l'

..
~
 and
ebonized hardwood floors
provide the ultimate back-
drop for color and texture,
whether it's an antique Kilim
rug or the richly woven
-'

I
basket used as a console
table near the front door.
i
!
"THE SECOND I SAW THIS
i
I HOUSE, I KNEW IT WAS
j
i MINE," Tia says of the
If. , cottage she shares with her
,
. husband and two daughters.

II @

80
)-c ~
f - TfA PAINTED HE BOLD
1 piece over th living
room sofa. She says, "For
me, painting is a soothing
way to be artistic."·
THE VINTAGE Barcelona
chair (far right) that Tiai
I 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, ;:i
ceramic outdoor ga den
stool makes a great. table.

82

IN THE DINING ROOM, wooden
mix with garage sale armchairs
, ';, ''Wheh'we're not eating there,
: ;\;E
-
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.
o liegin, 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."
side chairs slipcovered in white linen Starting with a simple white background
upholstered in a graphic stripe. and enlivening the space with painted furniture
it's where Ben and I work," Tia says. 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."
TIA INCORPORATES SHOTS OF COLOR
with a prominent piece in every room, like
the tufted ottoman (at left) and the armoire
in the dining room.
 o 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 IN THE MASTER
sa s. "I have some modern pieces and some traditional. My art and fabrics are definitely BEDROOM (left), an ~
bohemian. There's a lot of texture to the fabric I like to use, whether it's woven or embroi- upholstered-headboard' .
dered. And many of my furniture pieces are flea market finds that I'll sand down and rises almost 6 feet. The" J.-
paint myself» . faux mink blanket adds l
Much in this house epitomizes Tia's creativity and hard work "My everyday job is an luxurious texture to the' 1.,-";:-"---
.~:-
interior designer, but I'm also an artist," she says. Her own paintings, including a huge simple bedding: I \

piece over the living room sofa, hang throughout the house. She also loves to sew and '~MINTGREEN AND
made many of the curtains and pillows here, including those in her daughters' bedroom. CRANBERRY is one of my
. 1 .
Six-year-old Zoe and 3-year-old Abby have gotten used to Mom's decorating antics and favorite color combos," TIa
seem to be following in her footsteps. "I love to see my daughters' facial expressions when says of the palette in the
they walk into a room that's been changed. Zoe has such an appreciation for fabrics now, and bedroQm 40.e~(Ric~ured)
1 can tell she's already got a great eye for color and texture," Tia says proudly. and Abby share.Tia,sewed
And Ben? Tia says, "He lets me do my thing." He offered input on only one room: the all of the curtains and
kitchen. After two years in the house the Zoldans decided to completely gut and remodel pillows, and the be~ is an
the space. 'We tore down a wall, pushed the ceiling up about 4 feet, and added beams," Tia antique she painted white
says. By eliminating a tiny breakfast room, they were able to enlarge the kitchen's work- and sanded down so the
ing area and make room for professional stainless steel appliances- Ben's favorites. original 1950s green
The couple further maximized space by incorporating an outdoor courtyard as a living shows through.
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."
But then again, this is still Los Angeles, and Tia and Ben are happy about that. She says,
"1 can't imagine living anywhere else." • ~ GO TO THE SOURCE page 134

