Jeffrey Hamilton came to live in an empty condo, like many, after a painful breakup.
“It was a stressful moment even though it was a friendly breakup,” says the 38-year-old anesthesiologist. “I had two weeks to move and I was desperate to find something.”
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Hamilton, who is drawn to “gallery-style white boxes,” eventually settled on a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo designed by Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects four blocks away in West Hollywood. With few possessions other than her cats, she proceeded to outfit the unit with second-hand items she found primarily on Facebook Marketplace.
During the process, he says, he found himself.
Black CB2 shelves Hamilton found on Facebook's Marketplace store with artfully arranged ceramics, books and shoes for him and his boyfriend.
“It was the first time I had lived alone in a long time, and it was nice to listen to my own instincts,” says Hamilton, sitting in the living room of his elegant condo, which he now shares with his boyfriend David Poli, his cats Romulus and Remus, and Poli's Husky mix, Janeway (named for Kathryn Janeway, the first female captain on the television series “Star Trek: Voyager”). All pets are rescues.
“Jeffrey likes to say that everything in his apartment is a ransom, including me,” Poli jokes.
When Hamilton adopted her cats six years ago during her medical residency in San Diego, they were kittens; Now, as adults, he says, the spotted Bengals have not only grown but have influenced his design decisions in their new home.
The living room features more pet-friendly options, including a Rove Concepts sectional sofa that Hamilton purchased on clearance. “It's a little small for two grown men and three pets,” he says.
“My original inspiration was to match the furniture with the kitties so you wouldn't see their cat hair,” she says. “Cats influenced the color scheme a lot. I find them so attractive; I felt having matching furniture was practical.”
In the living room, for example, Hamilton chose a camel velvet Curvo sofa from Goop for CB2, which she found on Facebook Marketplace. Similarly, HD Buttercup swivel chairs and kitchen stool seats are upholstered in durable Bengal and Husky textiles that camouflage pet hair.
Actor Kit Williamson, a Hollywood friend who has tackled many of his own interior design projects, says Hamilton and Poli's home is more than just a safe place to land. “I love that Jeffrey's design for the apartment was inspired by his cats, and that David's dog not only gets along well with the cats, but complements the color palette,” she says. “It's not just cohesive, it's a pleasure.”
An antique desk in the bedroom offers a place to work remotely.
There is no need for lint rollers as Janeway blends in with the furniture.
Hamilton grew up in the Bay Area, but moved across the country for his medical education and training, including stints in New York City, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle. So when she moved permanently to Los Angeles in 2022, she found that buying furniture on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace was a great way to get to know the city.
“At first it was nice because I was new to Los Angeles and it helped me get a better idea of Los Angeles,” he says. “I ventured to Woodland Hills and Calabasas; I bought a lot of vintage things in Woodland Hills.”
Living alone, Hamilton says, is what allowed him to “find space and time to honor” his own interests a little more.
The Hamilton condo in West Hollywood, which was designed by Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects, includes an outdoor patio and rooftop terrace with views of the Hollywood Hills.
“I think with medical school, residency, and fellowship training, I didn't have a lot of time, space, or resources to self-examine, since a lot of my time was taken up with work and thinking about the well-being of others,” she says.
For him, part of his process for creating a welcoming home focused on “sustainable goods: used, vintage or local things,” he says.
That explains some of Hamilton's home decor picks: CB2 shelving from Facebook Marketplace, which stores artfully arranged ceramics, books and the couple's neatly stacked shoes, and a travertine dining table, also from Facebook Marketplace.
Down the hall, in his bedroom, there is an antique desk where Poli can work from home several days a week. “It's a little ramshackle, which I like,” Hamilton says. “I like things that are shiny and pretty, but also worn around the edges. Nothing too perfect.”
Romulus reclines on the camel velvet sofa in the living room.
And then there is the art. “It was important to me to have pieces from local artisans or Los Angeles-based artists,” she says, noting the tall plaster lamp in Kate O'Connor's living room and a graphic stoneware bowl by Chad Callaghan atop her marble coffee table.
In the living room, Hamilton hung a large-scale artwork by Texas-based painter Jason Adkins for General Public, a company developed by Portia de Rossi that licenses and prints 3D artwork. In the studio, another Adkins piece for the general public hangs next to an antique Cy Twombly print. “They look like real paintings,” he says of the Sinographs. “You can't tell the difference.”
Elegant, uncluttered and homey, the condo is a quiet place to come home to after working long shifts, including nights, at Children's Hospital. “A sense of calm and serenity was probably a very important implicit priority,” says Hamilton. “My job can be very stressful at times, so having a place of refuge was a natural fit.”
Luckily, balancing comfort and pets is another thing that came naturally to the couple after moving in together.
The open concept kitchen is modern and simple.
“We have good synergy,” Hamilton says of Poli. “We tend to agree when it comes to interior design.”
“I'm more of a minimalist,” says Poli. “Jeffrey likes pillows too much. It's a little crowded here,” he adds, mocking his companion.
“I like pillows,” Hamilton says, noting that she recently bought a sewing machine so she can make her own upholstered furniture. “I've learned that the best outdoor pillows for pets are from Arhaus. They don't stain and are very durable.”
Like many millennials his age, Hamilton often thinks about buying a home, but finds real estate prices, combined with the housing shortage in Los Angeles, discouraging. “It's very expensive,” he says. “I keep doing the math, I get approved for a mortgage, then I look at the interest rates and how much I have to pay, and I just can't do it. My rent is ridiculous, but it's cheaper than any mortgage I've seen in West Hollywood.”
For now, Hamilton enjoys living in a 30-unit building in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with a rooftop deck overlooking the Sunset Strip. “I don't need a lot of space,” he says. “Maybe a condo in West Hollywood would be a good starting point someday.”
After all, he has learned that he is good at starting over.
