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Inside a Landmark L.A. House by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Son

The Henry O. Bollman Residence, completed in 1922, was the second independent commission of Lloyd Wright, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s son and collaborator on his father’s iconic Hollyhock House in Los Angeles. The estate in Hollywood has been on the cover of Architectural Digest twice under a previous owner and is designated a Los Angeles Cultural Monument. Distinguished by patterned pre-cast concrete blocks and Mesoamerican massing, the house, which has been sensitively updated, remains pretty much just as Wright designed it a century ago. “It’s the only Wright house in the neighborhood,” said listing agent Nate Cole of Modern California House. “He was going off in his own way at this time, trying to differentiate his work from his father’s. The house has a distilled quality. It’s a very modern, livable house even 100 years later.” The sellers, who declined to comment, put the home up for sale in June with Cole and Dalton Gomez of AKGRE/Christie’s International Real Estate. They found a buyer last month and sold the landmark on Aug. 30 for $2.9 million. Wright, whose career included working for the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm and with the iconic modernist architect Irving Gill, devised a knit-block construction system for the Bollman Residence, stringing together hollow cast concrete blocks on horizontal and vertical steel rods like beads on a necklace. Wright designed the house for Henry Bollman, a contractor/builder who had worked with him on several projects. The sellers bought it from interior designer Mimi London. Because of the house’s historic designation, the new owners will continue to receive significant property tax reductions, Cole said. Stats The two-story, 2,518-square-foot residence, sited on a flat 8,100-square-foot lot, has four bedrooms and two vintage-inspired baths. Amenities The property has three parking spaces, and the house has a gas fireplace, a formal dining room, and a contemporary period-style kitchen with an island and a breakfast bar. Neighborhood Notes The Henry O. Bollman Residence is in the Sunset Square Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, whose 348 parcels feature houses that were built in the first half of the 20th century in a variety of traditional styles ranging from Craftsman and Tudor to American Colonial Revival. “The neighborhood, which is entirely residential, is central and convenient and walkable,” Cole said. “It’s a couple of blocks from the Chateau Marmont hotel and Sunset Strip. It’s a quiet and calm oasis, and the Wright house is on one of its prime streets.” Agents: Nate Cole of Modern California House and Dalton Gomez of AKGRE/Christie’s International Real Estate https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/inside-a-landmark-l-a-house-by-frank-lloyd-wrights-son-4598c30c

‘NYPD Blue’ Creator Steven Bochco’s Longtime Home Sells for Nearly $25 Million

A private estate in Los Angeles’s posh Pacific Palisades that was the longtime home of the late TV writer and producer Steven Bochco has sold for a hair under $24.95 million. Bochco, a 10-time Emmy Award winner behind TV shows such as “Hill Street Blues,” “Doogie Howser, M.D.” and “NYPD Blue,” died in 2018 at the age of 74. His estate sold the property. The seven-bedroom home, which sold in August, was designed by the prolific Paul Williams, who, in 1923, became the first African-American member of the American Institute of Architects and was known for designing mansions for the Hollywood greats like Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant and Barbara Stanwyck in the 1930s and ’40s. Recently renovated, the gated property comprises a more than 10,800-square-foot main house fitted with a formal living room, a family room with a projector screen, a gourmet chef’s kitchen, a library, a gym, a wine cellar and a private guest wing. Meanwhile, the primary suite has vaulted ceilings with dual bathrooms, walk-in closets and a fireplace, said the listing, which was held by Aaron Kirman, Dalton Gomez and Morgan Trent of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate. “The buyers were overjoyed by the incredible opportunity to own a significant piece of architectural history in such a coveted location,” Kirman said. Elsewhere on the 1.4-acre trophy estate is a standalone guest house, a pool with a spa, a cabana and a tennis court. Bochco reportedly bought the home in 1997, and as well as working on some of his hit TV shows while living there, he hosted charity events on its grounds, with guests including U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Mansion Global previously reported. The home hit the market last August with a $35 million price tag that was gradually trimmed down to a hair below $27.5 million, listing records show. The buyer is a trust, property records show. https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/nypd-blue-creator-steven-bochcos-longtime-home-sells-for-nearly-25-million-b346a8a2

Lloyd Wright’s Mayan Revival masterpiece, the Bollman House, is for sale

When he completed it in 1923, the Henry O. Bollman Residence in Los Angeles was Frank Lloyd Wright Jr’s second-ever solo commission – and the first surviving example of his innovative ‘knit-block’ or ‘textile block’ building technique. During an era when many architects sought to establish a distinct ‘American’ aesthetic, Lloyd Wright grappled with this idea. He operated against the backdrop of early 20th-century ‘Hollywood’ style architecture, favouring mock Tudor, Craftsman, Neo-gothic, and ‘storybook’ elements influenced by the theatricality of the city’s movie lots and sets. While his architectural style bore the imprint of his father’s ideas, Lloyd Wright also introduced his own interpretations and innovations. He believed in harmonising structures with their natural surroundings, using materials that complemented the environment.

