November 20, 2023
Greta Floors Set the Stage at This LA Home
by Lauren Jones
Creative duo Izzy and Kam’s Santa Monica townhome is filled with objects they love. He’s an ex-touring artist, now a work-from-home designer and creative in the music industry, while she is a yoga teacher and jewelry designer. So when it came to buying and remodeling their first home, they wanted to fill it with materials, furniture, and more that not only supported their daily rituals (think early morning surfing and cuddling with their two cats, Bengels and Oli), but that provided a sense of lightness and comfort as well. In their open-concept living space, they have an impressive record collection, artwork from friends, a Scandi-inspired dining table, and crisp linen curtains that let in dappled afternoon light. But, the most important decision was finding the perfect wood flooring, a light oak with a natural-looking grain and matte finish, that would lay the foundation.
They were initially inspired by LA designer Natalie Myers, known for her Scandifornian (Scandi-meets-Californian) style, and fell in love with both Greta and Fika. They ultimately chose Greta, an 8-inch-wide blonde that’s easy to clean and ideal for pets.
Read our full interview with Izzy and Kam below and their tips for picking the right Stuga floors for your home.
Tell us about your home. What makes it special?
Kam: I spent so many years touring so I love being home, making this place ours, and customizing it. We’ve gotten to this point that we’re so excited to come home if we’re out and about for a few hours. We’ve turned it into our little sanctuary.
Izzy: We bought our home knowing that we wanted to remodel it to fit the way we live. We had the help of my wonderful parents who have remodeled homes before. It became a family project which was very special because it allowed us to check in with each other each day. We would stop by the townhome in the morning to check in and see what the workers were up to. It became a fun bonding experience. I think this home is special for us because it was a collaborative effort from our family to build it.
What inspired your design?
Izzy: I went to Otis College of Art and Design and fell in love with product design, specifically furniture and jewelry design. A lot of my experiences included studying midcentury designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Charlotte Perriand, and Arne Jacobsen. My mother is also a big influence. I admire how painstakingly aware she is about making sure every detail is perfect. The location also inspired our design. We’re in Santa Monica, so we wanted to stay true to the beachy, vibey, California home. This is why I love Natalie Myers' design style. I searched her Instagram and found she uses Stuga in many of her designs.
Were there any challenges with choosing your flooring?
Izzy: A floor sample might look beautiful at a showroom, but it’s a whole different story when you bring it home. We went to so many flooring stores throughout Los Angeles and nothing looked as good as the Stuga floor samples that we ordered online. We spent many hours putting our floorboard samples next to our wall paint sample, next to our countertop material, and next to our cabinet color sample. Stuga has bigger samples than any other places and it made a big difference when it came to seeing how the flooring catches the light.
What made Greta the right choice for you?
Izzy: We chose Greta because it made our home feel warmer and more inviting. Our living area has minimal natural light at some hours of the day so we wanted to make sure that the interior had hues of warm colors. Greta was just the ticket!
Stuga’s quality of flooring and the price is also unmatched. We went to many, many flooring stores in LA. The options in our budget and the quality were not up to the quality that Stuga provides. I also loved the interlocking system of the boards where glue is optional. Coming from a product design background, I loved that aspect. The grain and the finish options from Stuga were much better than comparable brands. I wanted that Scandinavian look and, of course, Stuga’s wood is sustainably forested in Sweden, so they nailed it! Nobody does white oak flooring quite like Stuga!
Tell us about the stairs process.
Izzy: Stuga eliminated the need to do flooring matching. We chose the flush nosings and wanted the entire stair to be covered by Greta. When we were installing the nosings, we realized that our stairs wouldn’t be to code unless we modified how we installed the nosings. Our contractor suggested that we install them how we did, which was kind of a combination of flush nosing and square nosing.
What space do you enjoy the most?
Izzy: I enjoy the kitchen the most! For me, a perfect day at home is when I can spend the whole day cooking up something for friends and family. When we’re all gathered together to eat a meal that I have cooked that day, I think that’s when I am happiest.
