Schoolhouse Visits Sally Pressman’s Character-Filled Los Angeles Home

When actress, producer, and content creator Sally Pressman and her family first laid eyes on their English cottage in Los Angeles, they instantly knew it was the one. “I was working on Good Girls when one of my co-stars mentioned she had just moved into a new house,” Sally shares. Intrigued, she asked to see her old one, and after a quick visit, they couldn’t deny its magic.

With its perfect blend of comfort, charm, and character, the house has become a true reflection of their family’s style and spirit. The home is a harmonious mix of Sally’s minimalist, high-end taste and her husband David’s love for bold colors and unique character. Over the last three years, they’ve created a space that’s both beautiful and functional.

Below, Sally shares the journey of turning their house into a home, from the renovations they tackled together to the design details that make this space truly shine.

Tell us the story about how you found your home—what originally drew you to it?

This is a long story with a great ending. I was working on NBC’s Good Girls when one of my co-stars mentioned she had just moved into a new house. She started talking about her old house—its privacy, land, and charm—and I asked, “What happened to your old house?” She sighed and said, “I still have to put it on the market and sell it.” Without hesitation, I said, “Let me see the listing.”

I saw the land, the warmth, the craftsmanship, and the view, and I immediately asked, “Can we see it tomorrow?!” The next day, I brought my family to check it out. They complained the whole way there—“We don’t want to move!” “I’m not going anywhere!” “I know I won’t like this house!”

We pulled up to the house, and as they walked through the yard—taking in the homemade tree swing, the makings of a tree house, the forest trail, and, best of all, the natural stone water slide—then we showed them the big, bright rooms with plenty of closet space and they started to change their minds. The house and property just felt so good, none of us could deny it.
Then, my 8-year-old son came up to me and said, “I want to grow up in this house.” Total heart melt. And so it was.

Describe your personal style, and how it’s reflected in your home.

Our house is definitely a mix of my husband’s and my styles, which are different, but we share some common ground. We both value comfort. A space has to feel warm and inviting. We don’t want any rooms or areas that are “off-limits to kids.” I tend to favor high-end, more minimalist designs, while he prefers color, character, and even a bit of quirk.

We worked together to redecorate and renovate, mainly focusing on the kitchen and the primary bathroom. I took the lead on color palettes and materials, while he fine-tuned everything and made sure all the details were taken care of. I’d get bored after a while, and with so many little decisions left to make, I’d get overwhelmed, and he’d take over. But in the end, our marriage survived, and we’re both so happy with the results.

What inspired the style of your home?

Oh, this is such a good question! I’d say our surroundings, with their very English and Spanish cottage feel, influenced us to avoid making the space too modest, too formal, or overly stylized. We wanted the colors of the outdoors—blues, whites, greens, oranges, yellows, and browns—to be reflected in the interior color palette. Neutrals with pops of color. We kept the original windows, handles, and high wood-beamed ceilings because they had so much character and were so unique.

What’s your favorite detail in your home?

The beam ceilings! In the kitchen, living room, and primary bedroom, the wood ceilings add warmth and drama to the space. I’m pretty sure it was the high ceilings that initially sold me on the house.

Did you renovate? If so, what did you learn from the process?

We refurbished the kitchen and primary bathroom. Do your research! Make sure you hire a trustworthy, hardworking, and knowledgeable contractor. Our contractor was amazing—it was his first time taking the lead, so he and my husband worked closely together. We all learned a lot. The best advice I can give is to be prepared for all the planning and measuring. Even when you think you’ve picked everything you need to, there will always be more.

What change did you make to your home that you regret? Which one makes you the happiest?

The one change I regret is building a doorway in my daughter’s closet. The idea was to create a secret entrance to our room for when she was old enough to not need us in the middle of the night. Now that we’re there, we have no interest in installing the secret door and doing all that construction. We should have just added the door when we were making all the bigger changes.

I’m probably happiest with switching out the oven and removing the large overhead hood in the kitchen. There was a perfectly good Wolf range in the kitchen, but the industrial-looking hood hanging from the high ceiling cut into the visuals of the whole room. David thought I was crazy for wanting to get rid of it. But I had a vision for a specific oven, and we were able to sell the Wolf range. David and our contractor came up with an invisible fan that pops up behind the oven and retracts when not in use. This new range truly defined the space and our color palette. We talk about what a great choice it was almost every day.

What Schoolhouse pieces feel the most at home in your space, and why?

We found this gorgeous, cozy, off-white corduroy couch that Schoolhouse made in collaboration with Clare V. (who I’ve loved for years). It fits perfectly in our space, and despite my husband and son both questioning, “You trust us with a white couch?!,” it was the obvious choice. Months later, the couch is still in perfect condition, and everyone knows my wrath will come down on them if they mess with it!

What are some of your best memories of living in your home?

Every day. My kids love being home. They’d choose hanging out with us over almost anything else (going to Universal Studios might be the one exception!). Our house is cozy, comforting, and offers so many spaces where we can all be together—or have room to do our own thing. We’ve read books and played games by the fireplace, roasted marshmallows in the fire pit, watched movies on the couch, swam in the pool, had BBQs, and snuggled together in our bed. It truly feels like home in every sense of the word.