What a great stay! The place is just as described; private, spacious practical and peaceful. There's a ton of storage, good sized comfortable bed, plenty of light and all the things you'd want for your stay. The side entrance leads to the backyard with a terrace, garden and pool area that is shared with Cathy and her husband, however I didn't once see either of them there and it felt like my own!

The location is ideal is you want to get away from the noisy freeways and busy LA, its a very safe and family street. I would say however that having a car (endless parking available) would be hugely beneficial (although I used Uber but would have been cheaper and easier to hire). There are some great place nearby like the brand new Westfield Topanga Village, which has all the shops you could ever want as well as a beautiful outside plaza with fantastic restaurants, there is also the The Commons in Calabasas (FYI home to the Kardashian/Jenners!) which is really great / upmarket shopping and dining. The nearest beach is 30 mins by car but a beautiful drive through Topanga Canyon to Topanga State Beach in Malibu which is so gorgeous and minimal crowds.

The best part of this experience however was Cathy who is thoughtful and helpful whilst being extremely discreet and laid back. No problem or question was too much, communication was great all the way through. I had loads of packages delivered which she was more than happy to sign for and bring over at my convenience. On the night I arrived she had a delicious warm quesadilla for me to have for dinner and the fridge with all the basics as well as delicious wine, bagels and cookies! Heaven! She also took me the next morning to the local selection of supermarket/grocery stores and filled me in with who does what best.

During my stay I was 'super chilling' (9pm bedtimes etc!) whilst doing some work so I didn't get to see or spend much time with Cathy but I wish I had because from the little I saw she is a really warm and kind person and a PERFECT host!