Buff and Hensman post and beam classic hits the market in the Hollywood Hills

It is said, Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman designed and built multiple mid-century modern homes that helped define California Modernism.

3 bd / 3 ba

$2,650,000

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This one, located in the Hollywood Hills, follows their classic post and beam, wood and glass design aesthetic. Sited on a promontory, the two Case Study architects designed and built the original structure in 1959.

Many years later, Buff, Smith, and Hensman, AIA restored and expanded the existing structure. Maintaining its architectural integrity the home now measures 2,500 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

Inside, there’s an ease and flow to the open floor plan framed by walls of glass. Warm woods throughout connect the interior space offering superb views of the mountains, canyons, and Universal City from the open living room, dining room, and kitchen.  There’s a re-imagined master suite overlooking an inner courtyard. And, just outside the living room is a sun-drenched pool and gardens.

Throughout their career, Buff and Hensman consistently designed and built homes paying attention to “small and large elements that make a house a fine personal experience for the owner.” This one is no exception.

This mid-century classic was last seen on the market in 2014 with an asking price of $2,295,000. The asking price is now $2,650,000.

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Listing courtesy of Aileen Comora and Paul Lester – The Agency

Character-filled Koreatown Chateau Chaumont condo returns asking $665K

The Chateau Chaumont, designed by Kenneth Macdonald Jr., the architect of Downtown’s Spring Street Arcade Building and Glendale’s Southern Pacific Station, is the best French Renaissance Revival-style condo complex to line the streets of Koreatown.

1 bd / 1 ba

$655,000

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Interior designers like Cliff Fong and other creatives are drawn to this 1928 building for its historic charm, architectural details, and tons of natural light. Photos taken when photographer Johnathan Ducrest put this residence on the market show off a thoughtful remodel. He returned the home to its former glory by updating the galley kitchen with new countertops, appliances, a fresh coat of paint and completely gutted the bathroom reports Curbed.

When Ducrest lived here you entered this one one-bedroom, one-bath condo measuring 1,200 square feet through a modest foyer painted jet black. Past the foyer is a light-filled living room featuring historic windows, millwork, moldings, hardwood floors, and a wood-burning fireplace.

Adjacent to the living room is a formal dining room leading to the galley kitchen with Bosch appliances, LG washer/dryer combo, quartz counter tops, marble back splash, and ample cabinets.

On the opposite end of the residence is the over-sized bedroom with expansive storage and many built-ins. The bathroom is also on this end of the home and includes Hansgrohe hardware, Duravit fixtures, and a built-in medicine cabinet with LED lighting and defogger. Additional features include designer light fixtures and custom California closets.

The home last sold in June 2017 for $650,000. The asking price is now $655,000 with HOA dues of $337 per month with the added bonus of the building currently being considered for Mills Act status.

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Listing courtesy of Joel Kelner – Vetreni Properties

The Best of 2017

This was a great year for exceptional architecture for sale in Los Angeles. I saw everything from a small lot development surpassing architectural expectations, an expanded and restored mid-century by Neutra, to an old world Hollywood estate sited on sprawling grounds, filled with period details and glamour reminiscent of the Great Gatsby era. Here’s a roundup of 2017’s top 10.

1. Habitat 6
I had the pleasure of representing developer, Elan Mordoch, in the sale of Habitat 6. He teamed up with Rios Clementi Hale Studios to build a collection of modernist homes utilizing the small lot ordinance. The results surpassed expectations.

2. Designer Cliff Fong’s Studio
Cliff Fong is a Los Angeles-based interior designer with an A-list clientele that includes Ellen DeGeneres, the co-owner of Galerie Half, and the former owner of the most exquisite pied-à-terre in Los Angeles.

3. Mary and Lee Blair Residence and Studio
Architect Harwell Hamilton Harris worked for Richard Neutra and Rudolf Schindler before branching out on his own in 1933. He designed this home and studio of Disneyland artist, Mary Blair – who was an animator and concept artist for Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” attraction.

4. Craig Ellwood’s Iconic Smith House
Despite being an unlicensed architect, Craig Ellwood was commissioned to design two Case Study homes and this dwelling built of steel and glass in Brentwood’s Crestwood Hills neighborhood.

5. The Shaarman House by Richard Neutra
Built on a flat ridge top measuring almost an acre, the home offers the ultimate privacy setting and features classic modernist details, including walls of glass, wood floors and ceilings, a stone fireplace, numerous custom built-ins, a large swimming pool, and a separate one bedroom guest house located on the opposite side of the property.

6. Cecil B. DeMille Estate
This is the stuff old Hollywood glamour is made of. Located in Laughlin Park, the former Beaux Arts style mansion, pool house, and studio of famed Hollywood director, Cecil B. DeMille, gives you a glimpse of what it was like to live an opulent life in a bygone era. It is now owned by Angelina Jolie.

7. Home of artist Pauline Annon
The artist lived in one of Silver Lake’s most remarkable homes. Offered for sale needing a substantial amount of work, a developer picked it up and restored the original period details, including a rarely seen brick facade, original steal casement windows, and a beautifully detailed iron balustrade leading to the second floor.

8. The Myra House
This Kinfolk-inspired Spanish residence in the Franklin Hills is the vision of interior designer, Gordana Golubovic. The space seamlessly blends simple and modern details throughout making this home a place where the art of slow living can truly be enjoyed.

