Mother Stories
Moon Juice’s CEO Shows Us Her Dreamy Venice Abode
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photography by Paige Jones
Aug 19, 2014
Oh, to be Amanda Chantal Bacon. The founder and CEO of the cult-followed Moon Juice not only has a daily supply of oh-so-fresh eats and drinks at her disposal, she also gets to wake up in the absolutely stunning Venice Beach home seen above (and below) every single day and gaze into the adorable face of her (almost) 3-year-old son, Rohan! Sounds like the stuff your mama dreams are made of? Ours, too. And the whole situation gets even dreamier after you hear about the single mother’s disciplined, earthy-minimalist aesthetic and her take-it-as-it-comes attitude towards parenting. Read on and get mega-inspired!
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- "Modern, cozy, vintage, California, Japanese, earthy hippie." Rohan wears a Petit Bateau top and Nununu leggings. Amanda wears a Humanoid dress.
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- "I lived up the block. My son was 4 months old when we found out the owner was selling the place. This house came up for sale at an amazing price considering it’s Venice. I didn’t think I would redo everything, but that’s exactly what I did—getting a little bit done day by day over the course of a year. It’s a work in progress, but it’s still a dream house."
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- "I need to be in love with every single thing in my home from the dishtowels to the faucets. I’d rather have nothing over stuff I don’t like."
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- A little essential-oil sniff session.
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- "I love the vibrant Moroccan rugs throughout the house. They were shipped to me by a lifelong friend in NY. I was just thrilled when she sold her house and sent them to me. The crystals are beautiful to look at–I’m drawn to different stones at different times. And I love my plants in the house, I find them to be the greatest art pieces."
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- "My favorite room is always the kitchen no matter what house I’m in. I really love this kitchen because it’s open to the whole house and garden. There’s tons of light and I can see flowers and Rohan playing. Our lives are centered around drinking juice and eating sprouted snacks in this kitchen."
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- "Rohan is always sipping on juice. He’s an aficionado to the point that if he asks for a Fennel Frond and Herb (a best seller at Moon Juice) and if I try to slip him a Cilantro Celery Punch–he knows! He’ll tell me 'this isn’t fennel, it’s cilantro.' He’s always munching on sprouted seeds and nuts, and appreciates when I make him warm food that I’ve put thought into–usually roasted veggies from the farmers market."
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- "I live off Moon Juice–juice, sprouted nuts and seeds, nut milks. A few times a week I’ll cook or go out to eat, a typical meal includes veggies, whole grains, and once in awhile fish and eggs."
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- Rohan welcomes us into his space.
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- We're loving this bulletin board, filled with discoveries.
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- "A little bit like a Waldorf classroom. I wanted his room to feel more like a bunny hole–cozy with a bit more darkness for daytime napping and sleeping in. I like him to appreciate a handful of things, but not so much stuff there’s no room left for his imagination."
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- "It’s all about a truck! I tried to introduce sticks, crystals, and felt dolls as toys, but he’s just really into his gear."
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- "He’s really into his big boy bed–he’s very proud of himself."
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- Animal house!
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- The dreamiest high ceilings and exposed beams.
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- #shelfie
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- "Who knows—but the days he took it off he would cry from teething."
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- A pretty burst of color.
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- "I like how my bedroom is clean and almost sparse. What I really look forward to is the light that fills the room. It’s about the feel of the space–natural linens and the play of light. I also have pictures of spiritual teachers, these are all energies that I resonate with." Rohan wears a NicoNico jumper. Amanda wears a vintage dress.
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- "The biggest surprise is how attached to him I am. I can’t imagine giving up playtime with Rohan to do what I once found thrilling. I never thought I’d be that person."
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- "What excites me most is feeling the depth of love that I’ve never felt before, unconditional love. Intellectually you can think about it, but to experience it in your heart is really exciting."
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- "Nothing makes me nervous about motherhood. But I’m a single parent, so having Rohan spend a night or two away makes me nervous."