$3.2 Million Homes in California

Los Angeles | $3.198 Million A 1923 concrete-block house with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot This house, which has twice appeared on the cover of Architectural Digest, was designed by Lloyd Wright, after working with his father, Frank Lloyd Wright, on the Hollyhock House, one of Wright’s most significant Los Angeles buildings. It is half a block north of Sunset Boulevard, in the Sunset Square Historic Protection Overlay Zone. Hollywood & Highland, the shopping-and-dining complex, is a little more than a mile away. Driving to downtown Los Angeles takes about half an hour. Size: 2,158 square feet Price per square foot: $1,270 Indoors: This property is sheltered from the street by privacy hedges. A gate opens to the front lawn, a courtyard and the house, which is constructed of concrete blocks inspired by Mesoamerican architecture, a signature of both Wrights’ work during this period. Inside is a sunny foyer. To the right is a living room with hardwood floors, a free-standing concrete-block fireplace and a couple of windowed nooks, one with room for two chairs and the other with room for a desk. To the left is a dining room with hardwood floors, more concrete-block details and access to an updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances and an original built-in seat under windows overlooking the yard.

Lloyd Wright’s Bollman Residence Listed For Near $3.2 Million

The Wright name is synonymous with L.A. architecture, and now a famed piece of the younger Wright’s work is available. Lloyd Wright’s Bollman Residence, just his second independent commission, has hit the market with an asking price of $3,198,000. Today, Wright’s vision remains entirely intact, with only the most sensitive updates for 21st-century living. Patterned concrete blocks and Mesoamerican massing evoke a sense of Hollywood drama; exquisite interior-exterior flow presages Midcentury trends by several decades. Four light-filled bedrooms, two vintage-inspired bathrooms, an airy, contemporary kitchen and a verdant private patio are among the 2,518 square feet of living space. Well-situated on a more than 8,100 square foot flat lot in the Sunset Square HPOZ, the property is distinguished by elements of Wright’s own original landscape design. Nate Cole with Modern California House holds the listing along with Dalton Gomez of Aaron Kirman’s Group. https://californialistings.com/2023/06/13/lloyd-wrights-bollman-residence-listed-for-near-3-2-million/

Hyatt fortune heir buys LA’s Garcia House for $12.5M

This Mulholland Drive manse is now off the market. One of Los Angeles’ most revered midcentury properties, known as the Garcia House, has found a new owner after listing for the first time in 20 years. Last sold in 2002, the dreamy “Jetsons”-esque John Lautner-designed gem has been purchased to the tune of $12.5 million, $3.5 million less than the $16 million it listed for in January. The buyer, sources told the Wall Street Journal, is Nicholas C. Pritzker, a member of the Pritzker family, whose multibillion-dollar fortune is significantly thanks to the Hyatt Corp. hotel chain. The property — which had a cameo in the 1989 buddy cop sequel “Lethal Weapon 2” — was built by the late great Lautner in 1962 and sits atop 60-foot-high stilts Although listing photos show that the interior remains a retro time capsule, longtime owners William Damaschke and John McIlwee (a Broadway producer and a Hollywood business manager, respectively) have invested more than $1 million toward renovations and restorations during the course of their two decades there. These changes include the addition of a privacy fence on the transparent, glass side of the house and, in 2008, the construction of a pool that was part of Lautner’s original design, The Post previously reported. The 2,600-square-foot home also features stained glass windows, a lava rock entryway, original terrazzo flooring and its iconic parabolic roof with a 30-foot-high curved ceiling and 55-foot walls of windows, some with stained glass. The maintenance of the uniquely shaped, elevated house as a historic time capsule is so important to the pair that it factored into who they decided to sell it to. “We chose to pass on other offers because we wanted someone that shared our common goal of preservation and integrity,” McIlwee told the Journal via email. “As for price, we feel like it was totally appropriate for the house and confirms architecture as art.” He and Damaschke purchased the three-bedroom, three-bathroom property from actor Vincent Gallo for $1.2 million. The listing was jointly held by Weston Littlefield, Aaron Kirman and Dalton Gomez of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate. https://nypost.com/2023/03/21/hyatt-fortune-heir-buys-las-garcia-house-for-12-5m/

