{"id":369031,"date":"2025-11-10T11:10:28","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T11:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/369031\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T11:10:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T11:10:28","slug":"post-breakup-a-doctor-and-his-cats-settle-into-a-stunning-rental","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/369031\/","title":{"rendered":"Post-breakup, a doctor and his cats settle into a stunning rental"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jeffrey Hamilton came to live in an empty condominium, as many do, after a painful breakup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a stressful time even though it was an amicable breakup,\u201d says the 38-year-old anesthesiologist. \u201cI had two weeks to move and was desperate to find something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Not <\/a> <\/p>\n

In this series, we spotlight L.A. rentals with style. From perfect gallery walls to temporary decor hacks, these renters get creative, even in small spaces. And Angelenos need the inspiration: Most are renters.<\/p>\n

Hamilton, who is drawn to \u201cgallery-esque white boxes,\u201d ultimately settled in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom Lorcan O\u2019Herlihy Architects<\/a>-designed condo four blocks away in West Hollywood. With few possessions other than his cats, he proceeded to furnish the unit with secondhand items he found primarily on Facebook Marketplace.<\/p>\n

During the process, he says, he found himself.<\/p>\n

\"A Not to be upstaged by Romulus the cat, Janeway, a husky mix adopted from Hollywood Huskies<\/a>, makes a statement in the living room. \"black <\/p>\n

Black CB2 shelves Hamilton found on Facebook Marketplace store artfully arranged ceramics, books and his and his boyfriend\u2019s shoes. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the first time I had lived on my own in a long time and it was nice to listen to my own instincts,\u201d 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\u2019s Husky mix, Janeway (named for Kathryn Janeway, the first female captain on the television series \u201cStar Trek: Voyager\u201d). All the pets are rescues.<\/p>\n

\u201cJeffrey likes to say that everything in his apartment is a rescue, including me,\u201d says Poli jokingly.<\/p>\n

When Hamilton adopted his cats six years ago during his medical residency in San Diego, they were kittens; now, as adults, he says, the spotted Bengal cats have not just grown but have influenced his design choices in his new home.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

The den features more pet-friendly choices including a Rove Concepts modular sofa that Hamilton bought on clearance. \u201cIt\u2019s a little small for two grown men and three pets,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy original inspiration was to match the furniture to the kitties so I don\u2019t see their cat hair,\u201d he says. \u201cThe cats very much informed the color scheme. I find them so handsome; it felt like having matching furniture was practical.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the living room, for instance, Hamilton chose a camel-colored Curvo sofa in velvet by Goop for CB2, which he found on Facebook Marketplace. Similarly, the accompanying swivel chairs from HD Buttercup and the barstool seats in the kitchen are upholstered in Bengal and Husky-durable textiles that camouflage pet hair. <\/p>\n

Actor Kit Williamson, a Hollywood friend who has tackled many of his own interior design projects<\/a>, says Hamilton and Poli\u2019s home is more than just a safe place to land. \u201cI love that Jeffrey\u2019s design for the apartment was inspired by his cats \u2014 and that David\u2019s dog not only gets along with the cats, but complements the color palette,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not just cohesive, it\u2019s kismet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A vintage desk in the bedroom provides a place for remote work. <\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

No need for lint rollers as Janeway blends in with the furnishings. <\/p>\n

Hamilton grew up in the Bay Area but has moved around the country for his education and medical training, including stints in New York City, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle. So when he moved to Los Angeles for good in 2022, he found shopping for furnishings on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to be a great way to get to know the city. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was nice originally because I was new to L.A., and it helped me get a better sense of Los Angeles,\u201d he says. \u201cI ventured to Woodland Hills and Calabasas \u2014 I got a lot of vintage stuff in Woodland Hills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Living alone, Hamilton says, is what allowed him to \u201cfind space and time to honor\u201d his own interests a little more.<\/p>\n

\"The \"A \"White <\/p>\n

Hamilton\u2019s condo in West Hollywood, which was designed by Lorcan O\u2019Herlihy Architects, includes an outdoor patio and a rooftop deck with views of the Hollywood Hills. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think with medical school, residency and fellowship training, I didn\u2019t have much time and space or resources to self-examine, as so much of my time was occupied working and thinking about the wellness of others,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

For him, part of his process for creating a welcoming home was focusing on \u201csustainable goods \u2014 things that were used, vintage or local,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

That accounts for some of Hamilton\u2019s home decor selections: The CB2 bookshelves from Facebook Marketplace, which store artfully arranged ceramics, books and the couple\u2019s neatly stacked shoes and a travertine dining room table, also from Facebook Marketplace. <\/p>\n

Down the hall, in their bedroom, is a vintage desk where Poli can work from home several days a week. \u201cIt\u2019s a little beat-up, which I like,\u201d Hamilton says. \u201cI like things that are shiny and nice but also beat-up around the edges. Nothing too perfect. \u201c <\/p>\n

\"Jeffrey <\/p>\n

Romulus reclines on the camel-colored velvet sofa in the living room. <\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

And then there is the art. \u201cIt was important to me to have pieces from either local artisans or artists who are L.A.-based,\u201d he says, noting the tall, plaster lamp in the living room by Kate O\u2019Connor<\/a> and a graphic stoneware bowl by Chad Callaghan<\/a> atop his marble coffee table. <\/p>\n

In the living room, Hamilton hung a large-scale artwork by Texas-based painter Jason Adkins<\/a> for General Public<\/a>, a company developed by Portia de Rossi that licenses and 3D-prints artworks. In the den, another Adkins piece for General Public hangs alongside a vintage print by Cy Twombly. \u201cThey feel like real paintings,\u201d he says of the Synographs. \u201cYou can\u2019t tell the difference. \u201c<\/p>\n

Elegant, clutter-free and homey, the condominium is a calm place to come home to after working long shifts, including overnights, at Children\u2019s Hospital. \u201cA sense of calm and serenity was probably a very important implicit priority,\u201d Hamilton says. \u201cMy work can be very stressful at times, so having a place of refuge came naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luckily, balancing comfort and pets is another thing that came naturally to the couple after they moved in together.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

The open-concept kitchen is modern and streamlined. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a nice synergy,\u201d Hamilton says of Poli. \u201cWe tend to agree when it comes to interior design.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m more of a minimalist,\u201d Poli says. \u201cJeffrey likes pillows too much. It\u2019s getting a little busy in here,\u201d he adds, teasing his partner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do like pillows,\u201d Hamilton says, noting that he recently bought a sewing machine so he can make his own soft furnishings. \u201cI\u2019ve learned that the best outdoor pillows for pets are from Arhaus<\/a>. They don\u2019t stain, and they are really durable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like many millennials his age<\/a>, Hamilton often thinks about buying a home but finds real estate prices, combined with the housing shortage in Los Angeles, daunting. \u201cIt\u2019s so expensive,\u201d he says. \u201cI keep doing the math, get approved for a mortgage, then see the interest rates and how much you have to put down \u2014 and I just can\u2019t do it. My rent is ridiculous, but it\u2019s more economical than any mortgage I\u2019ve seen in West Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, Hamilton enjoys living in a 30-unit building in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with a rooftop deck overlooking the Sunset Strip. \u201cI don\u2019t need a ton of space,\u201d he says. \u201cMaybe a condo in West Hollywood would be a nice starting point someday.\u201d<\/p>\n

After all, he\u2019s learned he\u2019s good at starting over.<\/p>\n