When he’s not drumming up a Grammy-winning record for Vampire Weekend, the critically beloved New York-based rock band he co-founded in 2006, Chris Tomson relaxes in the hip L.A. neighborhood of Silver Lake. Over the summer, the 36-year-old laid out $1.6 million for a traditional 1930s cottage with impressive views of the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory. The home hadn’t been on the market “in over 50 years,” per the listing, meaning the well-maintained but outdated interiors are ripe for a cosmetic refresh.
Set high above the street, the three-bedroom, single-story structure is accessed via a long brick walkway that gradually climbs the hill, meandering past the street-level two-car garage and two swaths of grassy lawn before reaching the front porch. Inside, there’s an unexpectedly voluminous living room with wooden ceiling beams and a brick fireplace, plus wall-to-wall carpeting the color of aged rust.
Other spaces include a prehistoric kitchen that’s been half-heartedly updated with medium-grade appliances. The kitchen steps down to a wee breakfast nook with impressive views of the city and hills, and elsewhere there’s an office paneled in gorgeously original knotty pine hardwood. Two of the home’s three bedrooms share a single large bathroom, complete with a built-in soaking tub and dual vanities, while the third smaller bedroom has its own ensuite bath. At the far rear of the residence, a covered and enclosed lanai opens to the petite backyard, where there’s a jacuzzi set under a loggia, a citrus tree, grassy lawn, and glorious views of the Silver Lake Reservoir.
Since their 2006 formation, Vampire Weekend has released four full-length albums, collecting two Grammy Awards in the process and selling millions of copies worldwide. In 2017, while his bandmates pursued their own projects during a group hiatus, Tomson released “Yougish American,” his first — and so far, only — solo album.
Isaac Fast of Coldwell Banker held the listing; Emily Karaszewski of Compass repped Tomson.