Striking 1980s Buff & Hensman hits the market in Pasadena

Master modernists Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman designed a contemporary home in Pasadena full of modernist architectural details.

Built in 1981, the home sits back from the street, behind a walled entry, on an expansive 29,303-square-foot lot located on a quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac at 1405 Afton St in the coveted Linda Vista neighborhood.

The residence boasts many standout architectural features throughout its 5,150-square-feet of living space. Along with two-story windows, built-in cabinetry, and Saltillo tile (a feature also in the Paxson House), you’ll find, soaring vaulted ceilings and a tall wood-burning fireplace in the living room.

There’s a spacious kitchen with ample storage that opens onto the backyard, a den, and a library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves offering views of the lushly landscaped front garden.

All five bedrooms are en-suite with the master featuring a private balcony overlooking the serene canopy of oak trees. The upstairs loft provides open space for lounging while the downstairs bedrooms offer privacy, away from the public spaces. And a bedroom downstairs, with its own private entrance and sitting room, makes for a great guest bedroom.

Filled with mature oak trees and lush greenery, the park-like grounds spread over a terraced backyard offers views at the very top of the lot reaching as far as the San Gabriel mountains.

Last sold in 1999 for $981,000, the home is listed for $2.479 million.

Interest in seeing this Buff & Hensman home? Get in touch.

Listing courtesy of Christopher Reisbeck – The Agency

Colorful townhouse in Baldwin Hills’s historic Village Green seeks $650K

This two-bedroom townhouse sits on 64-acres of tranquil park-like grounds known as Village Green, a National Historical Landmark in Baldwin Hills.

The community, inspired by the Garden City movement of the late 19th century, is a collection of 629 condominiums whose architectural appeal is described by one resident as “It isn’t the geometric Art Deco that is kind of busy, or the spare, stripped-down International style. There is a human element to it, a warmth.”

In its 1,100 square feet, the light-filled end unit, located at 5401 Village Green, retains many of its original architectural details, including parquet wood floors while modern amenities include a washer/dryer inside the home. It also comes with a modest-sized back patio and a detached one car garage.

Both bedrooms and bathroom are located upstairs where you’ll enjoy greenbelt and tree top views.

Perks of the community include sprawling green lawns filled with mature sycamore trees, the clubhouse known for hosting various local events throughout the year including jazz concerts, movie nights, potlucks, and bird-watching tours, and 24-hour patrolled security. In addition, new owners enjoy Mills Act tax benefits.

Last sold in 2007 for $378,000, it’s now listed for $650,000 with monthly HOA fees of 469.65 and $86.03.

Interested in living at Village Green? Get in touch.

Listing courtesy of Emilia Arau – Compass

Edward Grenzbach-designed home in Pasadena asks near $1.5M

Traditionalist architect Edward “Ted” Grenzbach may not have been a household name but he was a go-to architect for the rich and famous.

“Grenzbach was praised for the sense of proportion he brought to the vast homes of the rich and famous.” His client list included everyone from Frank Sinatra to Rupert Murdoch, Larry Charles, Cher, Johnny Carson, Barbra Streisand, and Rock Hudson. And, per public records, this house seems to be owned by Marilyn Jones. (But fact checking is required.)

Built in 1956, this well-preserved three-bedroom home is positioned on a secluded and intimate 11,973-square-foot lot surrounded by lush sycamore and oak trees.

Spanning two floors, 2,429 square feet of living space opens to a well-lit living room, dining area, and remodeled kitchen. Impressive mid-century style features include soaring 17-foot ceilings, wood beams, clerestory windows, and a decorative floating brick fireplace.

Each level enjoys access to the outdoors: wall-to-wall glass sliding doors run along the front of the residence and the bedrooms have doors leading to the backyard patio, seamlessly connecting the structure with the landscape.

All the bedrooms are located on the second floor overlooking the public spaces below. An updated Jack and Jill bathroom with dual sinks joins two bedrooms. The master bedroom is en-suite with a huge walk-in closet, private office room and lovely balcony with sliding glass doors opening to tree-top views.

Last sold in 1978 for $168,500, the home is now listed for $1.485 million.

Interested in seeing this Grenzbach-designed home? Get in touch.

Listing courtesy of Leanne Reynolds – G & C Properties 

Transformed 1928 Spanish overlooking the Silver Lake Reservoir seeks $3.35M

This 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival–style home by designer Frankie Faulkner, a noted female architect of Los Angeles during the 1920s, gets a make over leaving you feeling like it’s the most serene space you’ve ever set foot inside.

DISC Interiors, an interior design firm run by husband and wife duo Krista Schrock and David John Dick, were hired in 2016 to transform the four bedroom, three and a half bathroom residence located at 2210 Moreno Drive in Silver Lake.

Preferring “homes of calibrated simplicity that balance the push and pull of modern life” and inspired by the homes of the Mediterranean coast, the design team sourced materials like limestone, basalt stone, white soapstone, and mixed vintage and custom upholstery to create a serene light-filled space.