Inside a Legendary $16,000,000 Canyonside Mansion

Today Architectural Digest takes you up into the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles to visit Garcia House on Mulholland Drive, a legendary mansion designed by architect John Lautner that was recently on the market for $16 million. TRANSCRIPT I'd like to welcome you to the world famous Garcia House built by the architect John Lautner. It's located at 7436 Mulholland Drive in sunny Los Angeles. Look at that house. It speaks for itself. The shape, the style, the uniqueness, the way it was built, the fact that it has the best views. It's not just a house. We believe it's a work of art, and it's all on the market for $16 million. It was meticulously restored by John. I'm John McIlwee and I'm the owner of the Garcia House. John Lautner was a master and the things that he did with his property, on the site really made it so incredibly special. Love to show you guys around. [gentle music] It actually took us about four years to build this pool. Two years to get the permits and two years to build it. What was kind of phenomenal about this is we had the original designs for the pool that John Lautner had come up with in 1960. The original loaners couldn't build it because the house was so far out that no bank would give them a loan. So we inherited the plans, and as you can see, decided to build them. It's one of my favorite places in the entire house because you get to see the entire green of the canyon and in the hills, especially in LA, it is sunny from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM which is completely unique and totally valued for having a pool. What I also love about this pool and this was my decision, was it's salt water. [gentle music] So the staircase is actually kind of the heart of the house. It's this spiral staircase that comes down from the entrance, spills you right into the deck, and we've created this custom sitting area from an artisan in Silver Lake. One of the amazing things about this deck is it's hand poured terrazzo built in 1960. You can imagine, and knock on wood there's not one crack in the entire thing. [gentle music] So this is the living room, and John Lautner was kind of famous for creating and introducing one spectacular living space in each of his houses. It's got 30 foot high windows, which you know, in Los Angeles everybody wants a view. So we're in the Hollywood Hills, you can see the ocean and Catalina and so everybody kind of comes over and goes crazy. We wanted this actually feel like it was a tree house suspended in the air. The house is built on V-shaped struts. It's the same engineering as suspension bridges. There's some stained glass windows in here. There's a red one, a purple one, and a green one. The hardware and the hardscape is original. Unfortunately, people had painted over the original wood. They had taken and cut out part of the promontory there, the extension of the dining room space. We had to replace and rebuild a lot of the things and base it off the original designs that he had. One of my favorite features in this entire place is this lava rock. It's here in the fireplace. It's over in the kitchen on kind of linear walls. It was imported from Hawaii. One of the things that was interesting and we had the good luck to be able to actually meet the original owners. Russ Garcia was a composer. He needed to be able to work and compose his music and Gina, his wife, was a big entertainer, so she needed to be able to have a place where she could have hundred people parties and it would not affect his work. So literally that was the directive they gave John Lautner. It's actually two equidistance spaces under an arched roof. The house does not meet in the middle. It's completely open to the outside. So you can see we have this massive living room that you can hold a hundred people in here easily. If you look over here, this is the metal frame of the house. John Lautner was a master of engineering. He died glass straight through the wood, and so basically all of this glass detail, it's seamless. So the whole thing is on this crazy steel beam that runs through the entire length of the house. [gentle music] So if you can tell this is my baby. It's a fiddly fig that actually has gone crazy here. One of the reasons is it thinks it's outside. It's actually inside. So it's grown like exponentially, but it's completely protected as you can see. So there's this amazing relationship between the indoor and outdoor, and as you can tell it's completely covered by this roof. So you actually feel like you're outside when you're inside during the day. [gentle music] This is the kitchen. It's kind of become the heart of the house. I think with so many properties people tend to congregate in the kitchen, and it's one of the things that we just believe strongly in this house is I want people to come over. I want. [phone ringing] Hello? Actually, it's a wrong number. That's a wrong number. Original birch cabinets were painted over with this weird gun metal gray. People want to have, when you do a renovation they want to have usable kitchens, usable bathrooms. So basically the architects that we use, Marmol Radziner, we worked with them to kind of like have their input and their advice about how to bring this into the modern day but also make it seem original. There's honed granite countertops. The original countertops were black formica. So we basically were able to use something that looked like black formica, was new, because we had to replace it anyway, and then basically gave us something that was contemporary yet seemed like it was original. The entire kitchen we did a project with the appliance company decor. And the appliances, it was this black graphite line that they had that completely worked with the style and the design of the house. It looks like it could be original but it's also new technology, and that was one of the things John Lautner was so adamant about. There's better technology, there's better resources, if there's better materials or systems, a hundred percent he wanted people to use it. So what's interesting about this space is when I say this was a broom closet, it was actually a broom closet. We were able to reconfigure the systems 'cause it was a water heater and air conditioner and drop them under the house. We had to source and find this lava rock from Hawaii and we added it on this plane, and if you can see, the window dies into the wall which was one of the things John Lautner was so famous for. We had to rebuild the deck out front. So we actually were able to find a terrazzo maker that had to reconfigure and find from scratch the composition for the original terrazzo because we had to re-pour it out there. When we built this space we decided to add this here and we were very very diligent with making sure that anything that was here that we put in looked like it could have been here. [gentle music] So this is the primary bedroom. Originally, Russ Garcia's piano was over here where he would compose his music. Lucite bed was made by Charles Hollis Jones. One of the favorite things I have about this room is we put in this wall to wall custom carpet by a company called Ed Fields. [gentle music] So this is the bathroom and obviously this is my favorite place to take a bath. The faucets were made by a company named Paul and Associates, originally designed in the eighties. The stone in this room is called honey onyx and we decided to use this throughout the lower level in this living space because we love it and at night it actually resonates and it glows. [gentle music] So this is what we decided to make our TV room. It's comprised of two original small bedrooms with a shared bathroom. So there was this kind of philosophy which was if something had been ripped out or ruined, you could take liberties to put something back that made more sense. We put the wall on the mullion. So you can see here, they're equidistant things. The original wall was where this piece was right here. It kind of didn't make any sense. So basically the guy, even though he kind of ruined it did us a favor because it allowed us to move a wall and make this really beautiful, very cozy TV room. Once again ,our friend Charles Hollis Jones, more Lucite. He made these incredible end tables. You know, one of the cool things about this room is that we needed to figure out some way to spatially make it feel bigger. So what we did is we added this mirror here and it I don't know if you can see it, but it's actually peach veneer. [gentle music] Wanna come down and see the outside? Follow me. [gentle music] So basically you come down from the living room and we created this walkway that goes all the way over to the pool. There's about 200 different species of plants. A majority of them are agave, aloe, and succulents. This is actually kind of a really rare species of cactus. It is a verde cactus. On one side, it's green, on the other side it's white. So basically, I don't know where you found this thing but it's this crazy monster that again is as happy as can be living at the Garcia House. [gentle music] Well, that's it. I hope you guys enjoyed the time and I hope I was able to give you guys some insight to our 21 year project. This is one of the most unique properties in the world. There's only three of them in the considered space age era. The two other houses are Hemisphere and Silver Top. This is the architectural triumph. There's nothing like this in the world. This is really a piece of art and they really brought back the house to its world class grandeur that it deserves, and it could never be built again. And it's all on the market for $16 million. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/video/watch/on-the-market-inside-a-legendary-16000-dollars-000-canyonside-mansion