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- "I’m similar to my mother in the sense that, like her, I believe my child can be anything he wants and is capable of making his dreams come true. We are dissimilar in the sense that I’ve got more of a barefoot-in-the-kitchen, earth-mama vibe than my '80s power fashion executive mother."
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- A bedside note.
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- "In my mind it’s a French or Italian woman who maybe is a grandmother now–she has aged gracefully and is surrounded by her family. Slim Aarons-esque in that it’s a fun, adventurous family story. She still has fire and sense of self. I don’t know if it’s a type, but it’s definitely a photo story I tap into."
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- "Waldorf-educated authors like Rudolph Steiner. I have a stack of spiritual parenting books by my bedside with every intention of reading them, but have not had a second! When I was pregnant I read every single one of Ina Gaskin’s books. Parenting inspiration also comes out of a lot of the books I read for myself, such as Pema Chodron and Chogyam Trungpa."
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- Another look at the larger common room.
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- "Meditate, vacuum, or cook. They are basically all the same thing for me."
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- A perfect tabletop scene.
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- Little explorer.
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- "I just sold a ton of my clothes and was laughing as I saw everything being hauled off–designer cocktail dresses, heels, and bags. Not my style now. Now I wear mostly dresses that can take into consideration bending all the way over or reaching really high. And thank god Birkenstocks are having a chic moment because I always have 30 pounds I’m carrying around."
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- "Giant Agnes Baddoo bags that I have in both white and black. They hold everything from a computer, to a day's worth of juice and snacks. It’s like a weekend bag, but for the day. A pair of Celine flat sandals that are comfy and pull together a relaxed look. I have a large gold ring that can dress up even PJs and in a pinch it serves as a great toy for Rohan if he’s getting fidgety."
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- "I love NicoNico! I do all of Rohan’s shopping at Lost & Found and Tomboy."
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- "In person! I love popping into Heist on Abbott Kinney, and Dream Collective and Mohawk General in Silver Lake."
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- "Celine, Isabel Marant, and Black Crane–these designers really understand the essence of form, function, and quality."
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- "Right now I’m coveting Georgian jewelry–18K gold pieces with turquoise, pearls, and diamonds. And Rohan and I are waiting for the Patagonia sale to stock up on his yearly fuzzy fest."
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- An outside view.
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- Of course, this profile wouldn't be complete without a stop at Moon Juice!
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- "I actually had no idea I was going to open Moon Juice. It was an organic evolution of my professional cooking experience mingled with my passion for health and wellness. I originally had another name for the brand that I was totally uninspired by. I was in Northern California standing on the beach one morning when an old-school bus came rolling up through the fog. It had this hippie mural of the moon painted on the side. Moon Juice came to me in that moment." Rohan wears a NicoNico jumper and Havianas flip-flips. Amanda wears an Isabel Marant dress and Celine sandals.
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- "Parenting has made me more effective at work. I’m so anxious to spend time with him that I’m forced to make executive decisions and delegate."
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- "Just thinking about balance is stressful in itself. I try to embrace what each day brings. Some days I’m fully present, others I can’t get anything done. I no longer have any expectations and just roll with it. I find comfort and balance in that."
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- "Moon Juice is in the midst of a huge creation phase right now. We just opened our third location inside the historic theater at the Ace hotel in DTLA. We are launching a Moon Pantry line of high-functioning foods that will be the staples of what I’m calling the modern kitchen, the 30-piece line will be available through our new online apothecary in September that will make Moon Juice products accessible to the world!"
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- And they're off!
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Oh to be Amanda Chantal Bacon and have bare feet as gorgeous as she does! The first really good picture is #4. Amanda’s natural toes look amazing! And in #28 Amanda’s barefoot beauty really comes through. But is picture #19 that is my favorite. It could be the most beautiful picture I’ve seen yet on Mother Mag. Amanda’s bare feet are exquisite, but it is her arch that takes my breath away! Amanda has the most beautiful arches of all the lovely barefoot moms so far!