LIFE | STYLE Archives — Modern Living LA

Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society

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What to do on a slightly grey day in May? Well, we decided to take a peek at some private gardens being highlighted by the Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society. “All Gardens, Great and Small” led us through a variety of backyards of homeowners with a green thumb (or at least their gardeners have one). And, we even got to see a Paul R Williams architectural home we’d not visited before. We’ll let the pictures do the talking.

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If you would like to know more, contact Brian Courville at 310-622-0312. Or, for additional Mid-Century Modern | Architectural homes, Spanish homes, Historic Los Angeles homes or Classic Los Angeles homes for sale reach us by email at: Brian Courville. If you are considering selling, contact us for a free no-obligation home valuation.

Designated one of the Top 7 real estate websites for modern homes in the world by thespaces.com

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HOLLYWOOD SIGNS: THE GOLDEN AGE OF GLITTERING GRAPHICS AND GLOWING NEON

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Hollywood Signs: The Golden Age of Glittering Graphics And Glowing Neon

We recently discovered a book called Hollywood Signs: The Golden Age of Glittering Graphics and Glowing Neon. What an absolute treat for design and Hollywood history fans alike. While we at Modern Living LA tend to focus on houses and buildings, these iconic signs play a pivotal roll in our appreciation of the structures they adorn. Great design lies at the intersection of architecture and these historic signs.

Several of these signs were actually created by the architectural firms commissioned to design the buildings. The still standing Cinerama Dome Theater by Welton Becket and Associates exhibits its playfully colorful letters in bright lights. Sardi’s restaurant designed by Rudolph Schindler displays an elegant neon sign in sans serif font. The streamline moderne Earl Carroll Theater on Sunset Blvd by Gordon Kaufman generously used neon in the exterior signs and vertical piping along the building sides. We’re told it is going thru a renovation and may reopen. The building was originally praised in California Arts and Architecture (the predecessor to Arts and Architecture magazine).

We have a new found appreciation for these remarkable sign and value the efforts made to save the ones we’ve not lost. And, a special thanks to Kathy Kikkert for preserving all of these signs on the pages of her book.

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If you would like to know more about this amazing home, contact Brian Courville at 310-622-0312. Or, for additional Mid-Century Modern | Architectural homes, Spanish homes, Historic Los Angeles homes or Classic Los Angeles homes for sale reach us by email at: Brian Courville. If you are considering selling, contact us for a free no-obligation home valuation.

LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF | DOCUMENTARY ON LOS ANGELES ARCHITECTURE

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Ok cinephiles, who’s seen Los Angeles Plays Itself? If you haven’t, do yourself a favor and give it a look. Director Thom Andersen put together and intriguing documentary of how Los Angeles is depicted in film. And, as a treat for architecture lovers, there’s a whole section on modernist houses. Homes by John Lautner, Richard Neutra, Pierre Koenig and Frank Lloyd Wright are prominently featured in the film. Anderson humorously points out that these homes are often the residences of the movie’s villain. According to Hollywood filmmakers, I guess we are to believe that gangsters, pimps, pornographers and drug dealers all love masterful architecture.

It used to be only available to watch at film festivals or private screenings. But, thankfully with a click of a button, you can rent or buy it.

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If you would like to know more about this Documentary On Los Angeles Architecture, contact Brian Courville at 310-622-0312. Or, for additional Mid-Century Modern | Architectural homes, Spanish homes, Historic Los Angeles homes or Classic Los Angeles homes for sale reach us by email at: Brian Courville.
If you are considering selling, contact us for a free no-obligation home valuation.

Carnation Coffee Shop | Demolished

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It’s been quite some time since I remember seeing that ubiquitous Carnation logo. The Carnation Ice Cream shop at Disney was always a must visit. Our very own neighborhood played host to the Carnation Company Building on Wilshire with a Mid Century Coffee shop designed by Stiles O Clements. While this was before my time, I’ve spoken with folks who used to grab a burger and hang out after High School let out. The modern coffee shop was photographed by none other than the notable architectural photographer, Julius Shulman as seen here. The company eventually moved its headquarters and unfortunately, the restaurant was eventually demolished.

Stiles Oliver Clements – Architects | Julius Shulman Photography

Today… While the coffee shop is gone, the Carnation building was expanded and thankfully kept the architectural appeal.