Pritzker Family Heir Buys John Lautner’s Garcia House for $12.5 Million

The Garcia House, a Los Angeles home designed in the early 1960s by the famed architect John Lautner that appeared in the 1989 movie “Lethal Weapon 2,” has sold for $12.5 million, just over two months after coming on the market for $16 million. The buyer is Nicholas C. Pritzker, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Pritzker is a member of the Pritzker family, which made much of its multibillion-dollar fortune through the Hyatt Corp. hotel chain. Mr. Pritzker couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. The property came on the market for $16 million in January. It dates to the 1960s but has since undergone a $1 million renovation. The interiors feature glass walls juxtaposed with lava rock and gray terrazzo floors. A stairway separates the living and sleeping areas. There are three bedrooms. The sellers are Hollywood couple John McIlwee and Bill Damaschke, who purchased the house from the actor Vincent Gallo for $1.2 million in 2002, property records show. Mr. McIlwee is a business manager in the entertainment industry, and Mr. Damaschke is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer. In an email, Mr. McIlwee declined to comment on the identity of the buyer, but said that he and Mr. Damaschke were thrilled to have “found the next custodian to carry on the John Lautner Garcia House legacy.” “We chose to pass on other offers because we wanted someone that shared our common goal of preservation and integrity,” he said. “As for price, we feel like it was totally appropriate for the house and confirms architecture as art.” The almond-shaped house, which is elevated 60 feet off the ground on concrete caissons, looks like something straight out of “The Jetsons,” and is widely regarded as one of L.A.’s most significant Midcentury homes. When it came on the market earlier this year, architect Leo Marmol of Marmol Radziner, whose firm helped restore the house, called it “a beautifully exuberant, graceful structure.” The house was originally built in the early 1960s for Russell Garcia, a film composer and conductor, and his wife Gina Garcia. It spans around 2,600 square feet with three bedrooms and sits on 1.2 acres overlooking a canyon. It has a large balcony. A central outdoor staircase separates the bedrooms and the living areas, which have glass walls juxtaposed with lava rock and gray terrazzo floors. Messrs. McIlwee and Damaschke worked with Marmol Radziner on a more than $1 million renovation of the property after purchasing it. The renovation included repairing the roof and rebuilding the terrace. They also dusted off Mr. Lautner’s old plans for an ellipse-shaped pool that no previous owners had built. Weston Littlefield of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate shared the listing with Aaron Kirman and Dalton Gomez. Nichole Shanfeld of Carolwood Estates represented the buyer. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pritzker-family-heir-buys-john-lautners-garcia-house-for-12-5-million-75980ee6

