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At home with Jesse Arifien and Trevor King
The LA home of Australian stylist Jesse Arifien and her photographer husband Trevor King perfectly captures the dream of two expats living abroad. Having moved in three years ago, the apartment has become a hub where they live, play and raise their toddlers, Leo and Freja, and dog Charlie. It’s also become a handy base for their work, and before COVID-19 caused havoc, they would regularly travel to Europe and across the USA.
The three-storey loft-style apartment in Venice Beach is flooded with natural light and the couple’s minimal-meets-mid-century interior style feels right in step with the neighbourhood. “Since living in LA, our interior style is much closer to our lifestyle,” says Jesse. “I guess that’s because we’ve had the opportunity to travel so much more for work and pleasure. We have either been inspired by certain travels or have picked up pieces along the way. We also had our kids in LA and have adopted a more minimal style. We try to keep the kids’ toys to a minimum and spend more time outdoors in nature.”
We visited the pair to find out how style, scent and travel manifest in their home.
Tell us about your home.
One of the best things about our place is the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which allow loads of light to come through. We’ve kept the place neutral to open up the space with a mix of mid-century and beachy-inspired furniture. We have an abundance of frames with a mix of art and Trev’s photographs all over the place – there is no lack of family and travel photos. There are also plants in every corner in vintage pots.
What are some of the most treasured objects in your home?
Our vintage cameras and books collected over the years in LA; prints of family photographs from our travels; Leo’s watercolour paintings; a collection of rocks and crystals from a recent trip to Arizona and Utah.
How do you like to use scent in your home?
I like to light a candle at my desk right next to my laptop when working from home. It creates a special separation between my home and workspace. I also love to light scented candles in our living room in the evenings when we have friends come over. I’m definitely drawn to more subtle, fresh, earthy scents. My absolute favourite is the LUMIRA Tunisian Mint Tea scented candle.
Can you share a favourite fragrance memory?
In 2017 Trevor and I drove from Florence all the way down to the Amalfi Coast and up to Switzerland. One of the highlights was a day trip where we sailed out to Capri and anchored right next to the island, jumping in and out of the water in between eating cheese and drinking glasses of rosé. That salty summery scent of the Med will be with me forever!
Do you have a favourite destination for travel?
I couldn’t say we have one favourite place. We always try to see new places, but in the past few years, we have regularly been to Napfilo in Greece, and Mexico. We have family in Greece and love Napflio as it has all the beautiful perks of Greece, minus the tourists. We love Baja Mexico, as it is just a few hours’ drive away from LA yet once you cross the border, it’s an instant culture shock.
To complement Jesse and Trevor’s style:
Wilderness Candle by Blue Mountains Botanic Garden
Candle Snuffer and No352 Perfume Oil