BABE WAKE UP! THE DREAM HOUSE IS FOR SALE!!!
this house has been pinned, loved and gazed on more than anything else, if just by me myself, and it is on the market, you might have guessed it...
It’s Claire Tabouret’s hand-painted home in LA — I’ve probably saved every single angle of this house over the years. As I’ve mentioned in previous Substacks, I’m a maximalist through and through. I truly believe in turning your home into your own personal vision, and Claire has done exactly that — transforming her 1920s Spanish-style residence in Los Feliz into a dreamscape like no other. Also, my tarot-loving self is utterly obsessed with that ceiling.
Claire meticulously painted classic Rider–Waite–Smith tarot imagery — think the Nine of Pentacles, The Star, The Lovers, The Wheel of Fortune — across the wooden beams. Each figure holds personal meaning: the Moon card features their two dogs, George and Pepe; the Sun card includes their daughter, Mattea, riding a horse; and the Hermit card is a sweet nod to their electrician. I mean, come on — magical.
If you’re wondering why Claire Tabouret’s name rings a bell, she’s the artist behind the upcoming stained-glass windows for Notre-Dame Cathedral, set to be unveiled at the end of 2026.
Anyway, back to my wet dream — the house has just hit the market for a modest $3 million. Pocket change, anyone?
The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home was bought by Claire in 2019 and has since become an art-filled, colour-soaked, vintage-drenched escape. Beyond that show-stopping ceiling, one of my favourite details is her hand-painted fireplace — genuinely breathtaking.
And then there’s the furniture: most of it was crafted by her husband, Thelen — a musician-turned-carpenter — using reclaimed sycamore, walnut, African mahogany, and purpleheart. He sourced the wood locally via Angel City Lumber and incorporated delicate, leaf-patterned detailing into the sofa legs and coffee table. Honestly, the craftsmanship alone deserves its own exhibition.
As for the artwork — yes, there are pieces by well-known artists — but much of it is deeply personal: gifted by friends, made by Claire, or passed down through family. Ceramics by Kevin Willis, paintings by Nicholas Osmond, Katarina Janeckova Walshe, Elizabeth Glaessner… and even a curved rocking chair and cuckoo clock handmade by Thelen’s great-uncle. It’s a home that doubles as a living gallery — intimate, storied, and effortlessly cool.
Just a short Substack for your Monday afternoon, but I couldn’t let this gem pass you by — and let’s be honest, I was looking for any excuse to gush about this house again.
Want to hear me ramble on some more? Read my interview with Le Voyageur, where I chat about travel, art and women.
Stay cozy,
Denise