Where are you from and how did you get where you are today?
We're both originally from Illinois—Katie from the suburbs of Chicago and Cody from a tiny town in the cornfields. We met in arts college in Chicago and moved to LA shortly after, pursuing our own artistic careers in the entertainment industry for many years. Katie's was as a professional dancer and Cody's in music business.
As a hobby, we both loved thrifting and finding the cheapest possible mid-century furniture pieces and turning them into absolute gems. This is where Highboy LA was born! We thought the name was perfect, as it's a cheeky play on the highboy dresser. When we lost a lot of work in entertainment due to the pandemic, we took to sourcing, refurbishing, and selling furniture full time, turning our hobby into a profitable business. This was a huge blessing in disguise, because it allowed us to grow our social media presence simultaneously. From there, we started to document the interior decorating journey of our 1920's Spanish style apartment in LA, sharing everything from houseplants to thrift finds to DIY fails. Since then, we started taking on interior decorating clients both virtually and in person, as well as embarking on our biggest project yet: restoring and renovating our 1886 Victorian in Illinois.
If you could peek inside any person's house (dead or alive) to see how it's decorated, who would that be and why?
Probably Freddie Mercury—he's such an iconic performer and artist and we'd love to see what kind of chackies he had. Also... does fictional count? The tour bus on Spice World!!
How does lighting play a role in how you design a space?
Lighting is the real MVP! It's so important because it really transforms the vibe and elevates things. Our first rule of thumb is to always use warm white dimmable smart bulbs in all lighting. We like to mix the size, shape, and function of lighting in a room as well: i.e. combining a rattan floor lamp, modern sphere table lamp, and funky hanging pendant. You can even put lamps on the floor! We like to sync all smart bulbs in one room together so they can be automated, which really helps the space to feel "complete."
What are your current home obsessions?
Color changing smart bulbs synced in every room, contrasting painted trim, vintage marble dining tables (on the hunt for the perfect one), our LG CineBeam projector, wood-paneled rooms, and the TEDDY Sofa by OMHU via Teak New York—it's a couch that turns into a bed/conversation pit.
Do you have any projects (professional or personal) you're working on right now that you're excited about?
We're currently renovating our 1886 Victorian house in Illinois, which is a HUGE undertaking! However, we're learning so much and having a ton of fun in the process. We're restoring as much original charm as we can while adding our touch to it. We also have a few client projects in the works.
Follow High Boy LA on Youtube
Tulip Spotlight: Highboy LA
Where are you from and how did you get where you are today?
We're both originally from Illinois—Katie from the suburbs of Chicago and Cody from a tiny town in the cornfields. We met in arts college in Chicago and moved to LA shortly after, pursuing our own artistic careers in the entertainment industry for many years. Katie's was as a professional dancer and Cody's in music business.
As a hobby, we both loved thrifting and finding the cheapest possible mid-century furniture pieces and turning them into absolute gems. This is where Highboy LA was born! We thought the name was perfect, as it's a cheeky play on the highboy dresser. When we lost a lot of work in entertainment due to the pandemic, we took to sourcing, refurbishing, and selling furniture full time, turning our hobby into a profitable business. This was a huge blessing in disguise, because it allowed us to grow our social media presence simultaneously. From there, we started to document the interior decorating journey of our 1920's Spanish style apartment in LA, sharing everything from houseplants to thrift finds to DIY fails. Since then, we started taking on interior decorating clients both virtually and in person, as well as embarking on our biggest project yet: restoring and renovating our 1886 Victorian in Illinois.
If you could peek inside any person's house (dead or alive) to see how it's decorated, who would that be and why?
Probably Freddie Mercury—he's such an iconic performer and artist and we'd love to see what kind of chackies he had. Also... does fictional count? The tour bus on Spice World!!
How does lighting play a role in how you design a space?
Lighting is the real MVP! It's so important because it really transforms the vibe and elevates things. Our first rule of thumb is to always use warm white dimmable smart bulbs in all lighting. We like to mix the size, shape, and function of lighting in a room as well: i.e. combining a rattan floor lamp, modern sphere table lamp, and funky hanging pendant. You can even put lamps on the floor! We like to sync all smart bulbs in one room together so they can be automated, which really helps the space to feel "complete."
What are your current home obsessions?
Color changing smart bulbs synced in every room, contrasting painted trim, vintage marble dining tables (on the hunt for the perfect one), our LG CineBeam projector, wood-paneled rooms, and the TEDDY Sofa by OMHU via Teak New York—it's a couch that turns into a bed/conversation pit.
We're currently renovating our 1886 Victorian house in Illinois, which is a HUGE undertaking! However, we're learning so much and having a ton of fun in the process. We're restoring as much original charm as we can while adding our touch to it. We also have a few client projects in the works.
Follow High Boy LA on Youtube