INSIDE A CENTURY-OLD LA HOME WHERE THE SUN NEVER SEEMS TO SET

If there’s one thing Alex Anderson and Aaron Kravitz swear by, it’s the power of instinct. Ask the couple how they came to be Angelenos and they explain that it was thanks to a stroke of serendipity. “We never meant to move,” says Alex, who works in the creative field. “We started our home search here for fun after feeling priced out in San Francisco.” All virtually, mind you.

When the couple chanced upon their current home—a single-story Spanish Revival—in the LA neighborhood of Eagle Rock, online, they knew in their bones that it was the one. So much so that they purchased it sight unseen after reaching out to a local agent in LA whom they’d never met. Improbable? Probably. “But it’s a hundred percent true,” laughs Aaron, a tech executive.

The home had lots of upsides—it flowed from indoors to outdoors, had its own personality and history (it turned 100 last year), and the light was great—but it also had just as many downsides, including rotted flooring, inoperable windows, termite-infested frames and siding, an awkward kitchen, and a general lack of personality. Fixing all the flaws meant calling in the professionals, which the couple swiftly acted upon by enlisting the help of husband-and-wife duo Shawn and Tina Taylor of LA-based interior design practice Dacotah Studio. Their brief? To lean into the “good bones” and light of the home, and emphasize the indoor-outdoor flow. “Our dream was to feel like we are on a laid-back vacation in Italy,” muses Alex.

For Shawn and Tina, one thing was clear: If they were going to do vacation, they were going to do it right. “We were inspired by the home’s original Spanish details, and we wanted to honor the charm of the original structure while bringing it into the 21st century,” shares Tina. She and Shawn pared down the palette, opting for a combination of light oak, island whites, and calming, subdued tiles that would help keep the spotlight on the art and furnishings. As Shawn explains, some things took more time than others. “The reconfiguration of the kitchen went through several design iterations,” he notes, clarifying that the end result—a galley setup with a large island and an arched entrance—was well worth the effort.

The original walls had a palm tree design stamped into the stucco that the couple and their five-year-old son, Julian, say they thought they were going to love forever. “We were wisely convinced otherwise, but we still like to imagine them underneath the smooth walls,” Alex says. It’s not just the walls that have changed since the family occupied the home. It’s also, as Alex reveals, “the overall spirit.” Aaron puts a finer point on the subject: “We all referred to the home as ‘the white house’ for a year. Once we moved in, we renamed it the Persimmon House, after the beautiful Persimmon tree outside the window.”

Evidently, the move to Los Angeles was written in the couple’s stars long before they knew it. “It’s been great,” concedes Aaron. “We love that you can see green from every room, and when you stand at the front of the house, you can see through to the backyard. The interior design provides a quiet serenity that celebrates and complements the outdoors.” A perfect day for the family usually includes a lazy morning in the yard, an adventure in nature, or a laid-back dinner with friends. “We’re inspired by film and food and are lucky to have so many great options nearby,” says Alex. Ask them if the home comes close to their vision, and there’s a unanimous response: yes. “Thank goodness we made that blind offer!” The power of instinct, indeed.