South Pasadena House Remodeled by RM Schindler Needs a Hero

If any deep-pocketed preservationists out there happen to be casting about for a project to sink their teeth into, here’s a candidate worthy of rescue. Located on a promontory in South Pasadena just north of Elephant Hill Open Space, the compact residence was built in 1925 by architect Karl Howenstein for himself and his wife, Edith. The Howensteins had moved to Los Angeles a few years earlier at the urging of R.M. Schindler and his wife, Pauline, who had become friends with the couple when all four were living in Chicago. As detailed by architectural historian John Crosse, before moving to South Pasadena, the Howensteins spent their first two years in California living in the guest apartment of the Schindler’s celebrated residence on Kings Road in West Hollywood.

With Schindler’s assistance, Karl landed a job as the managing director of the newly founded Otis Art Institute. And two decades later, after divorcing Edith and marrying his second wife, Doris, Howenstein presented Schindler with a job — the remodel and expansion of his family residence. The Viennese visionary restructured the house with a new, rectangular addition placed at a 45-degree angle on top of the original home. Schindler also designed custom furniture and a fireplace for the house, modeled after his “flying roof” insertion and showcasing the same dramatic lines. Other design elements deployed by the modernist master include lofty beamed ceilings, clerestory windows, and ample expanses of glass enabling plenty of natural sunlight and maximum enjoyment of the property’s epic views.

Nearly a century after it was originally constructed, the Howenstein Residence is on the market for the first time, listed in a trust sale with an asking price of $2.4 million. Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to the modest bungalow, which packs four bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,299 square feet. The furniture thoughtfully crafted by Schindler to echo the lines of the surrounding structure has been scattered to the winds, while ersatz unnatural finishes such as wood laminate and vinyl tile have proliferated. Even so, it’s not hard to imagine the home being restored to a shining example of Schindler’s work, perhaps one with Mills Act status. That vision is undoubtedly a long shot, however, given that the house sits on a property comprised of four parcels totaling nearly half an acre. But then again, miracles do happen on occasion — here’s hoping this turns out to be one such occasion.

The pedigreed property is represented by JB Fung of Beyond Shelter at Compass.