Mansion in California propped up on 60-foot stilts hits market for £13million

An incredible Californian mansion with stunning views of LA has hit the market for £13million. But perhaps the real point of interest is that it’s propped up on 60-foot stilts. Garcia House was designed by renowned architect John Lautner and was originally built in 1962 – though has since undergone renovations. The towering property boasts three bedrooms, three bathrooms, enormous living spaces and, of course, plenty of windows to take in the views. If that wasn’t enough, it also has an entryway made of lava rock, original terrazzo flooring and a 55-foot wall of windows. So it’s safe to say it has points of interest at every turn. Also, if you head outside, the hillside steps will take you through the verdant garden – designed by landscape architect John Sharp – and to the swimming pool. It’s currently on the market with Aaron Kirman, Weston Littlefield, and Dalton Gomez of AKG, Christie’s International Real Estate. The listing for the impressive home reads: ‘60-foot caissons elevating the structure above the canyon showcase breathtaking panoramic views of Los Angeles. ‘Capture your place in history and experience a home that truly transcends time.’ Elsewhere in the world of property, a house is up for auction in London for £40,000 – but there’s a catch. Feast on more pics of the Instagram-worthy Californian mansion below: https://metro.co.uk/2023/01/28/californian-mansion-propped-up-on-60-foot-stilts-for-sale-13million-18180734/

Inside Lloyd Wright’s West Hollywood studio and residence – a timeless celebration of Southern California

Lloyd Wright’s personal residence and studio in West Hollywood (also designed by the architect) is on the market for just under $7 million. Though his name is inevitably confused with that of his father, Frank Lloyd Wright – Southern California architect Lloyd Wright is a design icon in his own right. While his father is best known for working across various states (including Pennsylvania, where he created the iconic Fallingwater prairie-style home), Lloyd Wright primarily made his mark in Los Angeles. Among his most notable works was his own residence, located in vibrant West Hollywood. The landmark – among the most iconic structures in California (and one of the world's best homes) was originally constructed in the 1920s. However, Lloyd's son, Eric Wright, significantly updated the property in the 1990s – adding a new foundation and restoring some blocks that had deteriorated over the years. In the studio within this home, the Illinois-born architect oversaw the construction of many of his father’s projects, including Hollyhock House in the East Hollywood neighborhood. Lloyd Wright also provided the shells for the Hollywood Bowl and created the Swedenborg Memorial Chapel at Rancho Palos Verdes during his career. The home's architectural assets offer much to be admired – but in all its glory – its beige-toned stucco façade is perhaps the most striking. This exterior is elevated further by the architect's signature interlocking concrete blocks that include a Joshua tree motif – paying complete homage to The Golden State. Inside, the decorating ideas are equally as distinctive – from the strong wooden walls and floor to the intricate green and white living space that mirrors the exterior's color ideas. The 2,400-square-foot home has three bedrooms, two baths (according to the listing), and a large upstairs living room with a fireplace and beautiful wood and glass alcove. The mint-hued kitchen, complete with modern appliances, is also found upstairs, alongside the main living and dining space. The downstairs studio has a spacious workspace with concrete floors centered around the great outdoor patio that masters the art of indoor/outdoor living. The enclosed patio showcases a fountain and pre-Columbian statue that is that’s protected under a conservation easement by the Los Angeles Conservancy. https://www.homesandgardens.com/news/lloyd-wright-west-hollywood-home

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