Photos by Leela Cyd.
Tina Tuason and her husband, Jeffrey, have always had a playful sense of style. “We love graphic artwork and toys,” she says. Three years ago, they bought Jeffrey’s childhood home, in Lakewood, California, from his parents — and got to work designing the colorful home of their dreams. Here, Tina gives us a tour…
LIVING ROOM
Sofa: Hay. Throw pillow: Verloop, similar. Rug: Ikea. Coffee table: Ikea. Lounge chair: Valyou. Blanket on chair: Slowdown Studio, similar. Rocker: Downtown Modernism, similar. Side table: Heller. Red stool: MoMA Design Store. Table lamp: MoMA Design Store.
On a multicolor sofa: This couch comes in a few color combinations. I’d planned on getting the beige one, because I figured a neutral couch would be easier to play around with — but it was sold out. My husband who suggested the blue and green, and I was like, ‘Don’t you think it’s too much?’ But when we brought it home, I fell in love.
TV stand: Pedestal. Floor shelves: Ikea, similar. Lamp: MoMa Design Store.
On an informal formal living room: We actually have two living rooms, and this is the one we use when friends and family come over. This room is the first thing you see when you walk in the house, so I wanted it to have a welcoming, relaxing vibe.
On a moveable TV: Our rolling TV stand is a game-changer. When my nephews come over, we can make a special spot for them to watch TV. If we want it out of the way, we just roll it into the garage!
Mirror: Ikea (“I painted it blue”). Console table: Ikea. Lamp: Ikea. Candleholder: Ikea. Candles: Hay, similar. Calendar: Karst Goods, similar.
On hiding the shoes: Our entryway was the trickiest spot. I needed a place to keep my shoes, but I wanted this space to feel more inviting than a storage area. I finally found this console table from Ikea — which isn’t actually meant to be a shoe cabinet, but it works!
OFFICE
Desk chair: Ikea, similar. Print: Tate Modern Museum. Wall organizer: Aescraft. Lamp: Buddy.
On division of labor: My husband and I renovated the house together, with me doing all the design work and him doing the labor. He’s handy and I’m a neat freak. So, as he was working, I’d be cleaning up along the way, and we didn’t have to deal with piles of trash at the end. We’re a good combo!
Bench: Heller. Throw pillow: Verloop, similar. Golf set: Amazon. Stool: Aescraft. Framed print: Tate Modern Museum.
On work and play: Oh my gosh, the golf game. Jeffrey works from home two days a week, and he’s a golfer, so when he takes breaks he likes to stand up and putt. At first I thought it looked too cluttered, but then I was like, you know what? Just leave it!
Bookshelf: Ikea. Sconce: Poplight. Smiley vases: Ikea. Cabinets: Ikea. Green vase: Aescraft.
On making a new home out of an old one: This is the first house Jeffrey lived in as a little boy. They moved out when he was seven; then his parents rented it out until we bought it in 2022. They’re old-school, and they had a lot of questions when we first started working on it. Why are you changing this? Why are you doing that? But when it was all done, they walked in and went, ‘Oh, wow, this is cool.’
KITCHEN
Bar stools: vintage, similar. Fruit plate: Gustaf Westman. Pink lamp: Oblique Method. Yellow lamp: Aleo. Countertop shelf: MoMA Design Store. Mug set: Heller.
On balance: The key to decorating with color, I find, is to start with a neutral backdrop. If I want to decorate with, say, multicolored mugs, then I know the shelf they sit on has to be neutral. We gave our whole kitchen a white and beige palette, which made it easy to add bright decor.
On loving IKEA: We wanted a simple look for the kitchen — plain flat cabinets without handles. But it was hard to find that style, and everything we did find was way too expensive. The only thing we could think of was IKEA — and it turned out to be perfect! Yes, it meant lots of assembling, but it was worth it.
Scallion plug-in light: Soft Surprise.
On toys: Folks might look at our house and assume that kids live here — I get it! When we first invited our relatives over, I worried about what our grandmas and aunties would think of the place. Will they like it? Or will they think it’s just a silly toy house? But you know what? They loved it.
DINING ROOM
Hanging light fixture: Ikea. Table: Castlery. Chairs: Castlery, similar. Mirror: Urban Outfitters. Vase: &Klevering.
On strategic mirrors: For the dining area, I thought a big mirror would help open up the room. But I also wanted a mirror that didn’t look like a mirror — something a little different, you know? I actually found this one while browsing Urban Outfitters. It was much smaller than what I’d planned for, but it worked. It gives the whole room sunset vibes.
DEN
Sofa: Ikea. Coffee table: Ikea. Stool: Target. Console: Homary, similar.
On a space to flop: This ‘downstairs’ room is the hang-out zone. When it’s just the two of us, this is where we spend most of our time. The couch is big and cozy, and great to curl up on for movie nights or football games.
Calendar: Tate Modern Museum. Purple cat: Donkey. Stool: Arnold Circus. Pepper plug-in light: Soft Surprise.
On a fun hobby: We have an entire drawer devoted to card games, and we play chess together a lot. When friends come over, we play Monopoly Deal or Bananagrams or Rummikub — that’s a really fun one.
On glowy rooms: I love small portable lamps. We never use our overhead lights, except in the kitchen. With every other room, we just go around turning on every single little lamp.
Green stool: World Market. Tabletop lamp: Hay. Print: LACMA.
On a daunting wall: It took us forever to put up art. This wall was particularly overwhelming because it was so big. Finally we realized, oh, a big wall needs a big print. We found this one at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and we loved it. Once we put that piece up, we were able to build around it with other things.
BEDROOM
Bed: Ikea. Linens: Bed Threads.
On turning down the volume: Our bedroom is not like the rest of the house — and that was a deliberate choice. I wanted our room to feel calm, since it’s a place for rest. The colors are muted, which makes it easier to unwind.
BACKYARD
Sofa: Heller. Chair: Heller. Stools: Heller.
On fun functionality: I love Heller furniture, and we have some in the house. The outdoor set helps create a nice flow from inside to outside. Plus, it’s easy — we didn’t want anything we’d have to cover up or reassemble every time we used it. It looks like a big LEGO set.
On finding your true colors: I’m a makeup artist, so I’m always working with color and thinking about color theory. My playful side has always been there, but moving here — into our own place — that’s what really brought it out in me.
Thank you so much, Tina!
P.S. More house tours, including a Minneapolis home with the cutest dog and a farmhouse built for Black joy.
(Photos by Leela Cyd.)
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