Echo Park, Los Angeles. On a typical residential street hides a house which is anything but typical. Welcome to TOM House, the headquarters of the Tom of Finland Foundation. It’s also a museum, an archive, and the artist’s former home. Its walls are packed with memorabilia, original sketches, photographs and a (surprisingly) vast array of unconventionally designed phallic decorations.

In 1979, Durk Dehner purchased the house together with a group of friends. It was around this time that his relationship with Tom of Finland began to develop. He was fascinated by the artist’s powerful messages, and immediately inspired to help him into the spotlight. Tom moved into the upstairs room of the house and turned it into his studio. It remains today, four decades later, as if frozen in time.

In fact, the interiors of the house seem pretty much untouched. When groups of devoted fans visit these rooms, it’s like they are stepping into a capsule of Tom of Finland’s life back in the 80’s. His spirit is kept alive not just through objects, but also through the active work of the Foundation, which has turned this place into a hub for creativity, expression and rebellious fun.

If you come by TOM’s House you might stumble onto a subversive art performance, a lunch with long-time friends, or a guided tour from Durk Dehner himself. Don’t forget to stop and admire the skate editions. They really tie the space together, if we may be so bold.