AT 97, SHE HAS CREATED AN APARTMENT OF TREASURES

EVELYN BAUER HAS BEEN A COLLECTOR FOR 65 YEARS. MOVING TO A SMALL SPACE HASN’T STOPPED HER

- BY LISA BOONE

WHEN EVELYN BAUER, 97, downsized from her four-bedroom home in Sherman Oaks to an apartment in Reseda in 2014, the longtime collector and antiques dealer was forced to relinquish many of her personal belongings. “It was hard to part with so much stuff,” Bauer says. “My house was absolutely full. But it was a joy to see other people adopt my things at the estate sale. I got a lot of pleasure out of it because everyone fell in love with my things, just as I did when I first bought them.” Originally from New York, Bauer, who taught elementary school in New York City and Los Angeles, says she saved about a third of her most cherished items for herself. “Collecting is my passion, my addiction, and I’m so happy to be afflicted with it,” says Bauer, whose two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment at an independent living facility for seniors is filled with furnishings and decorative arts from her 65 years as a collector.

Step inside her living room, and the vast collection of antiques feels like entering the former Encino Antique Center, where she was once the proprietor during the 1990s. Each item has a story, a memory and a unique charm that she cherishes.

As a former teacher, Bauer finds joy in educating others about antiques and sharing these stories. “Purple glass has magnesium in it, and it turns purple after many years in the sun,” she says as she picks up a piece of glass in her dining room. “People who collect patterned glass think this is an abomination because it’s not in its original state. That's ridiculous. I love it.”

Moving on to the guest room, Bauer points to a Fretwork wood wall panel above the daybed. “I bought that at a yard sale along with a chair. I think I paid $65 for the two pieces,” she says. “It hung from the ceiling of my restaurant for years. Then it was my headboard and now it’s here.”