10. The Hammerman House by Richard Neutra
Originally built as a single story residence circa 1954 the home was thoughtfully restored and expanded by architect John Bertram. While its rare to ever improve upon the work of the architect considered one of the founding fathers of California Modernism, Bertram does it – brilliantly.

Subscribe here to keep tabs on noteworthy architecture for sale in Los Angeles in 2018.

Own the best view of the Silver Lake Reservoir

Without question you’ll be absolutely blown away by the views at The Pettibone Residence by architect J.G. Kitashima in Silver Lake.

3 bd / 3 ba

$2,295,000

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Built in 1977 the original owners, Richard and Gladys Pettibone, lived in this three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath post-and-beam for almost 40 years.

This unique ‘70s time capsule is located on a coveted street in the Moreno Highlands (near R.M. Schindler’s Walker Residence) and perfectly blends California Modernism and Japanese influences.

Now on the market for the first time the home offers strong architectural features that include beamed ceilings, ceramic tile floors, sliding glass walls, expansive decks, and jaw-dropping picture-postcard views. There’s also a koi pond, faux pagoda, and a manicured backyard, along with a two-car garage equipped with an elevator. And, it falls within the Ivanhoe Elementary School district.

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

Listing courtesy of Lori Ramirez – Coldwell Banker

New price for modernist home once owned by Frank Gehry

Starchitect Frank Gehry is the man behind the iconic Walt Disney concert hall, new towers on Bunker Hill, a master plan for the LA River and this modernist home.

3 bd / 3.5 ba

$4,899,000

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Built in1936 Gehry’s St. Ives Residence is located down a long gated drive, on a rare street-to-street lot in the swanky bird streets, just above the Sunset Strip.

A two-year, multi-million dollar renovation, left three sides of the exterior wrapped in a stucco enclosure.

Inside the architecture boasts extraordinary light and scale throughout. Spanning multiple levels the 3,861 square feet offers a full-floor master suite along with 2 other bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen with adjacent dining terraces, wall-to-wall picture windows, and enviable downtown-to-ocean views.

There’s also a tempting pool and surrounding terraces that complete this modern retreat.

The current owners are Margaret Maldonado, founder of the Los Angeles based fashion label L’Agence and the the woman who put J.Lo in that unforgettable Versace dress, and her husband Mikko Koskinen. Public records show they purchased the home for $2,395,000 in 2005.

The home most recently hit the market in February, 2016 with an asking price of $6,395,000. After a near-year long stint the asking price is now $4,899,000. (It’s also available for lease.)

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

Listing courtesy of Jonah Wilson – Hilton & Hyland

Rare Kappe-designed midcentury condo is up for grabs asking $600K

It’s rare a unit at the Ray Kappe-designed Fredonia Apartments comes on the market. When one does it’s your chance to own an architectural condo gem like nothing else in Los Angeles.

2 bd / 2 ba

$599,000

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Among his awarded and published work said to be “an extension of the early Southern California master architects: Wright, Schindler, Neutra, and Harwell Hamilton Harris,” Kappe built this 12-unit complex in 1963.

Known for his innovative designs, Kappe purposely departs from the flat, exterior, facades typical in most condo buildings. Instead, each home flows in a unique curved pattern giving the building a striking street presence.

While the interior finishes may look more late 90s/early 2000s than mid-century modern, core architectural details like the tall ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass, and an abundance of natural light are left intact.

And a strong indoor-outdoor connection happens in front, with a spacious, covered, balcony nestled amongst the trees, offering spectacular city views. And, in back, there’s a private patio opening onto a sparkling, kidney-shaped, pool.

This well-maintained building also has the added bonus of being centrally located south of the Boulevard in the Cahuenga Pass, close to major Hollywood attractions, Studio City, Universal City, and a short bicycle ride to the Hollywood Bowl.

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

Listing courtesy of William Baker & Brian Linder – Deasy Penner

Personal residence of Paul Revere Williams hits the market in Lafayette Square asking $2.4M

There is Only One Paul R Williams is the name of photographer Janna Ireland’s new exhibit reflecting on the architect’s work. And, after you see the home he built for himself you’ll understand why he’s in a league of his own.

4 bd / 5 ba

$2,395,000

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Curbside, the two-story residence sits on an oversized, 11,923 lot, in historic semi-gated, Lafayette Square. Clean lines and curves merge with a second story terrace sharply cantilevering over the gentle round of the lanai below.

Built for his family and to accommodate his love for entertaining, and a desire for green space, the interplay between his dramatic, character filled, interiors and modernist roots make for a unique living space.

Inside, he leans heavily toward his signature, Hollywood Regency style: oval spaces, reverse curves, and a playful Deco-esque banister are prominent features.

A nod to the modernist ethos of indoor/outdoor living is presented with the lanai and living room opening up to the patio and gardens, and inviting guests in toward the specially designed curved sofas.

The formalities of his design are seen in an intimate living room featuring a green marble hearth and soffit ceiling. The well-proportioned formal dining room centers on a splendid Regency buffet built into and extending from floor-to-ceiling windows on the north wall. Adjacent is an original classic St. Charles kitchen with a breakfast area.

His architectural artistry continues upstairs with a roomy dressing room located in the master bedroom. The two additional bedrooms are ensuite with direct access to the nearly wrap-around roof terrance.

There’s also a separate two-room guest house.

Like other residences and public structures Williams built in Los Angeles, this one is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

(Oh, and don’t miss Ireland’s show.)

SEE THIS HOME

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

Listing courtesy of Mike Deasy & George Penner – Deasy Penner