John Lautner is best-remembered for his sprawling residences — the 1963 Sheats-Goldstein House in L.A.’s Beverly Crest neighborhood and 1968 Elrod House in Palm Springs, for example — but the noted SoCal modernist architect also designed a series of smaller-scaled homes early on in his career, each bursting with the same invention and drama of his later creations.
So, how did the accountant for one of the greatest architects ever live? A student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Lautner was given the advice to “break the box” of the traditional home design using varied geometries. And he adhered to that practice wholeheartedly with this diamond-shaped structure featuring unconventionally fashioned rooms, which he designed for his bookkeeper Lorena Deutsch and her husband George. Set in the Hollywood Hills, the place is blessed with bird’s-eye views overlooking the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory.
“The hallmarks of Lautner’s unique architecture are here,” says Maureen Erbe, who is co-listing the two-level, midcentury modern property on Macapa Drive with Henry Blackham and Bonnie Matthews, all of Deasy Penner Podley, for $2.76 million. “The indoor-outdoor house blends with nature by framing a panorama of the mountains in the living room’s floor-to-ceiling glass wall.
“Inside, natural materials highlight the varied, flowing floor plan,” adds Erbe. “Lautner’s masterful skill-shaping space is seen here; the ceiling starts low in the intimate den at one end, and then lifts to lead your eye toward the mountain vista.”
Originally constructed in 1954 by master boat builder John de la Vaux — Lautner’s contractor of choice for many of his adventurous designs — the residence still retains the crafter’s built-in, nautical-inspired cabinetry and portholes.
Property records reveal the house was acquired by the current owners — she a textile colorist in the fashion industry, he a financial services executive — 18 years ago for just $849,000. The couple subsequently embarked on a painstaking restoration, reverting the Deutsch House to its original character after years of deferred maintenance and other neglect.
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Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley -
Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley -
Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley Just some of the big tasks on their lengthy renovation to-do list: returning the book-matched teak paneling and buff-colored, floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace that had been painted in shades of purple, pink and peach to its original finishes; and stripping layers upon layers of paint from the interior and exterior.
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Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley -
Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley In the kitchen, the current owners added snazzy Miele appliances and replaced the Formica countertops with green quartzite that continues up the wall as a backsplash.
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Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley -
Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley The couple also converted a lower-level room that once served as George Deutsch’s workshop into a second bedroom, complete with polished concrete flooring, and remade several of the lighting fixtures to match the originals.
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Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley “It was a very personal labor of love and respect,” says Erbe. “One of the current owners grew up visiting her uncle’s equally adventurous Lautner home in Beachwood Canyon, and it was her appreciation for Lautner’s genius that led the couple to buy the house and bring it back to life.”
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Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley Found atop a ridge — on a secluded, dead-end street that runs parallel to a section of Mulholland Drive, near Runyon Canyon Park and the Hollywood Bowl — the property features 1,720 square feet of unconventional yet workable living space on two levels accentuated by soaring ceilings, exposed wood rafters, floor-to-ceiling glass walls, teak paneling and wood-block flooring.
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Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley Main-floor highlights include a living room, den, kitchen, bedroom and two baths (one full). Without an interior stairway, one must step outside to access the lower level, which holds the previously mentioned second bedroom, along with a bath, office/storage space and a two-car garage. The glorious tree-canopied grounds, meanwhile, feature wooden decks, a flagstone terrace, garden and, of course, those magnificent scenic views that include a glimpse of snow-capped Mount Baldy.
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Image Credit: Deasy Penner Podley “The view, location, beautiful book-matched teak paneling and built-ins — it’s a vintage Lautner completely restored,” says Erbe. “It’s like a rare piece of art in great condition. The supply on such a remarkable home is definitely limited and [Lautner homes] don’t come on the market often.”