California Dreaming

A homeowner with a love for flea-market finds creates her own little California paradise.

- By Autumn Krause. Photograph by Bret Gum

KRISTA KOUSENS IS A PHYSICIAN’S ASSISTANT—but her unofficial resume has a few more titles! Backyard farmer. Lover of all things old, rusty and weathered. Jeweler, purveyor of flea-market finds and caretaker of 16 animals. Such a full and interesting life requires just the right home, one that inspires creativity while accommodating a veritable menagerie.

Enter a 1955 simple tract home located in Orange, California. When she first toured the home, Krista fell in love. “It was clean and simple,” she says. “I was drawn to the large, flat yard, the gorgeous brass chandelier in the dining room and the fact that there were no modern upgrades. I couldn’t believe nobody had snatched it up yet!” Though she has zero formal training in interior design, Krista transformed each room and kept going, creating an outdoor dining room, a she-shed and a chicken coop. Each space is enlivened with one-of-a-kind finds. “I have no interest in going into a store and buying a matching set of furniture,” she confides. That’s apparent from one look at her inspiring spaces. There’s no way to find such uniqueness in a big box store.