Frank Lloyd Wright’s spectacular Ennis House secretly seeks a new owner

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mayan-inspired Ennis House in Los Feliz secretly seeks a new owner.

3 bd / 3.5 ba

$23,000,000

Map

Wright used decorative textile concrete blocks, a material he once called “… the cheapest (and ugliest) thing in the building world,” to create a handful of architecturally stunning homes including the Hollyhock House located in Barnsdall Art Park, La Miniature, the Freeman House, and the Storer House. (His son, Lloyd Wright, used similar looking concrete blocks for the Sowden House.)

Built in 1924 on a half-acre land, the Ennis House – offering three bedrooms, three and half baths, plus a guest house – was made with 27,000 concrete blocks. It is the largest and last home Wright designed using textile blocks.

Ironically, the most eye-catching feature of the dwelling wasn’t that durable and, along with damage resulting from the Northridge earthquake of ’94 and the winter rains of 2004/2005, contributed to the temple-like residence needing costly repairs.

After completing an initial restoration that helped stabilize the home, the Ennis Foundation decided it was best to put the Los Angeles landmark on the market. “ We’ve made a lot of progress, but at this point a private owner with the right vision and sufficient resources can better preserve the house than we can as a small nonprofit.”

Billionaire Ron Burkle was up for the challenge and spent a rumored $17 million completing the restoration.

Offered furnished, features include “concrete columns, enormous leaded glass windows, marble and hardwood floors, coffered ceilings, custom light fixtures, walls of mosaic tile, multiple balconies, patios, and wraparound walkways. There’s also a large pool deck and a fish pond” and spectacular views.

A Los Angeles landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Ennis House is asking $23 million.

SEE THIS HOME

schedule a personal tour by email or call 323-829-4440

Listing courtesy of Hilton& Hyland & Coldwell Banker

Harwell Hamilton Harris’ Hawk House hits the market in Silver Lake asking $1.3M

Located in the hills of Silver Lake, the Hawk House by Harwell Hamilton Harris perfectly captures the ever enviable indoor-outdoor connection.

2 bd / 1 ba

$1,295,000

Map

Built for Edward (Stan) Hawk in 1939, the house is often compared to Harris’ Blair House. Both houses are “compositions of boxlike masses, abutting each other in unexpected ways.” Wrapping the exterior in redwood siding, Harris reversed the interior floor plan by designing a series of cubes that unfold from the inside out. The entrance level opens up to the living room, dining area, and kitchen and the two well-proportioned bedrooms and one bath are downstairs.

Noteworthy features include walls of glass, hardwood floors, a brick fireplace, built-in shelving, patio and outdoor terraces extending the living spaces into nature, and a balcony where you can enjoy iconic picture-postcard views of the Silver Lake Reservoir and surrounding hills, Lautner’s recently re-vamped Silvertop, the Griffith Park Observatory, and Hollywood Sign.

Sitting across from R.M. Schindler‘s How House, the Hawk House is listed for $1.295 million.

SEE THIS HOME

schedule a personal tour by email or call 323-829-4440

Listing courtesy of Barry Sloane & Marc Silver – Sotheby’s International Realty

Craig Ellwood and Associates’ Vice President restores iconic Smith House in Brentwood

Jim Tyler, architect and VP of Craig Ellwood and Associates, returns the iconic Smith House in Brentwood to its original beauty.

2 bd / 2 ba

$3,000,000

Map

Tyler arrived in Los Angeles in 1965 when he joined Ellwood’s office and later directed the design staff for twelve years.

Throughout the years he worked alongside Ellwood on several structures including the bridge building at Art Center College of Design that received an award for architecture that stands the test of time for twenty five years or more.

Understanding “Each building has its own personality and subtle differences. To allow itself personal expression is more important than our wish to impose our personal desires upon it” Tyler stays true to Ellwood’s steel-framed dwelling.

Looking like it did when it was first built in 1958 the T-shaped floor plan separates public and private areas in the residence by keeping the two bedrooms in the head of the T and the entrance hall, kitchen and laundry room set between the focal point of the plan.

Features include a striking red brick fireplace in the living room, massive floor-to-ceiling windows, 530 square feet of deck space, and a level children’s play area below.

Located in the Crestwood Hills the Smith House is listed at $3 million.

SEE THIS HOME

schedule a personal tour by email or call 323-829-4440

Listing courtesy of Frank Langen – Deasy Penner