Starting over is a tedious, character-building process, a lesson that artist Thomas Rodehuth has had to relearn again and again in the nine years since he moved to the States from Cologne, Germany. His most recent reset was spurred by the dissolution of his marriage, which left him without a place to live in the summer of 2023.

Thomas sits in a vintage chair by the tile stairs, which are topped with a kooky trio of ceramics: a cast for rubber gloves, a sandal, and an odd vessel on the top step which he liked for its perverse glazing. “I grew up thinking that interior design has to be nice and beautiful, but I think it should also be silly and joyful,” he notes." layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

He spent the next eight months crisscrossing Los Angeles on dog and cat sitting jobs—“a month here, two weeks here, four weeks there,” he recalls of this transient period—before finally landing upon a quirky basement-level property on a dead-end street near MacArthur Park.

The interiors were dark and empty, covered up by dingy yellow curtains, and there was a “damp towel” smell permeating the place which Thomas was never able to fully get rid of—even with a Flamingo Estate tomato candle burning all the time.

Charlotte Perriand-inspired Dutch vintage sconces. “I was very afraid that every morning I would bump my head, but it never happened, even when I’m sitting upright,” he says." layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

But he was charmed, not repelled by the peculiarity of the place. “I immediately fell in love with it because it was weird and very funky,” he says. Part of its offbeat appeal was due to its layout, which has a small, lofted nook where Thomas would sleep right off the open living area, accessible by a narrow trail of tile steps.

dining set is by RAD, offset with CB2 place settings and Target chairs he found on the side of the road." layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

There’s also a large sliding door that opens onto the garden, which serves as the dwelling’s only window to the outdoors. This detail is likely the work of architect John Lautner, who designed the addition tacked onto a Spanish-style home in the ’50s. “The huge sliding door is definitely a very midcentury moment, and in combination with the tiles it felt very much like a place in Mexico City,” Thomas emphasizes.

intage Kurt Naef stacking toys from his childhood as art in the corner. " layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

After moving in, he sought to maintain the oddball quality of the space, while flying in his own flourishes via fresh paint, new cabinet hardware, hand-painted nude illustrations in the bathroom (inspired by Jean Cocteau), and a few woven rugs customized on Etsy.

A self-portrait of a woman and her dog, sourced at Salvare Goods, informs the color palette of the living area, which is accented by Jenny Martin orange curtains that remind Thomas of the film Basic Instinct. He likes to imagine the backstory behind the artwork: “In my imagination, she is a three-time divorcée, and now it’s just her and the dog.”" layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

Instead of an uncomfortable flatpacked sofa, Thomas opted for an L-shaped Hubba Hubba “sectional” made of upholstered and layered twin-size mattresses, plus a matching custom bolster pillow.

Tacking on all of these amendments over time was immensely gratifying on a deeper level. “The nesting process is one of the most beautiful feelings that one can have, every time you move and start again,” Thomas says. “I hadn’t had that for so long. I realized I hadn’t lived alone since I was 21.”

But despite making a lively home of his own, with frequent dinner parties held on the terrace, the honeymoon period was short-lived. The landlord eventually announced he had other plans for the unit after a few months of subleasing, so, as we chat, Thomas is now living in another loft-like space in the downtown L.A. area.

He seems wistful in hindsight, but also hopeful. “I want to say this is a very temporary moment right now,” he explains. “Knowing that I accomplished what I did back in MacArthur Park just tells me, ‘Okay, I can do this again.’”

Have you taken on an ambitious Rental Revamp—or do you know someone who has? We want to hear about it! Reach out to edit@dwell.com with photos and a brief description.

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Project Credits:

Interior Design: Thomas Rodehuth / @studio.rodehuth

Update on 4/24/25: Article updated to clarify that the sectional sofa in the living room was designed by Hubba Hubba.

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