Tressa Miller

“There were tons of people vying for the house, but they liked me,” 

If you know Tressa Miller it’s a plausible conclusion. She’s easy to like; she’s vibrant cheerful, grounded, authentic and elegant. 

It’s a Mid-Century Modern home on a curving corner with large windows and natural light. The white walls are filled with framed art and various pieces are installed around the house so that the whole space floats with color and shapes. At the center is her own work space/studio. Two sturdy tables with lots of paint, large cans prickled and stuffed with brushes, clean and dry, but raucous with use.  The room is lively and gorgeous and then somehow it gets even better because beyond the sliding glass doors there’s a view. 

“I walked in, I looked at the view. I couldn’t take  my eyes off it and that was that.”

When she first walked into her house everything was paneled in dark wood.  

“They asked me about the wood. They wanted to know  and asked - you’re not gonna cover the wood, are you?”  

One’s vision of their house can’t be decided in a day. I say it all the time, owning a home is a relationship. Tressa needed wall space because showcasing her art collection was the priority. In fact one of the secrets about this house is that there’s a fireplace behind a wall. “If somebody wanted that old look and didn’t need all the space like I do, the fireplace still exists,” she points. “Right there.”  

She sweeps her arm across an entire wall filled with art. 

Did the amount you paid for the house seem like a lot of money at the time?
“Oh, I was petrified. I was absolutely petrified. But as luck would have it I have a nephew who was living with me, and he’s a very aggressive can-do kind of guy. He said, you can do it. You can do it. He basically gave me the courage to take that step.”

Where were you in your life at that point?
“I was at the height of my career…. At Security Pacific Corporation running their arts collection. It was a huge job. They had 12,000 works and I bought 7,000 of them. My goal had been to have a house, and I knew I wanted a view. “

How did you know about Franklin Hills?
“I had dated a man here and I knew Ellie. * (another home art gallery story in Franklin Hills) There were always sort of artistic types of people living here. Even though it’s gentrified I like the nitty gritty feeling of it.  I like the differences in architecture. I like that it’s basically politically liberal… And I like the lively, young, ever-evolving businesses in the area.”

What has owning a home taught you? 
“It’s expensive. That’s what it’s taught me. And it’s a lot of work. It’s constant, it’s really constant.  I can tell you what needs to be done, but I can’t do any of it. I think of this house as a wonderful situation. It’s not too big. I don’t want a big house. I never wanted a big house, because I know I can’t maintain it. It’s not just financial, it’s emotional and the time involved.”  

What do you most appreciate about it?
“I mean - it is our sanctuary, it’s our home. Think about how many people who’ve had to move because of politics, or weather changes. … In a way I say to myself, you can’t get too attached, but I think because of Covid we all feel more attached. I mean, Covid gave me time to be domestic.” 

And overall what do you like about Franklin Hills?  
“People look after one another here.”