The irony in the name Kathouse Inc. was not lost on me, as a friend and I drove up to the tattoo shop on the corner of Lindley and Parthenia. We were excited to get tatted and found the place with the best reviews on Yelp! in Northridge.

Walking up to the door, we knew we had found the right tattoo parlor – something that is very important to anyone who cares about tattoos.

The exterior looked like any other tattoo shop, but a sign hanging on the door assured us it was not.

For the month of March, they were offering discounted Harry Potter tattoos and for a few minutes we stood outside the door contemplating changing our minds from our original tattoo idea – matching diamond tattoos on our big toes.

We like original ideas with personal touches over a generic tattoo, so the fact that they were offering something more than a “butterfly” on the small of the back was definitely appealing.

As we walked in we were greeted with a comfortable “Hello” and a smiling tattoo artist.

Everything was very clean and sterilized with art on the walls and little clutter.

Edgar (the tattoo artist) gave us the lowdown on their tattoo prices, laughed at the ridiculous location of our tattoos and showed us his book of work. Tattoo artists who care about their work show off their look books. When they do this, the viewer knows that they’re going to care about the tattoo, their drawing and, often, the work is better than someone who views it as just a job.

The customer service was unlike any I have seen at a tattoo shop. While we waited, we spoke with the piercer Kirk, who fixed my nose ring that perpetually stuck out for only $5. Other shops would make me buy their jewelry before they would fit it to my nose.

The tattoos themselves took no more than 15 minutes and were near painless (but everyone’s pain tolerance differs). Edgar suggested that we add blue to our diamonds to give them dimension.

Because our tattoos were so small, we paid shop minimum which is $80. They gave us each a $10 discount since they were matching. Another way we knew that the tattoo shop cared about their customers: the shop minimum is average and includes the price of sterilized needles, space rental and ink.

Toes are difficult tattoo locations and the color did not stick too well on either of us. Like most tattoo shops, Kathouse Inc., offers free touch-ups to their work. The tattoo artists also have Instagram and connect with their clients through that and their Facebook page.

What occasionally can be impersonal, became highly entertaining and enjoyable at Kathouse Inc.

Jason did a great job with my fourth tattoo and retouched it for free.

Located close to campus, it is a great place for college students who feel a little risque or daredevil to go in and get a tattoo. In addition to being customer-minded, the artists are clear with care directions, but not intimidating about it. They do monthly promotions, and they hinted that April’s promotion will have something to do with punk rock bands. CSUN students also get a 10 percent discount.