Printer friendly format - Cottage of Light

By Jessica Thuston

Cottage of Light

In a village near downtown Hollywood, Tia Zoldan turned her plain 1920s cottage into a classic with style.

Tia Zoldan can't believe she lives in Los Angeles: "We're in the most amazing old historic neighborhood within blocks of a small village," she says. "We spend 90 percent of our time walking with our children to get ice cream or grab dinner. You'd think it was New York or Paris because you just don't get that anywhere in this city. I mean, no one walks in L.A."

photography: Jeremy Samuelson
The vintage Barcelona chair Tia found at a flea market and put in the living room is the preferred lounging spot of 6-year-old Zoe. "I always find her there listening to her Walkman," Tia says. Beside it, a ceramic outdoor garden stool serves as a table.

But they do in Hancock Park, a picturesque little enclave close to Hollywood where Tia and Ben bought their first home. "This was actually the first house we saw, and then we looked at 10 more," Tia says. "But I kept going back. From the second I saw this house, I knew it was mine. It was love at first sight."

In addition to a desirable location, the 2,400-square-foot cottage has plenty to offer. "The U-shaped floor plan is spacious, and there's such a nice flow no matter where you are," Tia says. "The house feels much larger than it is." Tia also loves the home's abundant windows and 10 (yes, 10!) glass-paned doors opening off the living room that admit loads of natural light. "There are so many windows and French doors, you feel totally connected to the outside," she says, "and the light radiates all day."

That light and airy quality allowed Tia, a designer, to transform a house that "needed a lot of cosmetic work" into a stylish, classic California cottage. To begin, she painted every room white and had all of the hardwood floors refinished and stained black. "Colors are hard to decide," Tia says. "You need to live in a house awhile to figure them out. It's almost like giving the house some respect. I think we lived here three years before I began adding color through accessories."

photography: Jeremy Samuelson
Tia incorporates shots of color with a prominent piece in every room, like the tufted ottoman in the living room.

Starting with a simple white background and enlivening the space with painted furniture and vivid artwork is a hallmark of Tia's style: "Instead of changing the color of the walls, I like to change out fabrics, because I change my mind so much," she says. "I never feel like my house is done, because it's constantly in a state of design metamorphosis."

Whether it's swapping one area rug for another or flipping throw pillows on her sofa, Tia loves to rearrange her house. "The most fascinating part of decorating is that there's always potential for change," she says. "Our lives are always evolving, so there's room for taking risks in design as opposed to always being monochromatic. It depends on how daring and bold you want to be."

photography: Jeremy Samuelson
Tia painted the bold piece over the living room sofa. She says, "For me, painting is a soothing way to be artistic."

To switch things out on a whim, Tia says it's important to have an intriguing mix of furniture and accessories, rather than one style of decor. "I like to mix everything," she says. "I have some modern pieces and some traditional. My art and fabrics are definitely bohemian. There's a lot of texture to the fabric I like to use, whether it's woven or embroidered. And many of my furniture pieces are flea market finds that I'll sand down and paint myself."

photography: Jeremy Samuelson
"Mint green and cranberry is one of my favorite color combos," Tia says of the palette in the bedroom Zoe (pictured) and Abby share. Tia sewed all of the curtains and pillows, and the bed is an antique she painted white and sanded down so the original 1950s green shows through.

Much in this house epitomizes Tia's creativity and hard work. "My everyday job is an interior designer, but I'm also an artist," she says. Her own paintings, including a huge piece over the living room sofa, hang throughout the house. She also loves to sew and made many of the curtains and pillows here, including those in her daughters' bedroom.

Six-year-old Zoe and 3-year-old Abby have gotten used to Mom's decorating antics and seem to be following in her footsteps. "I love to see my daughters' facial expressions when they walk into a room that's been changed. Zoe has such an appreciation for fabrics now, and I can tell she's already got a great eye for color and texture," Tia says proudly.

And Ben? Tia says, "He lets me do my thing." He offered input on only one room: the kitchen. After two years in the house the Zoldans decided to completely gut and remodel the space. "We tore down a wall, pushed the ceiling up about 4 feet, and added beams," Tia says. By eliminating a tiny breakfast room, they were able to enlarge the kitchen's working area and make room for professional stainless steel appliances—Ben's favorites.

photography: Jeremy Samuelson
Clean and simple white subway tiles make up the backsplash. Tia added a small horizontal beaded edge to the top, she says, "to dress it up a bit."

photography: Jeremy Samuelson
In the dining room, wooden side chairs slipcovered in white linen mix with garage sale armchairs upholstered in a graphic stripe.

The couple further maximized space by incorporating an outdoor courtyard as a living and dining area. "We're outside most of the year. All of the French doors in the living room open to the courtyard," Tia says. "It's so nice and romantic. It feels very European."

photography: Jeremy Samuelson

But then again, this is still Los Angeles, and Tia and Ben are happy about that. She says, "I can't imagine living anywhere else."