brobcat-blog

[brobcat-blog]

Historic Arts & Crafts Beauty on the Market in Pasadena’s Madison Heights

If you ever sat in the Chinese or Egyptian Theatre and thought, gee, this level of craftsmanship sure would be great in a residential property, then this Pasadena beauty has you covered. Built in 1909 by the aforementioned Milwaukee Building Company and designed by Millionaire’s Row fave William F. Thompson, the 4,175 square-foot house sits on .35 acres, including a pool and drought-tolerant gardens.

Somewhat surprisingly, the only recent renovations to the house appear to be the addition of solar panels, as well as a kitchen remodel that swapped in stainless steel appliances, but largely maintained the look of traditional cabinetry.

Per the listing, the house was “designed to enjoy Pasadena’s unmatched climate & beauty, integrating interior & exterior spaces.” In keeping with that and with the Arts & Crafts style, the six-bedroom house has more than a few porches -- including a classic wide front porch, a second story porch, a sleeping porch, and balcony.

Designated by the City of Pasadena as an Historic Landmark in 2006, the list price is $2.75 million.

- 969 South Madison Avenue, Pasadena [Redfin]

[brobcat-blog]

Newly-Renovated Prairie Craftsman in Lafayette Square Asks $1.295M

The listing history of this lovely 1914 Lafayette Square Craftsman should give some cause for concern -- beginning in 2008, the 2,503 square-foot house was listed, delisted, and price changed some 17 times before selling in 2013 for $635,000. While it’s now listed at double the price, it appears that real care went into the restoration required for the flip. 

Per the listing, all of the original hardwood and mahogany was restored, as were the Redwood windows. It also has new plumbing and electrical, new bathrooms, and a new kitchen with de rigueur Viking range. But the charm of the four-bedroom house is in its carefully maintained original character. The living room has a grand fireplace that faces a curving central staircase and for lovers of built-ins, well, it would be hard to beat the full-wall buffet in the dining room, complete with Prairie-style stained glass. If the main house isn’t quite enough, the backyard also boasts a two-story “fairytale cottage studio.” The list price is $1.295 million.

- 1637 Buckingham Road, Los Angeles [Redfin]

[brobcat-blog]

Swinging ‘60s Home with Panoramic Views in Mount Washington Asks $1.23M

Open House: Sunday Jan 17 between 1-4 PM

1219 West Avenue 37, Los Angeles

Price: $1,230,000

Beds, Baths: 3 BR, 2.5 BA

Floor Area: 2,110 sq. ft.

Per the Listing: “60's chic completely reimagined with the style and color of today. Located in a prime spot at the top of the hill with breathtaking views of Elyria Canyon dramatically framed by the San Gabriel Mountains. A wonderfully open living area is highlighted by a distinctive double sided stone fireplace and walls of sliding windows that open to a spacious deck with views. A designer perfect kitchen features an elegant center isle with a breakfast bar. The spacious master suite has an artisan tiled bath with double sinks and opens to its own private patio. A bonus studio is perfect for an in home office. A sparkling pool with spa completes the package for this one of a kind Mt. Washington gem.”

The listing’s relative lack of exterior photos drives home the point that this house isn’t all that much to look at from the outside. But the snazzy living room is clearly the place’s selling point -- the open floor plan, glass walls, and that gloriously retro Flinstones-sized fireplace create an atmosphere ready for entertaining. And after hosting one too many Mad Men mixers, the peace and quiet of Elyria Canyon and its 35 acres of rustic trails resides just beyond the back of the house. The house was last sold in 2006 for $830,000, a refreshing consistency of ownership in a neighborhood that’s lately seen more flips than a gymnastics team.

[brobcat-blog]

Newly-Opened NeueHouse Reconfigures Classic CBS Office Space

[Lobby, NeueHouse LA, Photograph: Emily Andrews for Wallpaper*]

NeueHouse, the Manhattan-based members-only “co-working” space, leased the entirety of Hollywood’s 1938 CBS Radio building -- now part of the Columbia Square complex -- all the way back in early 2014. With delays and a slow media roll-out last fall, the club is finally open and touting its transformation of the historic six-story building.

