It burns on my bare soles where I stand on the concrete stairs, leaning over the fence to take a photo of a huge agave. It looks like it’s melting and I can relate to that; it’s been warmer than usual for LA which means unbearably warm. We leave the AC on during the night so our apartment isn't a sauna when we get up for breakfast in the morning.
We found Swedish cheese in the grocery store and we make toasts with orange marmalade, and the cheese on top. Together with coffee it’s the most Swedish thing I know. The orange marmalade is of the bitter kind that I used to hate as a child, but now I love it. It still reminds me of that time though, which seems a bit weird. I recognize the taste from back then, but now it’s a good thing.

I wear the same dress every day because it makes me feel invincible, while also being light and thin.
We stay indoors more than usual and I drink way more iced coffee than normally.
We all have our ways to cope with the heat.
I dream of a house with a garden with lots of shade where I could sit all day and drink lemonade.
I dream of a lot of things.

There’s not enough room for my plants infront of the window anymore, but the step to emailing the landlord and ask if it’s okay if we drill some holes in the ceiling for plant hangers is too steep. (What if they say no.)
So I let them crowd.
I go to my very first Alexander Technique lesson and learn that I don't know how to stand and sit right, but I do have "a lovely connection" with my heels. That's a compliment I never thought I'd hear in my lifetime. I feel oddly proud.
I buy a vintage dress on etsy that looks like it would be perfect for the Annabelle Creation red carpet premiere, and while I’m waiting for it to arrive I get more and more anxious. It wasn't expensive, but still; it feels stupid to buy a dress that might end up not fitting.
But it fits. Oh boy does it fit. It’s so beautiful and I can’t believe how good it looks on me. I get so happy and smiley and I actually laugh really loud for a while. David is amazed too. And so are my parents and my friend Hanna that I sent a photo to. Hanna told me she was looking at it several times over the next few days and even showed it to a friend of hers and they both just ”Oh my gosh, its so pretty, ahhh the color, the cut, my EYES!!!”
My thoughts exactly.

When it was this warm two years ago it felt like at least five celsius degrees more than it does today. My pale, freckled body is going all California on me!
I find new paths in our neighborhood and zig zag through winding roads like I have a built in gps. Or, you know, good sense of direction. I’ve never had that before, and if we’re truthful I still don’t. I just recognize the houses, that weird crooked tree, the beautiful cactus, the steep hill. If I were to walk in the opposite direction it would feel like a completely new place to me. I know this because I did it last week and it took me ten minutes to realize I was on my usual route but with my nose pointing the other way. The moment I turned around it was like the world unfolded before me into familiar landscape.
The freshly cut grass and bushes next to the hiking trail smell like licorice, and when I get back home, sweaty and shiny, David says it’s like kissing the ocean.

I get great news on the phone, I buy three different brands of sunscreen because I can’t decide which one to choose, I put ice cubes in the leftover morning coffee, and I breath in the conditioned air. Our apartment is getting warm in that unbearable way, but outdoors feels nicer than it did two years ago and I still can't grasp that it’s me saying ”I love how nice and warm it is!”

June gloom came on May 31.
A week and a day later the grey skies have grown darker and heavier. On my head.
I walk in high wooden heels on streets covered in flower petal confetti; even the trees feel the burden of the skies.
At the French cafe the waiter who knows me gives me foamed milk for my coffee just to be nice, and I take a moment to register that I'm a regular here now. I get cranky if my usual table is taken, but today there is no reason to worry- no one wants to sit outdoors when grey skies are pressing down on you. But me.
I'm not letting gloom win.

Some days, like this day, the music in my earphones sound especially like theme songs to my life. I lift the coffee cup to my lips and feel like I'm in a movie. The cars driving by are background extras and the thoughts in my head are scripted perfectly.
A guy sits down at the table in front of me, living his life without theme songs in his ears. I feel sad for him because right now my movie is at the point where the music rises into a powerful crescendo symbolizing strength, willpower and mightiness. Nothing can crush me.

The waiter comes back to ask if I want more coffee and I remove one of my earbuds to let the outside world in. There is no movie, there is June gloom and car horns and a raindrop falling into my cup. But yes, I want more coffee and isn't it time for lunch soon and I'll walk on my high wooden heels to meet up with you and when we kiss we will be the same height and you will get some of my lipstick on your lips and we'll have our lunch outdoors because weather doesn't rule. We do.

