The Thomas House by famous graphic designer Alvin Lustig

Built in 1947, the Thomas House is said to be one of only two residential homes designed by renowned twentieth century graphic designer Alvin Lustig.

Well-preserved and restored by recent owners, 2638 Ivan Hill Terrace sits up from the street on a 6,397 square foot terraced lot located in the Ivanhoe School District of Silver Lake.

Inside, this midcentury gem holds three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. All 1,153 square feet of living space is anchored by simple lines and thoughtful details making it a prime example of California modernism.

Lustig used an open floor plan to create an inviting connection between rooms as well as a seamless flow to various outdoor spaces through walls of glass and intersecting Redwood trellises.

Classic architectural details include wood floors, beautiful redwood built-ins, and the tiles on the bathroom floor. “They used to exist in only one place: on the facade of the Beverly Carlton Hotel, which is now called The Avalon and which Lustig also designed” said one of the former owners.

There’s also 300 square feet of bonus space below the house with a separate entrance. Unknown and unpublished until recently, the home is a rare opportunity to acquire a historic work in one of LA’s most coveted neighborhoods.

Last sold in 2017 for $1.395 million. The home is now listed for $1.475 million.

Interested in seeing the Thomas House by Alvin Lustig? Get in touch by email or call (323) 829-4440 to schedule a private showing.

Listing courtesy of Laura Marchetti & Rob Kallick – Compass

Chic makeover of fashion designer James Galanos’s former home

The home of the late fashion designer James Galanos, most famous for dressing former first lady Nancy Reagan, hits the market restored and elegantly chic.

Galanos told Vanity Fair, “To the neighbors this is a mystery house.” Located above the Sunset Strip, 1316 Sunset Plaza Dr is stolid. Painted bright white, windowless, and exhibiting no frills or color.

Legendary decorator and current owner Waldo Fernandez collaborated with interior designers Clements Design to create an interior with an opposing interior reveal.

The living space, measuring 3,296 square feet still embodies Galanos’s notion of home. He told AD, “I could be very free and delicate and fragile with women’s clothes … But in my home I strive for simplicity. I hate clutter. My furniture is mostly custom made to my specifications. There is no rococo, no curlicues. Everything is straight lines.”

An entry hall leads to an expansive living area anchored by a wood-burning fireplace with a darkly painted surround, bookshelves, French doors and walls of glass overlooking the home’s courtyards and brand-new pool. Interior walls, once lined with modulating blond to dark chestnut oak boiserie are painted a soft white.

Two of the three generously sized bedrooms are en-suite and feature walk-in closets, full-slab baths and Waterworks fixtures.

The home last sold in 2017 for $2.255 million. It is now listed for $5.195 million.

Interested in seeing the former home of fashion designer James Galanos? Get in touch by email or call (323)829-4440 to schedule a showing.

Listing courtesy of Bryce Pennel  – Coldwell Banker

Midcentury treehouse in Silver Lake asks $1.2M

Perhaps the best moment in the Davies Residence is how mid-century modern architect John Kewell cleverly orients the structure and positions a wall of glass to perfectly frame the Hollywood Sign, the Silver Lake reservoir, and the Observatory, all in one spectacular view.

In 1950 notable LAUSD landscape architect Bill Davies commissioned Kewell to design a livable treehouse with a cabin feel.

Located not too far from the Silver Lake Meadow and the new walking path on the south dam of the reservoir, redwood siding clads the exterior of 2317 Bancroft Ave sited on a gentle hillside lot measuring 4,202 square feet.

Modestly sized, the interior measures 901 square feet and comfortably holds two bedrooms, one bathroom, plus an office, and has an open living and dining area with the kitchen just beyond all contained in a functional floor plan.

Plentiful windows throughout bring in the lush scenery of the surrounding landscape that also provides privacy while you’re taking a disco nap on the lounge chairs outside.

While Kewell may not be a household name, he left a body of remarkable architectural work that includes the Schipper Residence—designed for art critic and historian for the Los Angeles Times, the Katella Park homes subdivision in Garden Grove, and developed a master design for CalTech.

Interested in seeing the Davies Residence in Silver Lake? Get in touch by email or call (323)829-4440 to schedule a showing.

Listing courtesy of Joanna Suhl & Robert Rodriguez – Compass

Mini Los Feliz compound returns to market

Selling under a year ago, this mini Los Feliz compound returns to the market with some stylish updates.

Hidden behind a row of lush ficus lining the gated entry, 1606 Myra Ave sits on a flat lot measuring 3,431 square feet, not too far from the Vista Theatre.

With Nelson pendants dangling on either end, the open plan floor plan—flanked by the two bedrooms—now sports a fresh coat of paint, vaulted wood-beamed ceilings, exposed ducting, and integrated glass blocks letting light flow through to the bedrooms.