Designed by a team including Rockwell Group and in-house design principal Christina Azario, the original structure has been updated to accommodate a variety of office and work spaces. Members can utilize the group meeting spaces, private or shared offices, recording rooms, and a 100-seat theater. The design team also brought in multiple “lounge” spaces, as well as several terraces...apparently in case the daily grind seems better in a cabana.

The building’s original staircases, elevator dials and lobby were preserved in the remodel, albeit updated with Moroccan and South African rugs and textiles, along with warmed up furniture to minimize the austerity of the original streamline moderne design.

NeueHouse already has a coffee shop and in-house cafe, although they have said that in 2016 they hope to add actual restaurants, with at least one open to the masses. The venture is, however, still more SoHo House than not (unsurprisingly, SoHo House formerly employed NeueHouse’s current membership director). As a NY-member told The Hollywood Reporter, “You won’t find the poseurs you see at coffee houses. It’s an international first-class travel lounge meets office -- on crack.”

Until members get their own private culinary digs, they’ll be able to take advantage of the recently opened options in the rest of the Columbia Square complex -- Sugarfish, Sweetgreen and Rubies+Diamond are already buzzing with diners.

- See how this 1930s building in Hollywood is transformed into the workplace of the future [LA Times]

- First Look: NeueHouse, Hollywood’s New Work and Play Space [The Hollywood Reporter]

- NeueHouse opens an outpost in Los Angeles [Wallpaper*]

- Fancy Coworking Space Rents Up Hollywood’s Columbia Square [Curbed LA]

- NeueHouse

[brobcat-blog]

Alex Israel at The Huntington Draws Parallels Between Historic Revival Architecture and Hollywood Cliches

[Sky Backdrop Mural, 2015, Photo by: Fredrik Nilsen, courtesy of The Huntington]

Contemporary art isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the Huntington. Gilded Age mansions? Check. Lush gardens? Yep. Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy? Absolutely. Pop art doesn’t really come into the equation.

But the Huntington has recently re-launched an installation art series last seen back in 2012, inviting artists to create a modern dialogue with the San Marino institution’s luxe old-world collection. The current invitee is the native-Angeleno and decidedly non-old-world artist Alex Israel.

Israel is probably best known for his pastel panel paintings that bring to mind a cross between ‘80s fixtures like Nagel and a Miami Vice credit sequence. His other work tends to play on Hollywood obsessions -- in other words, that bugbear of everyone before and after Nathanael West, the superficiality of sets and the manipulation of culture. Suffice it to say, this is all on view at the Huntington.

Installations are hidden throughout some of the galleries. The grand staircase showcases two pastel panels, while a bronze cast of the titular The Maltese Falcon sits in between figurative bronzes of classical heroes. Another large scale painting depicts...the artist painting a scene at the Warner Brothers lot. As for The Blue Boy? He’s mirrored in another room by a self-portrait of the artist in Dodgers blue.

The Huntington, of course, is not a Georgian manor house, as much as its owners wanted it to be. It’s in SoCal, after all. Israel’s installation is meant to draw attention to the fact that the museum is as much a set-piece as anything else -- a point of view that rubbed The LA Times’ critic Christopher Knight the wrong way. He wrote, “The installation summons creaky Hollywood clichés, plus clichés about creaky Hollywood clichés.”

Israel’s work is on display through July 11th.

- Review: Alex Israel spells everything out at the Huntington [LA Times]

- Alex Israel upends expectations at Huntington [Wallpaper*]

- Huntington Library

[brobcat-blog]

LOHA Renovation of Soriano-Designed Shulman House Revealed and Rewarded

[Photo via Dezeen]

When Julius Shulman’s house sold in 2010, it had languished on the market for nearly a year -- from the time of the beloved photographer’s death the previous fall. Commissioned in 1950, Shulman had lived and worked in Raphael Soriano’s design for the rest of his life. Needless to say, the house required some upgrades. Rather than just take any offer, Shulman’s nephew and daughter took $245,000 under the $2.495 million asking price on the condition that the buyers take care of the property, as it was meant to be.

