Pop artists and social media influencers Lexi and Allie Kaplan aren’t just identical twins, they also work together and recently embarked on their newest partnership: roommates in their first apartment together.
But this is no ordinary 26-year-old’s abode. Half the open living space has been converted into their art studio, brimming with paints, brushes and works-in-progress, while completed paintings of nude celebrities (and themselves) and an art series of internet memes fill the rest of the West Hollywood apartment.
“Art changes the space; it gives it life and energy and makes it warm. I would feel really uncomfortable walking into a space that’s just white walls,” said Lexi Kaplan, who recently starred with her sister in the MTV reality series “Ex on the Beach.”
After moving out of their mom — and manager — Amy Kaplan’s “white, glass and Lucite” apartment in April, the Kaplan twins created a “more livable” space, said Allie Kaplan. Standout pieces including a bright, baby-pink painting with “Content, Content, Content, Content” written across, which hangs above the fireplace, and a blue canvas with the eggplant emoji and the caption “Send Nudes.”
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“It’s all very topical and relatable,” Lexi said.
“And funny,” Allie said.
Though the Kaplan twins agree on many things and manage to paint simultaneously on the same canvas, decorating the new space was a different story.
“We actually didn’t get along when choosing the furniture, vibe or aesthetic. I sat down with my mom and she chose the furniture with me and I just didn’t want to wait for Allie,” Lexi said. Allie Kaplan said she was busy “networking.”
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With only two weeks to make the new apartment a home before leaving to shoot “Ex on the Beach,” Lexi went with a “bright, silver and girly theme,” though Allie said she would have preferred it “more rustic and industrial.”
Why is this your favorite room?
Lexi Kaplan: I just love the flow of being able to go from our studio to our living room and having everything be open. Just having one space for everything makes our lives easier.
Allie Kaplan: I mean, how nice is it to wake up and then already have everything here? If I want to paint late at night I can do that.
What was the design inspiration in here?
Allie: Obviously we have all our art in our space and we wanted it to be very colorful and vibrant.
Lexi: We were living with our mom for so long, and her apartment is like a museum, and I was like, “I cannot be on that white couch ever again in my life because you can’t sit in it.” So we wanted our place to feel a little bit homier.
How do you separate the work and living spaces?
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Lexi: This made such a big difference: The lightbulbs in the living room are yellow light and in the studio you have the white light. When I come in the living room, it makes me feel a little calmer and then I go over to the studio and I’m fully work and focused. But I think the main problem is not dragging the mess into our living room.
Allie: That’s an issue, especially the glitter. That drives me crazy! We have a rule now, we go outside on the balcony for the glitter, but you have to really make sure that it’s off of you.
What makes you a great team?
Lexi: Allie’s a little bit more creative, and I’m a little bit more organized. So she’ll come to me with an idea, and then wake up the next morning and be like, “Lexi, what are we doing today?” And I’m like, “Allie, the idea you told me yesterday. I put it together, it’s going to come to life, let’s do it.” She just needs to be roped in.
Allie: And you need some creative guidance sometimes. It works!