For a modern look, plywood lines the kitchen walls and upper cabinets were replaced with open shelving.

Outside, there’s plenty of grassy areas perfect for summer lounging and parties. There’s also a killer bonus studio above the two-car garage—a perfect place for your creative projects or morning meditation.

Last sold in May 2018, the home is now listed for $997,000.

Interested in seeing this mini compound in Los Feliz? Get in touch by email or call (323)829-4440 to schedule a showing.

Listing courtesy of Charlie Clark – Sotheby’s International Realty

Renovation turns Franklin Hills midcentury Traditional into an architectural gem

After a major renovation this mid-century Traditional home, sited on an elevated lot in the Franklin Hills neighborhood of Los Feliz, looks like an architectural gem.

Retaining its simple lines, original steel casement windows and hardwood floors, Ferrier Architecture Studio—the architecture and design firm tasked with remodeling 3927 Melbourne Ave—completely overhauled the kitchen, laundry facility, guest and master bathroom.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom home measuring 1,472 square feet now has a unique master bathroom with an original engineered indoor-outdoor shower that opens to the backyard.

Both generously sized bedrooms offer views of the outdoor areas, with landscaping by Matthew Brown Landscape Design. The living room is anchored by a functioning fireplace and, “The kitchen was expanded into the living area of the Los Feliz house and a new window designed to frame the view to Griffith Park Observatory.”

The residence last sold in 2010 for $790,000. It’s now listed for $1.45 million.

Interested in seeing this renovated mid-century home in the Franklin Hills? Get in touch by email or call (323)829-4440 to schedule a showing.

Listing courtesy of Scott King – Deasy Penner

Oscar Niemeyer’s only US house is on the market

Brazilian modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer built only one residential home in the United States and he did it all by snail mail.

Best known and applauded for his work on Brasília, “a sprawling new metropolis mapped around a governmental plaza that would become a beacon of modernist aesthetic ideals,” he was banned from the US for his leftist political associations.

According to Santa Monica Landmarks, Joseph and Anne Strick—a politically progressive couple in love with the architect’s work—hired Neimeyer. Anne said, “The choice of Niemeyer was not only an aesthetic one, but, in part, a way of thumbing our noses at the whole McCarthy era because it seemed so reprehensible that a man, simply because of his political views, could be prevented from working in this country.”

The Stricks and Neimeyer never met. Nor did the architect ever step foot on the land. The design process happened entirely through a series of letters. Later, local architect Ulrich Plaut handled the working drawings and “Anne Strick oversaw the completion of the residence with the collaboration of Interior Designer Amir Farr.”

Designed in 1963 to sit on an architecturally driven street with neighboring homes designed by Lloyd Wright and Paul R. Williams, 1911 La Mesa Drive is an expansive single-story residence erected on a 26,791-square-foot lot overlooking the Riviera Country Club and the Santa Monica Mountains.

Featuring a 14-foot-tall glass-walled living room, the 5,153 square feet of living space holds five bedrooms and six bathrooms in a T-shape floor plan. Architectural Digest says “The glassy, indoor-outdoor pavilion, with a flat roof suspended by an exoskeletal superstructure, was part of a very sensible floor plan that harbored a swimming pool in an outdoor room at the rear.”

Still owned by Michael and Gabrielle Boyd, modernist house collectors who saved the Strick House from being razed, the International-style dwelling is listed for rent, asking $55,000 per month.

Interested in seeing the only Oscar Niemeyer-designed home in the US? Get in touch by email or call (323)829-4440 to schedule a showing.

Listing courtesy of Aaron Kirman – Compass

Glammed-up two-bedroom townhouse near Franklin Village asks $675K

This glammed up mid-century townhouse is located in “one of the hippest and hottest neighborhoods in Los Angeles.”

Built in 1958, the 24-unit midcentury condo building sits in the foothills of the Hollywood Dell, near the core of Hollywood and Franklin Village.

The unit, located at the front of the building at 6400 Primrose Ave, is a rare two-bedroom townhouse with one and a half bathrooms. Renovated from top to bottom, 1,192 square feet of living space features hardwood floors, custom designer wall paper, top-of-the-line appliances, spa-style bathrooms, new electrical and HVAC, and a private, enclosed patio.

In addition to the pool, you also get a dedicated parking spot and there’s ample guest parking.

Last sold in 2013 for $425,000, the home is now listed for $675,000, with HOA dues of $393 per month.

Interested in seeing this mid-century townhouse? Get in touch by email or call (323)829-4440 to schedule a showing.

Listing courtesy of Yawar Charlie & Aaron Kirman – Compass