Hej!
Remember back in May when I showed you our Slow Interior Decorating? It was fun, right?!
We are still not finished with this place, and I continue to document everything because it's just so exciting to decorate a place completely from scratch and see it evolve.

Anywhooo. This is today. Let's back up until June, shall we?

We didn't yet have a lot of furniture so I filled the place with fresh tulips instead.

And made pretty still life arrangements here and there.

The living room was empty except for this old stool and a couple of plants and trinkets. My plan was (and still is) to turn this room into a jungle. Here we were just getting started.

Found a pedestal for the Monstera at one of LA's flea markets.

Eucalyptus and tulips everywhere.

Even the kitchen got some flower action.

And then we found an old dentist cabinet at a flea market. I scrubbed it clean (it was beyond dirty) and placed it here for the time being. I thought I would move it later but when the rest of the furniture found their spots it felt like it was perfect where it was. It just needed a few friends around before it could feel completely at home. Aww.

We were still rocking the cardboard box table in search for the perfect bench. It had to be taller than regular benches for the plants to reach the window. And it had to be long. Those are not the easiest requirements...

It could still be really beautiful though. Cardboard box and all.

I was using the empty spaces for yoga and dancing freely without risking bumping into furniture corners. I am the master of that, by the way. Every damn table corner will meet my hip and give it bruises. That's just the way I am.

I went to a lot of estate sales this spring. One time I bought a bunch of scarfs that looked pretty hanging to dry in our bathroom.

Tired of tulip photos yet?

I'M NOT!

Watermelon Peperomia says "I'll carry you, my dear Tulip Petal".

A friend of ours sent us a text message one day. "Do you want this old hall tree?"
YES PLEASE! She bought it a few years ago when Warner Bros sold out a whole bunch of stuff from their prop house and now she didn't have any place for it anymore. Isn't it cool?! It has a space for umbrellas but since it almost never rains in LA we just store our shoes in there.

And then! Then we found our bench! Well, we had it made. One of the sellers at a flea market we go to makes tables and benches using re-purposed wood and pipes, so we asked them if they could make one that fit our space perfectly. And they did! Look how happy my plants are!

We also found the three little mid century side tables at an estate sale.

And we bought a coffee table! That we kinda regret buying because everything just falls between the slots.

Kitchen window still life.

And then BAM! Everything happened all at once it seems!

This was a fun time. Boxes upon boxes upon boxes.

A pretty Japanese vase that I found at an estate sale.

The living room started to look like a real room. Like a home. We bought a huge Palm tree that lives in the corner, as you can see.
Try to ignore the cords. I know it's hard. But try.

We bought a vintage school chart that I've been drooling after for years, and it makes me so happy. Chestnut trees are a favorite of mine.

Look! A flowers that isn't a tulip!

Over the faux fireplace we wanted something big. So we ordered this one from my Society6 shop. It's a photo I took somewhere between LA and Santa Cruz mountains when David and I were here in November 2014. We were on our way to visit some friends, but had to stop because David had a conference call with what would end up being the producers of Lights Out. We found a random side road in the middle of nowhere where we could park, and then I wandered around taking photos for an hour. So this picture feels like the start of this entire Hollywood adventure we're on.
Also: It's pretty. And the colors are perfect for our living room.

This window is a constant source for photos.

Table Jungle!

This lamp. This. Lamp.
I LOVE this lamp.
We had seen a few like it on flea markets but they were always crazy expensive. Like 450 dollars expensive. And then I found this at an estate sale. I was a little bit scared to ask for the price but I figured I couldn't leave without asking. He said 85 dollar. 85!!!! I was standing there staring at it trying to decide on the best way to get it onto an uber without damaging it, when the man seemed to think I thought it was expensive. So he said 65. 65!!!! I would have bought it for 85 but OKAY! 65 it is!
I love it so much and it adds just the right amount of strange to the room. You need something strange to make a place interesting. Remember that.

Oh, and we got an area rug too. It's called Celery. I like food names on non food items.

And this is today. A bit messy but still perfect. The cat balloon was a birthday gift to me from David. It meows the Happy Birthday song.

So that was all from this episode of Slow Interior Decorating with Lotta and David.
We still have the bedroom and hallway to finish so I'm sure there will be more blog posts like this one.
Hope you liked the tour!

/Lotta