. “I don't display any artwork on the walls, because the walls themselves are so striking. They genuinely don't require embellishment, you know?”

It's difficult to imagine that this apartment sits in the heart of Hollywood—an impression Starkweather deliberately amplified in the bedrooms, where the views reveal only treetops. She maintained the decor at an absolute minimum: her bedroom contains simply a bed with an integrated nightstand, Vitsoe shelving, and a rug to warm the cork flooring. “With a demanding career and an active life, I appreciate returning home to a space that's minimal and free of visual clutter,” she notes.

If residing in an Ellwood design carries a drawback, it may be this: “Someone actually messaged me recently, saying that many couples who occupy his homes end up divorcing because there's so little storage and privacy,” she recounts. Whether apocryphal or not, Starkweather reframed the scarcity of closets—there is only one, located in the primary bedroom—as a welcome constraint. “It compels me to release anything I don't genuinely value or need,” she says. As for privacy, it's a nonissue—she contentedly lives alone.

The sole element Starkweather did update was the outdoor area: “It was overrun with insects and wild vegetation,” she recalls. With assistance from friends, she cleared the unruly plantings to begin anew. Envisioning a serene, Noguchi-inspired garden, she selected native cacti, gravel from Home Depot, and several 500-pound boulders sourced from a nearby quarry. Just as she did indoors, Starkweather allowed the building's architectural bones to take center stage. One suspects Ellwood would approve.

Kate McGregor covers everything related to the home, from design inspiration to IKEA hacks. She has been the market assistant at ELLE Decor where she focused on curating product for the print magazine’s market pages.

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