It’s inspiring when you encounter a home that makes you think the architect was reading your mind regarding the type of space you’d love to live in. This is one of those places. Modern, warm, functional, warm, airy, bright, fun. Yep, this 3 BR / 3.5 BA Brentwood home designed by award-winning architect Lorcan O’Herlily is a great blend of all those things.
Read MoreMy architectural pick for this week is the Austrian Spencer House in Silver Lake by Raphael Soriano, one of the trailblazers of the Mid-Century modern movement that took root and blossomed here in Los Angeles. Built in 1937, this 2 BR / 2 BA gem is one of Soriano’s early works. In fact, Soriano’s very first commission, The Lipetz House, which is a just short walk away, was built only one year earlier.
Read MoreLos Feliz has its fair share of great Mediterranean style homes and this new listing on Edgemont Street is a stand-out among them. Designed by architect Theodore J. Scott, this 1927 home with its Moorish flair boasts features and details that are more than worthy of all the oohs and ahs they are sure to elicit.
Read MoreAnyone that has driven along Franklin Avenue in Los Feliz has surely noticed the presence of the Sowden House by Lloyd Wright. Even if one doesn’t recognize it from the many films, tv shows and commercials that it’s appeared in (notably The Aviator and The Rocketeer), it’s clear from the home’s striking façade that something special awaits within. And for all the folks that have wished they might get a chance to see the inside and, perhaps, buy the house, now is your chance.
Read MoreWhen a residence’s list of features includes things like a library with fireplace, mahogany paneled walls, butler’s and cook’s pantry, verandas, maid’s quarters, wine cellar, sunroom, etc., you know it’s going to be something grand. With the additional clue of 1909 as the year built, you may have guessed that we are visiting Hancock Park.
Read MoreBeautifully sited at the northern end of the Crestwood Hills neighborhood in Brentwood is this week’s mid-century surprise. Designed by architect Harold M. Sutton (a name I was heretofor unaware of), this 2 BR / 2.5 BA home quietly catches your eye from the street and then drops your jaw when you enter.
Read MoreBack in September I wrote about a flip in the Hollywood Hills by the folks at Re-Inhabit (see post from Sept 8). They’ve just listed another property, this time in Echo Park, and once again the place is a beauty.
Read MoreFrom the huge palms that flank the front door, to the way the home wraps around its swimming pool as if guarding an oasis in the desert, this post and beam home in the hills of Studio City definitely has a retreat-like atmosphere to it. And its size, which is a generous 3,013 square feet, is relatively hidden from the street thanks to its unique shape.
Read MoreLong before there was Gangnam Style, there was International Style. And a few days ago another fine specimen from one of L.A.’s International Style architect posse hit the market. The Antonio Polito House by Raphael is a restored three-level Bauhaus cube, located on a street-to-street lot in the hills above the Sunset Strip.
Read MoreIf you’re a creative type that’s searching for a large, versatile space that simultaneously satisfies your home, work, and play requirements, and you appreciate thoughtful design, this may be just the place for you. This loft-style architectural residence in Culver City is sweet-a-licious! (That’s a word, right?)
Read MoreThis home does a remarkable job of combining chic, artsy, euro and beach vibes all into one package. And considering its location, you can’t ask for something more aptly designed. If you happen to get bored with the idyllic serenity of its canal setting (some people have it so rough!), you can flip a coin and walk either the few blocks west to the beach, or the few blocks east to Abbot Kinney. And when your friends come to visit, you should probably be prepared for them to stay longer than initially planned because they won’t want to leave.
Read MoreAnother architecturally significant listing in the Poppy Peak Historic District of Pasadena hits the market. This time it’s the Laing House by Harwell Hamilton Harris, built in 1935 for Graham Laing, a professor at the California Institute of Technology. (Yesterday I blogged about the Thomson Residence just a few doors down from this house.)
If you had your eye on the market this past fall, you may recall that this house was on the market back then and it was listed for a lower price – significantly lower. At the time, the listing noted that the home was in need of major improvements. While it’s not clear from the current listing if any of the improvements have been made, I suspect that this home’s pedigree that will attract a buyer who appreciates its heritage.
Note that the photos of the interior are not from the current listing and are not intended to represent the home’s current state.
Read More2013 has been off to an excellent start with regard to choice architectural properties hitting the market and I love this one that was just listed yesterday. Built in 1957, one year before their well-known Case Study House #20 (a.k.a Bailey House), the Thomson Residence by Buff, Straub, and Hensman is a beautiful example of the innovative post and beam designs that were a signature of the Pasadena based firm in the 1950’s.
Read MoreOn the surface, what we’ve got here is a 760 square foot, 1 BR / 1 BA home. Doesn’t sound like much, I know. But open up the doors and poke around a little more and what you’ll find is a fantastic example of how to maximize the use of a small space, in a SoCal-SoHo fusion sort of way.
Read MoreI love coffee. Yes, I do. And it’s always a treat to randomly spot a newly opened café while driving around. Especially when it’s a little, independently owned place. Yay to the little guy! Or, woman, as is the case with Taza, a tiny little café that opened in Echo Park a little over a month ago.
Read MoreIn case you didn’t believe it when she sang “all I wanna do is have some fun”, after checking out Sheryl Crow's estate you’ll see that she means it. In this case, fun comes in the form of restoring old homes, creating a 10+ acre hillside playground of pathways filled with palapas, teepees and tents, and building a swimming pool with lounge area that looks like it belongs in a resort.
Read MoreThis enchanting Craftsman in Hancock Park could be a perfect fit for you and your 2.06 kids (or whatever the current national average per family happens to be). Situated on a corner lot, this 3 BR / 1.75 BA home is so quintessentially American, I think I can smell the delicious aroma of apple pie floating from its kitchen window.
Read MoreThis is a home that’s built to chill. Inside and out, this 1922 Mediterranean home has a mucho relaxing vibe to it that makes me want to move in tomorrow. It features 3,086 square feet of charm and a seriously sweet pool and patio, which I’m pretty sure would keep me from getting any work done. Still, don’t let that stop you from checking it out. .
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