A Spanish-Revival Rental That Redefined One Creative's Approach to Home Design

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Janea Brown was resolute about downsizing for her cross-country move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles—or at minimum, maintaining the same footprint as her Bushwick one-bedroom. "I'm one person; I don't need an entire house," says the creative behind @jnaydaily. But at 2 a.m. one morning, her plan unraveled. The content creator had discovered an impeccable single-family, two-bedroom home in West Hollywood. Marble kitchen countertops, oak hardwood floors—the property offered a caliber of finish far beyond the laminate tile and generic beige walls most renters inherit.

Owner Chaele Cooper had undertaken a comprehensive gut renovation of the circa-1932 Spanish Revival, anticipating she would steward the property for decades. Then the pandemic reshaped priorities: Cooper and her husband recognized their two-hour Burbank commute could be eliminated entirely. They listed the home as a rental and relocated to their beach-adjacent Venice property (another rental vacated by northbound tenants). "I was more nervous than when I decided to knock out the kitchen wall," Cooper says of finding the right tenant. Securing someone who would cherish the handcrafted breakfast nook and built-in bookcases required patience, but the moment Brown applied, Cooper recognized the match: "She was someone who would be a custodian of the home."

For Brown, the home's Mediterranean lineage became the catalyst for embracing a more layered, eclectic aesthetic. Settling in alongside her best friend–turned–roommate, she gravitated toward vintage rugs and sculptural olive branches over her earlier preference for trailing pothos and playful text posters. The rental is, in many ways, where Brown's design sensibility matured—partly a product of pandemic reflection, but equally a result of creative autonomy. "I've had roommates before that were very involved in the design process, causing a lot of compromise," she explains. "But this time I have total control." (One advantage of sharing space with a like-minded confidante.)

Even as she prepares to relocate this summer, Brown continues to treat the space as a design laboratory. "I was looking to experiment in order to find my forever pieces," she explains—furnishings she won't feel compelled to replace every six months. Certain selections, like her mustard wingback chairs from Maiden Home, were instant keepers. Others, including an antique dresser and a slipcovered McGee & Co. bed, arrived later in the editing process. "I feel like I just got my bedroom where I want it, and now I have to take it apart again," she says, laughing. The temptation to refine is heightened by the versatile backdrop of white walls accented with old-world molding—a canvas that welcomes continual reinvention.

In the living room across the hall—another inviting blank canvas—Brown hit her stride quickly. "It started with the sofas," she says, pieces that demanded months of online research to source. The cream Lulu and Georgia two-seaters, also slipcovered, strike an ideal balance of relaxed sophistication (though Brown concedes the fluffing required after a Real Housewives marathon is less than ideal). A vintage Etsy rug safeguards Cooper's cherished hardwood during frequent rearranging sessions, while vintage brass sconces cast the moody, ambient glow perfect for game nights.

Although the kitchen and bathroom arrived in pristine condition—Cooper thoughtfully provided ample cabinetry to conceal utilitarian essentials (including a dedicated appliance cabinet), plus the quiet luxury of soft-close drawers—Brown introduced selective additions to imbue these spaces with her personal signature, however briefly.

A vintage wood stool beside the bathtub offers a convenient perch for her latest read, while the open kitchen shelves received Brown's considered styling touch—decanted cooking essentials and rustic serving boards positioned for an effortless charcuterie presentation.

Brown may be bidding farewell—genuinely downsizing this time to afford solo living—yet both she and Cooper feel the pull. "What other tenant is going to care for the features the way Janea has?" Cooper wonders. Brown will miss the generous storage and notched archways. But while those architectural details remain, Brown's newly refined design sensibility travels with her. It was within this Spanish Revival, Brown reflects, that "I cracked the code on what I love to be surrounded by."

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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