I~_'~_~~"
__~· __"'
__'~~·~~k~~"~~~~~ __ •

86
more ideas and inspiration ...
Foam & Fabric; 323/931-8148 or diamondfoamandfabrics.
com. Garden stool: Rose Bowl Flea Market,
Pasadena; 323/560-7469 or rosebowlstadium.com.
Page 84 Dining room wall color: Down .
Pipe by Farrow & Ball; toll-free 888/511-1121or
farrow-ball.com. Trim: All White by Farrow & Ball;
toll-free 888/511-1121or farrow-ball.com. Rug:
Crenshaw Carpet Centers; 323/295-7731 or
crenshawcarpet.com. Striped fabric: Silk Trading
Co.; silktrading.com. Black candlesticks:
JOY OF GARDENING FEATURES Anthropologie, not available; for a similar look, try the
ROMANCING THE COTTAGE "I CAN'T IMAGINE LIVING Persimmon lacquer candlesticks; store.yahoo.com/
Page 56 Containers: Smith & Hawken; ANYWHERE ELSE" sprouthome. Wall color: Simply White (OC-117)by
smithhawken.com. Full-spectrum and Page 80 Design: Zoldan Interiors; Benjamin Moore; 800/672-4686 or benjaminmoore.com.
clip-on glow lights: Gurney's; gurneys.com. tiazoldan@yahoo.com. Table: flea market find; for a similar look, try Winslow
Special thanks to Toby Seeger, production manager Page 82 White armchair, ottoman, and Dining Table from Crate & Barrel; toll-free 888/967-6696
of Four Winds Growers, a dwarf-citrus nursery with sofa: all from Sofa U Love; 323/464-3397 or or crateandbarrel.com. Windsor chairs: Rose Bowl
locations in Fremont and Winters, California. sofaulove.com. Campaign table: Big Daddy's Flea Market, Pasadena; 323/560-7469 or
Antiques, Los Angeles; 310/769-6600 or bdantiQues.com. rosebowlstadium.com. Red and white fabric
Woven trunk: World Market; visit on pillow: Diamond Foam & Fabric, Los Angeles;
worldmarket.com for store locations. Lamp: Target; 323/931-8148 or diamondfoamandfabrics.com. Rug:
target.com. Painting (over sofa): by Tia Zoldan; antique Kilim from eBay; ebay.com. Clock: Station
tiazoldan@yahoo.com. Turquoise pillow on Wall clock from Z Gallerie; 800/358-8288 or
sofa: Silk Trading Co.; toll-free 888/745-5302 or zgallerie.com. Chandelier: Natura Chandelier from
"I'm a big fan of silktrading.com. Ikea; ikea.com. Floor tiles: Mission Tile West;
classicism ... so I Page 83 Barcelona chair: Rose Bowl Flea Market, 310/434-9697 or missiontilewest.com. Company
put some form back Pasadena; 323/560-7469 or rosebowlstadium.com. that stained and glazed tile floor: Stone
Services Ine.; 800/477-6419. Light fixtures over
Black-and-white crewel fabric on
into the structure" ottoman, pillow fabric on white arm- sink: Restoration Hardware, discontinued. Sink
-Carl Palasota, p. 94 chair, and bolster fabric: all from Diamond faucet: Kohler; kohler.com. Cabinet hardware:
Restoration Hardware; 800/762-1005 or
restorationhardware.com. Sink: Kohler; kohler.com.
Subway tile: Mission Tile West; 310/434-9697 or
Window shopping Trashy and stylish? Like Brilney and Paris,
missiontilewest.com. Stove: Viking; vikingrange.com.
these wastebaskets prove it's possible
Pitchfork: Old Pine Furnishings at Pasadena Flea
Market, 818/507-7077. Roman shades: Ikea;
ikea.com. Armoire and trunk: Old Pine
Furnishings at Pasadena Flea Market; 818/507-7077.
Zebra rug: Sophie's Seat Design, Los Angeles;
323/464-1400. Tufted ottoman fabric: Silk
Trading Co.; toll-free 888/745-5302 or silktrading.com.
Sconces: discontinued; for a similar look, try Ancient
Candlesticks; 800/767-5490 or wisteria.com.
Page 86 Headboard fabric: Diamond Foam
Boost your style & Fabric; 323/931-8148 or diamondfoamandfabrics.com.
~t; quotient with a (an Blue pillows: velvet from Silk Trading Co.; toll-free
Sweeten any space with .f~ decoupaged with, 888/745-5302 or silktrading.com. >
this bubblegum pink :.~~ Japanese newspnnt,
..•••••••••••• push-pedal design, $24.99; toll-free
$178; 800/870-3513 888/266-8246 or
0:
W or garnethill.com. containerstore.com.
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