This L.A. Home Is a Kid’s Paradise, and That’s the Point

“There’s a difference between childlike and childish,” he says. “I want to be able to tap into my purest self to be my fullest self. And if I’m going to be fortunate enough to own a home, I want it to keep me inspired.”

The “persistence and luck” that brought him to this address last June, three years after following his brother to Southern California, coincided with his budding career in the fashion industry. He was working constantly and barely venturing out, which meant that designing these rooms became a creative escape from his daily grind. It had chocolate-hued wood detailing Jimmy didn’t want to touch, and the type of natural light his mates back home might daydream about in winter. All he needed to do was accentuate and personalize. “I always have at least a concept of what I’m hoping to do,” he says. “Then it just becomes a matter of finding the thing that can build it up.”

He came across the daybeds and matching ottoman in his den on Craigslist, which were owned by a woman who bought them as souvenirs from India. Jimmy hung a woven tapestry and framed photos of his self-professed heroes on the wall, like The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, and Bobby Womack. He paired the ’70s-style sofa in the living room with a 3D-printed green chair made from recycled plastic, and placed a coffee table he found at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in between. A gallery surrounds it all, mostly with pieces made by artist Michael McGregor, who rents a studio in Jimmy’s garage.

“I painted the ceiling yellow just to have a bit of fun with it,” Jimmy says. “The lamp in the corner is by Emilie Carroll, and I accidentally broke the original. But I liked how it looked, and, with the new one, it comes across as a comedic tragedy. The squiggles are, again, just fun.”