If you would like to know more about this amazing home, contact Brian Courville at 310-622-0312. Or, for additional Mid-Century Modern| Architectural homes, Spanish homes, Historic Los Angeles homes or Classic Los Angeles homes for sale reach us by email at: Brian Courville. If you are considering selling, contact us for a free no-obligation home valuation.

Barbican Estate | London, England

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On our recent travels we visited London, the home of brutalist architecture. Post war 1950’s London saw the rise of this style of architecture characterize by minimalist construction highlighting the bare materials over decorative design. The local icon of brutalist architecture, the Barbican Estate, was a sight to behold. It was built to be a city within a city. These modernist structures were raised from the ashes of the Blitz after WWII. The estate was meant to be a type of self-contained village with housing, a church, a library, an artificial lake and a complete arts center for its population. We’re sure there are plenty of varying opinions on its beauty, but, historically, they play an important role in the progression of commercial structures and architectural theory.

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If you would like to know more, call 310.622.0312 or email Brian Courville. Whether Mid Century Architectural, Spanish, Luxury, or Classic Los Angeles design, MODERN LIVING LA is here to guide you home. Follow us on Instagram @modernlivingla

Designated one of the Top 7 real estate websites for modern homes in the world by thespaces.com

Googie’s Coffee Shop by John Lautner | Demolished

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Googie’s Coffee Shop by John Lautner | 8100 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046 | Demolished in 1988/1989

The Googies Coffee Shop by architect John Lautner was built in 1949. Located on the world-famous Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, CA, the coffee shop became a popular meeting place for celebrities including James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, Lee Marvin, Steve McQueen and many more. Always an innovator, Lautner created this space age architectural style which would eventually be coined Googie for its namesake diner.

The origins of Googie architecture have been traced back his previous work on Coffee Dan’s. While Googie architecture was hugely popular with the general public, some critics weren’t so kind. Douglas Haskall, a critic for House and Home, said Googie “brought modern architecture down from the mountains.” Thankfully, time has been much more kind. Most look upon this whimsical style with much affection.

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The elements of Googie Design include:

Upswept roofs
Cantilevered ceilings
Domed roofs
Glass as a design element
Boomerang and amoeba shapes
Atomic shapes based on the atomic model
Starbursts
Buildings resembling spacecraft
Exposed steel beams

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Ludvig Mies van Der Rohe – Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design

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As much as we love this category, it usually details the unfortunate loss of a structure of architectural significance. Today, we are exceptionally pleased to report on quite the reverse. There is a brand new Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe International style structure at Indiana University. Originally designed in 1952 but never built, the design has now been realized as the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design with the help of the architectural firm Thomas Phifer and Partners. What a treat to see the vision of a great master come to life in the 21st century

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Eileen Gray’s E-1027 Villa and Side Table

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“To create, one must first question everything” Eileen Gray

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Not long ago we had the privilege of staying at a private residence in the South of France in a little medieval town called Roquebrune. This gorgeous property has exquisite private gardens which overlook Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea, and, boasts past visitors like Princess Grace and Audrey Hepburn. A visit to the beach below is where we came across what we knew in our bones to be a significant architectural modern home.

You’ll be more familiar with the table that was created to go into the house. You know the one: circular glass top with a chrome frame. It’s quite an accomplishment that this iconic design is hugely popular a century later. Eileen Gray created the design for this table in the 1920’s for the very home we saw perched above the Mediterranean Sea. Known as E-1027, she designed the home for herself to live in. The house still stands today. It is currently owned by a national preservation association and is available for guided tours.

Eileen Gray’s modernist E-1027 villa revealed in photographs by Manuel Bougot

Eileen Gray designed a series of furniture prototypes for the house, among them the small side table which became Gray’s most famous furniture design. She is said to have designed this table for her sister Thora to allow her to have breakfast in bed when visiting.

Eileen Gray retrospective in New York features work “never shown before”

If you would like to know more, call 310.622.0312 or email Brian Courville.
Whether Mid Century Architectural, Spanish, Luxury, or Classic Los Angeles design, MODERN LIVING LA
is here to guide you home. Follow us on Instagram @modernlivingla

Designated one of the Top 7 real estate websites for modern homes in the world by thespaces.com