We had such a nice stay at Claude’s welcoming and modern space! On arrival, Claude was also pulling in the driveway, and helped us in to the unit (she even insisted on carrying my suitcase... in heels!).
The unit is creatively decorated with lots of special touches. There is a nespresso machine and teas, a mini fridge, and a Brita water filter pitcher with glasses for drinking water (we used this a lot!). There is also a wine opener and some other common kitchen tools and flatware. The bathroom has extras like shampoos and conditioners, as well as soaps, perfumes, and other toiletries someone may need. I added some bandaids to this stash! Claude was concerned that the mosquitos which had recently come to LA would be a bother, and sweetly left us bug spray, but we never got bit, and only ever saw a single mosquito. Still, it was very thoughtful.
One thing to note is that the unit is not air conditioned, which I overlooked as I intended to get a unit with AC. Thankfully, the bottom floor situation and the concrete walls helped keep it relatively cool in the 90 degree and sunny LA weather. It still got pretty warm in the space after being closed up all day, but Claude provides two fans, which, in addition to keeping the shades closed during the day, and the door open for a bit after returning to the space at night, helped considerably. That being said, it was and usually is HOT in LA around this time of year, and someone who is very sensitive to heat may have a hard time. I personally am on medications which cause me to overheat a lot, and although I usually can’t sleep well without AC, the two fans Claude provided really helped keep the space comfortable. And the sheets are nice and cool!
The bed was extremely comfortable and covered with pillows (four of them, plus a body pillow), which I loved. The sheets happened to be the same ones (style and pattern) I just purchased for my own bed at home but haven’t used yet, so Claude’s taste is spot on! Also, I was happy to find out they are comfy and keep you cool, which was another plus due to no AC. I would say the unit is best for a couple, as the futon is very firm, and may not be comfortable sleeping on. I was traveling with a friend, and Claude did provide sheets for the futon, but we chose to share the bed to be more comfortable.
Our favorite part was probably the shared outdoor space. The unit feels like it’s built in the middle of a secret garden. You can climb the stairs right outside the unit’s entrance to multiple levels of outdoor seating and gardens. It’s so nicely landscaped and manicured. There’s even citrus trees on the property! So cool. We spent a lot of time out here, both in the mornings, sipping on coffee, and in the evenings, sipping on wine and unwinding after a long day of sightseeing. We never saw anyone else while using the outdoor space, so although it is shared, it felt like we had it to ourselves!
Other things to note: Claude does have another unit with a separate outdoor entrance but an adjoining internal door to the unit we rented (so you could rent both together if you needed more space). We did hear some noise occasionally, both through the door and what seemed to be overhead (likely the main house), but nothing that lasted long or bothered us as all, and we never saw the other renter.
The Silverlake neighborhood is so cute and you can walk to shops if you don’t mind some serious hills on your way back (which we didn’t!). Also, we did rent a car, and had no problem finding street parking.
Overall, we loved the space and would definitely stay with Claude again!