Tania Agacanian, Assoc. AIA, is the creative force and principal designer behind her eponymous practice. A residential designer based in Los Angeles & Carmel-by-the-Sea, she founded OTA with a singular vision—to create spaces that not only serve a purpose but stir emotion, weaving narrative, nuance, and intention into every detail. Her approach is less about following trends and more about creating spaces that feel lived-in and timelessly captivating—designed to evolve with the people who inhabit them. With a Master’s in Architecture and a Bachelor’s in Art History from UCLA, her work is grounded in academic training and enriched by a lifelong passion for art and design. 

Tania’s path to founding her own practice was anything but linear. Early in her career, she worked on large-scale transportation and civic projects, gaining a strong foundation in technical design and complex problem-solving. Yet it was the quieter, more personal side of design that continued to call to her. Summers spent in Paris with her French family—particularly afternoons wandering auction houses with her uncle—instilled in her a deep love for history, craftsmanship, and the poetry of objects with a past. Over time, she returned to what has always moved her most: creating spaces that are not only functional, but deeply expressive and emotionally resonant.