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With help from architect Jeff Guga, this 40s moderne perched on a gentle slope in Los Feliz is truly a space of serenity. Since establishing his own design firm in 2004, Guga, dubbed “the Artist’s Architect,” has designed the homes and studios of Jonas Wood, Mark Grotjahn, Thomas Houseago, and Aaron Curry. So, it’s no surprise that the current owners — who also own the David Kordansky Gallery — worked with the architect to renovate their home. Whether Guga is designing a residence or extending his talents to create restaurant interiors for Kismet and Jon & Vinny’s, AD notes , “The recurring theme the spareness and efficiency of Guga’s airy California aesthetic, a palette of white walls and blond woods inspired by the rigorous minimalism of Rudolf Schindler and Donald Judd.” Built in 1947, the three-story dwelling stays true to the architect’s aesthetic with moments of color. Sited on a view lot located at 2012 N. Normandie Ave , one street outside of gated Lau...

A decade before John Lautner designed Chemosphere, a one-story octagon-shaped residence perched on a concrete column, he used a sharper geometric form to give us the Tyler House. A dedicated practitioner of Organic Architecture , Lautner always sought to connect each space with the flow of its natural surroundings. For this site, he placed equilateral triangles between the protected oak, eucalyptus, and sycamore trees to gently send the structure up the slope, making you feel like you’re floating among the trees. With the help of the firm Tracy A. Stone Architect, the home was restored in 1995. While honoring the architecture and preserving hidden details (part of the eave in the back is made up of three horizontal slabs forming a triangle), the current owner closely collaborated with Stone to borrow design elements from another Lautner residence.  Inside the modestly sized two-bedroom, two-bath home , “The corner window condition at the Tyler House was inspired by ...

Located just off the beaten path of Silver Lake Blvd’s hub of boutiques and restaurants, this modernized California bungalow has all kinds of perks, including a recently built flex space. Shaded by a mature sculptural tree, the 1920s home sits tucked behind a ficus hedge on a spacious lot. While the facade retains elements of its bungalow-era character, the interior has a modern edge. Upon entry, the 818-square-foot home reveals a well-lit and thoughtful space. Within the open floor plan, bamboo floors and beamed ceilings are features of the combined kitchen, living, and dining area that sit to one side of the home and share views of the front and rear yards. The two bedrooms and updated bathroom are located on the other side of the home, separating private and public spaces. French doors lead to a wood deck and semi-private flat rear yard filled with lemon, pomegranate, fig, and ash trees. At the rear of the yard, a recently-built 400-square-foot garage/flex space ...

Tom Jermann and Toby Yoo, the husband-and-wife graphic design team behind T42 Design, rented their striking Dutch Colonial home for five years before purchasing it directly from the owner. Here, they reflect on how their home evolved, affording them room to enjoy a few dogs, their daughter, and work from their modest studio, where they designed album covers for some of the best rock bands of all time. Tom: “We were living over on Doheny, and we decided we wanted to move to Silver Lake because a lot of our friends lived on the Eastside. I saw this listing in the LA Times that sounded too good to be true with the price of $1,800 or something. I kept calling for a few weeks, but nobody picked up. It actually had the address in the ad, which was unusual.  “I came to your house for the World Cup Soccer Final. Because I had the address, after the game, I came over here and, of course peeked inside and was like, ‘wow.’ I kept calling that week again, and finally this English guy ...

Kevin and Hardy Wronske, the sibling design/build/develop team behind Heyday, set out to “improve the quality of building in working-class neighborhoods throughout L.A” by building small lot homes. In 2013 they created Peak Place . Using the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance , which allows a group of detached houses to be built on a single lot, they developed a gated community of six architecturally delightful homes in Glassell Park’s Fletcher Square . Inside, large dual-pane windows and numerous skylights allow tons of natural light to fill all 1,914 square feet of living space. The floor plan centers around a spacious and open kitchen, living, and dining room, which form the heart of the home. The second level contains all three bedrooms. Features include a single-line kitchen finished with Silestone countertops and stainless steel appliances, walk-in pantry, and 18′ vaulted ceilings in the main bedroom. This home at 3001 Peak Place has the largest private backyard in...

This modest mid-century home built on a sprawling double lot in the Hollywood Hills offers peace, privacy, and expansion potential. The home, designed by two of Hollywood’s greatest production designers, Dean Tavoularis (Five-time Academy Award Nom., Oscar Winner for The Godfather) and Joel Schiller (Little Big Man, The Graduate, and The Muppet Movie,) sits on two APNs measuring over half an acre with canyon and city views to the ocean. Perched above the street, the 1,156-square-foot single-story residence holds one bedroom and two bathrooms. Walls of glass enable the dwelling to melt into its verdant surroundings, and a wrap-around deck affords seamless indoor/outdoor living. The interior has an open floor plan consisting of a dining and living room and a large, open kitchen area with an island. You can easily enjoy the peace, quiet, and privacy the home offers or expand the current structure, build an entirely new one, and even add a pool. Listing courtes...

With the San Gabriel Mountains as its backdrop, this stunning mid-century modern sits on almost a full acre in  Pasadena ’s small gated community of North Kinneloa Ranch with an enormous swimmer’s pool and breathtaking 180-degree panoramic views. Designed by architect   John F. Galbraith , “a Pasadena-based architect who designed a number of institutional, commercial, and residential buildings,” the circa 1956 home underwent a masterful restoration. Inside, the three-bedroom home extends 3,272 square feet on a single level. A formal entry foyer with a stone floor leads to the living and dining room with polished concrete floors and internal and exterior walls clad in vertical redwood planks. Floor-to-ceiling two-sided fireplace with double floating hearths is positioned in the middle of the open space. Glass walls blur the indoor/outdoor lines. They frame the patio, yard, swimmer’s pool, and sweeping city, mountain, and sunset views. The updated kitchen includ...