It looks like the buyers kept to their word. It was reported back in 2011 that Lorcan O’Herlihy’s firm LOHA would be doing the renovation, vowing to refresh the building without altering the original design plans.

In the past few months, LOHA revealed the renovated interiors. The 4,000 square foot steel-frame structure is a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, so the firm turned to Soriano and Shulman’s original plans in order to complete the renovation. Original materials, like the house’s cork floors, were matched or preserved, while the custom built-ins were replaced with modernized takes on the originals -- even a love of preservation wouldn’t have been enough to overcome the built-in double beds.

In October, LOHA received the AIA LA Design Award for their restoration and rehab of the Soriano, which is tragically one of only 12 of the architect’s projects left standing and the only unaltered steel frame building.

- LOHA renovates the Julius Shulman Home and Studio [Dezeen]

- Shulman Home and Studio wins AIA LA Design Award [LOHA Architects]

- Just the Right Buyer for Julius Shulman’s Laurel Canyon Soriano [Curbed]

- Julius Shulman’s Laurel Canyon Soriano Getting a LOHA Renovation [Curbed]

[brobcat-blog]

Angelenos Can Spend MLK Weekend on Mt. Waterman’s Slopes -- The First Time Since 2011

With the skies continually opening up over the last week, it’s tempting to think that the rain gods decided to look kindly on poor drought-stricken California. And, of course, we need all of the rain we can get, but the scale of the drought keeps reappearing in minor ways. This weekend, Mt. Waterman Ski Lifts announced that they would open their slopes later this month -- for the first time in five years.

For anyone new to Los Angeles, the most obvious question might be: what exactly is Mt. Waterman? Well, it turns out that once upon a time Angeleno snow bunnies didn’t have to trek all the way to Big Bear to strap on their skis. There was a facility right in their backyard.

Mt. Waterman is located in Angeles National Forest and unlike the larger ski areas that have the ability to make snow, historically has relied on Mother Nature to provide powder. El Niño’s current push onto the West Coast has delivered three to four feet to the mountain since the region began to feel its impact, enough to allow the owners to reopen in time for the MLK holiday weekend.

If all goes well, SoCal locals will be able to head up Angeles Crest Highway next Saturday and hop on the ski lift for $15 a person.

- El Nino snow allows Mt. Waterman ski slopes to open for first time in years [LA Times]

- Mt. Waterman Ski Lifts

[brobcat-blog]

Affordable Housing Project in Westlake Stands in Contrast to Neighborhood Gentrification

[The Paseo at Californian, Photo via Urbanize.LA]

A new affordable housing complex in Westlake has reached an end to vertical construction, according to a report from Urbanize.LA. The Paseo at Californian -- located at 6th and Bonnie Brae -- will contain 53 low-income housing units, priced from $534 to $1,272 per month.

The project comes at an odd moment for Westlake. The neighborhood has been deluged with new developments, across a wide-range of uses. The Paseo’s affordable housing is something of an anomaly when compared to the ginormous Holland Partners mixed-use project at Bixel and 6th (where 27 of 600 units are set aside for affordable housing). It also stands in contrast to Westlake’s influx of trendy new bars like Crawfords on Beverly, which just opened down the street from the ever popular Bootleg Theatre, replacing a grungy dive bar with...a gentrified grungy dive bar.

Last month, New Orleans started to push for legislation that would require ��affordable-housing impact statements” for any proposed zoning or land use changes. Cities like Atlanta, Austin, and our neighbors to the south in San Diego all have similar laws on the books. Los Angeles, with its generally low density neighborhoods and dedicated NIMBY factions, has been more reluctant to crack down on the issue and has come under resulting criticism -- especially when most of the high density new development is going into formerly low income neighborhoods like Westlake.

- Affordable Housing Complex Takes Form in Westlake [Urbanize.LA]

- New City Ordinances Would Force Consideration of Affordable Housing Before Approving New Development [CityLab]

- Crawfords in Westlake is Dustin Lancaster’s New Ode to the Great American Dive Bar [Eater LA]

-  How Los Angeles is Ghettoizing Affordable Housing [Curbed LA]

- Massive Westlake Mixed-User Will Have a Very Miami Vice Look [Curbed LA]