While many of the original features remain intact throughout the 2,833 square feet of living space, “The remodel involved squaring out doorways and, in this case, removing a large wall in the dining room to open up the space into the kitchen” that features a Lacanche range, limestone counters, and custom cabinetry.

The home opens to a gracious formal entry followed by an open living room with coved ceilings, fireplace, and views overlooking the Silver Lake Reservoir.

Two guest rooms, a guest bath and a serene master suite are located on a different level. And an additional guest suite with private entry, bath, and wet bar are located on the ground floor.

In true California fashion, a saltwater pool is a feature of the Provençal styled garden offering terraced patios, and lounge spaces, making it an ideal place for entertaining on warm summer nights.

Sited on a 5,663-square-foot lot, the home is listed with an asking price of $3.35 million.

Interested in seeing this transformed Spanish home in Silver Lake? Get in touch.

Listing courtesy of Courtney Smith – Compass

Singer Jake Shears lists striking architectural gem in Los Feliz

Jake Shears, singer/songwriter of glam-rock band Scissor Sisters, lists his striking streamline moderne gem in Los Feliz with every architectural detail intact.

Known as the Ulm House, the three-story white-stucco residence, standing at 3606 Amesbury Rd in the hills above Los Feliz Boulevard, is believed to be one of 15 single-family streamline moderne dwellings still standing in Los Angeles built by famed 1930’s architect William Kesling.

Characterized by an eye-catching semi-circular, glass-block, the Art Deco residence, measuring 2,309 square feet, opens to “Adjoining living and dining rooms with honey-toned hardwood floors and gigantic, curtain-free steel-trimmed windows that extend all the way to the ceiling flow easily out to a terrazzo terrace with over-the-treetops canyon and city lights views.”

There’s also a decorative fireplace in the living room, built-in seating, a compact but well-lit kitchen, secluded library/office that you can easily convert to a bedroom, and a full bathroom that completes the main level.

Walking up the restored magnesite staircase—lit by natural light streaming through glass blocks—you’ll find two of the three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms featuring colorful vintage tile. The spacious master suite comes with a dressing area and has its own private balcony with city views.

The third bedroom, located on the ground floor, is complete with a wet bar, family room, and has direct access to the expansive private back yard with mature landscaping, illuminated at night with strands of overhead lights. The 5,548-square-foot lot also holds a two-car garage.

Last sold in 2013 for $1.920 million, this architectural gem is now listed for $2.248 million.

Interested in seeing the Ulm House? Get in touch.

Listing courtesy of Nancy Osbourne, Penny Muck, & Tamra Pardee – Halton Pardee and Partners

Harwell Hamilton Harris-designed midcentury with Reservoir views asks $1.6M in Silver Lake

With impressive views of the Silver Lake Reservoir, the H. E. Hansen house by Harwell Hamilton Harris is an often admired home.

The midcentury house skillfully integrates to its 5,171 square foot lot, sitting slightly above but mostly hidden from the street behind a mask of shubbery at 2305 W Silver Lake Drive.

Built in 1951, the home’s stucco facade departs from the wood-clad exterior seen on the Harris’s Hawk House and Mary and Lee Blair Residence.

Inside, the modestly sized two-bedroom residence measuring 1,440 square feet is bathed in natural light from clerestory windows, frosted glass panels, and multiple glass doors.

And while the well-preserved home boasts an array of original details—including a brick fireplace, laminate countertops, built-in desks, dresser, living room sofa with concealed storage, and peach bathroom tile—the home’s best feature are the two patios, one running alongside both bedrooms  and the other located off the dining room overlooking the Silver Lake Reservoir where you can enjoy outdoor living under the California sun.

On the market for the first time in 27 years, it’s now listed for $1.599 million.

Interested in seeing Harwell Hamilton Harris’s H. E. Hansen House in Silver Lake? Get in touch.

Listing courtesy of Alicia Lawhon – Sotheby’s International Realty

Midcentury fixer with canyon views seeks $1.3M in Beachwood Canyon

There’s a seductive patina of age with original midcentury design elements waiting for the next owner of this midcentury in the Hollywood Hills.

Perched on a hillside located at 3240 Deronda Dr in Beachwood Canyon, the two-bedroom, two-bath fixer was built circa 1958 by architect, artist, and impresario Ronald L. Buck. (Rumor has it that he’s the same guy who transformed the 1929 three-story steel-frame building in West Hollywood that became the exclusive, invite-only nightclub, called The Factory.)

The interior opens to an east-facing wall of floor-to-ceiling windows framing picture-postcard views of Downtown and lush hillside views.

Retaining its 50s flavor, the 1,645-square-foot residence’s notable features include high vaulted wood-beamed ceilings, dark wood paneling lining the walls, built-in glass cabinets, kitchen with a breakfast bar, original hardware, and a wraparound deck accessible from most rooms.

Listed at an asking price of $1.3 million, the property sits on a hillside lot measuring 10,584 square feet and also has two-car carport and two basement level storage rooms.

Interested in this midcentury modern fixer in Beachwood Canyon? Get in touch by email or call (323) 829-4440 to schedule a showing.

Listing courtesy of Rose Ware & Terry Canfield Schmidt – Berkshire Hathaway