What does a bachelor in LA do when his permanent home is currently under construction and will take a year to complete? Hire interior designer Ashley Scott of Scout Modern to turn his current high rise apartment into a comfortable space in the interim period.

The bare bones of this new-build apartment were excellent: neutral stone floors, a clean-lined wooden kitchen, and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. Her task was to personalize it for her client. “He wanted a space that felt like home,” the designer said, “for quiet time, for hosting, and of course, a comfortable space where he can enjoy his incredible view of the city. Because of these things, we tried to stay away from ‘fluff’ and focused instead on unique and interesting pieces, with easy to maintain styling and a high-end feel.”

Luckily, her client gave her free reign when it came to the decor. “We actually went with quite a bit of vintage furniture for this project,” she said. “With vintage, if you can’t source it yourself, you have to trust the retailer’s imagery and just cross your fingers that it works out. We were lucky and each piece was just as we had imagined and worked just perfectly as we combined it into the space.” The blue-gray chairs in the living room are a great example of how vintage pieces can add character to a home. Another way is to include furniture that is custom-made. “Because this apartment is quite small (specifically the bedrooms), we had some pieces custom made so that we could achieve the look and function we desired. ,” she added.

Although it was important to make this high-rise apartment a home for her client, she was also concerned about choosing furniture and decor with longevity. “The intention here was to start fresh, and also select pieces that would transition well in his future condo once it is completed and ready to be lived in,” Ashley said. “For this space, we focused on a clean, neutral color palette, with plenty of wood tones and lots of texture. Because we started from nothing in this space, and the client moved in during the process, we would often work in the apartment during the day while he was at work, so he would slowly see new items as the space was being completed. Along the way, he would occasionally send me texts about how much he liked the newest items and how everything was coming together and honestly,  l loved that about this project! I really appreciate that my client entrusted so much (essentially all) of the design direction to me and can say his trust made this one of my most creatively pleasing projects to date.”