The 97-year-old apartment is full of antiques and memorabilia

When 97-year-old Evelyn Boyer downsized from her four-bedroom home in Sherman Oaks to an apartment in Reseda in 2014, the longtime collector and antiques dealer had to give up many of her personal belongings.

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“It was hard to part with so many things,” says Bauer. “My house was absolutely full. But it was fun to see other people pick up my stuff at the estate sale. I got a lot of joy out of it because everyone loved my stuff, just like when I first bought it.”

Originally from New York, Boyer, who has taught elementary school in New York City and Los Angeles, says she saves about a third of her best stuff for herself.

“Collecting is my passion, my addiction, and I’m so glad I’m addicted to it,” says Boyer, whose two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in an independent living facility for the elderly is filled with furniture and decorative arts from 65 years as a collector.

Bauer’s antiques make a statement in the living and dining room, where they hang from the orange-painted walls she chose for her apartment. “It’s a happy color,” she says.

Stepping into her living room, and the vast collection of antiques, feels like stepping into a former Encino headquarters, which she once owned during the 1990s. Each item has a story, a memory and a special charm that makes him happy.

As a former teacher, Boyer finds joy in teaching others about antiques and sharing their stories. “Purple glass has magnesium in it, and it turns purple after many years in the sun,” he says. She says as she picks up a piece of glass in the dining room. “People who collect specimen glass think it’s a bad thing because it’s not in its original state. It’s funny. I love it.”

A fan of gallery walls, Boyer installed a wall of objects in his bedroom.

Moving into the guest room, Boyer points to the fretwork wood wall paneling above the day bed. “I bought it at a yard sale along with a chair. I think I paid $65 for the two pieces,” he says. “It hung from the ceiling of my restaurant for years. Then it was my headboard and now it’s here.”

Her collection includes the first antique she ever bought, an orange vase made of stretch glass, as well as a 1930s-era rocking chair from her parents’ home in New York. “It was my father’s favorite chair,” he says.

A few of her favorite things: candle holders, hats and ceramic lamps.

After living in a 2,600-square-foot home, Bauer channeled her love of orange by painting all the walls of her apartment red-orange to make her ceramics, wall pockets, mirrors and furniture pop.

“It’s a happy color,” she says, noting the orange fountain and Art Nouveau ceramics in her bedroom. “I knew when I saw the apartment that I had to close the bathroom door off the living room because it has two doors. That’s why I painted everything the same color—you can’t really see that the back door is Etagree.”

Despite the fact that he no longer drives, Boyer’s courage has not diminished. She still enjoys “the thrill of discovery,” which she says is an important part of her passion for collecting. After bringing her treasure home, she googles it and checks her reference books. Then, the real fun begins: finding a home for it in her apartment.

“Don’t worry,” he says. “There’s always room for another gem.”

An indefatigable researcher, Bauer tries to keep a record of her purchases, from rings of colorful antique Bauer pottery in her kitchen to acro agate glassware in her living room. He tags each piece with a note identifying the maker, the year, how much he paid for it and what it’s worth now in his tiny handwriting. For example, on an Art Deco ceramic vase taped to the bottom, she wrote: “Wheeler, Forest c. 1920. Gave $1 at a yard sale. Became an antiques street in the 1990s. Value $250-$350.”

To maximize her display space, Bauer installed a pair of Etagares in front of her bathroom door, which has a second door.

The other side of the door offers more room for her treasures inside the bathroom.

Now an antiques expert, she recalls how horrified she was when she saw a tall orange glass vase in a store window in Silver Spring.

“I had never been in an antique store before in my life,” she says. “I was afraid to go in.” When she returned home, she said her husband told her, “Go ahead and buy it if you like.” So she went back to the store and asked about the vase. “The salesman told me it was a great example of stretch glass,” he says. “I never heard of it. That was the beginning of my education.” The $4 price tag remains at the bottom of the vase today. “It’s not worth a lot of money, but it’s one of my favorites,” adds Bauer.

Conversely, when asked what she would grab if her apartment caught fire, she went to the bookcase and picked up a ceramic pot. “I’ll get it,” he says of the 1880 Wilhelm Schiller & Son piece. “I just love it.”

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1. The ceramic figurine and wooden clock are among the treasures in Bauer’s apartment.

Like the family photos in her apartment, in fact, there’s a lot to love about her. And though she’s suffered losses — her first husband died of pancreatic cancer at age 42 and her second husband, Harry, died in 2013 — her apartment, she says, has a warm, familiar feel like the home she’s shared with her family for 50 years.

Recently, when her two grandchildren expressed interest in some of the plates and pictures in her dining room, Boyer hesitated to write their names. “I told them they were yours,” he says.

“But you can’t get it yet,” she added with a laugh.

That’s because her things like her Art Nova pottery and her black and white silhouette art still bring her joy. She still remembers buying a John Widdicombe mid-century modern coffee table in Washington, D.C. She loves all kinds of wall pockets, pictures—even hats.

“I won first prize at last year’s Halloween costume party,” she says. “I’m going to be Michael Jackson this year, and I’m going to walk on the moon.” (She watched Jackson’s dance moves on her iPad and is now practicing).

Despite her attachment to her beloved objects, Bauer is a self-described person. She hosts monthly lectures at her retirement home and plans to take her neighbors to the American Cancer Society Discovery Store in Encino later this month. Recent topics in her Antiques and Collections series include lectures on celluloid, vintage weddings and Art Deco.

“I do a lot of research first, and then I give a brief history,” he says. “A discussion follows, and then I show them my stuff.”

A selection of new art pottery at Etager in Bauer’s apartment.

Her neighbor, former LA City Councilwoman Joy Pecos, says she had little interest in antiques until she met Boyer. “I furnished my house in mid-century modern,” she said via email. “Then I saw Evelyn’s apartment full of interesting things, and I saw things in a different light. Through Evelyn’s excellent programs, another world opened up to me.”

During her last lecture on Bakelite, Bauer brought a candle holder from her apartment and discussed the history of the plastic material. “I know a lot, but there’s always more to learn,” he says.