Kim Gordon Remakes A House In Laurel Canyon, $3.25M
Author:Philip FerratoLaurel Canyon isn’t just another lovely Los Angeles neighborhood– it’s a neighborhood once central to the mythology of ‘60s and ‘70s (then) counterculture music. Scattered around the canyon were the homes of what were, arguably, among the most influential musicians of the time– the Eagles and the Doors, to Frank Zappa, Carole King and Joni Mitchell and Brian Wilson. Fast forward some fifty years, and all that’s changed.
Enter Kim Gordon, the doyenne of a kind of soulful, handcrafted Boho chic, and her partner (in life, business, and best of all, her personal general contractor) Maurcio Suarez. A realtor called them to offer a run-down ‘60s spec house hidden away on a lush, deeply private lot on one of the neighborhood’s best streets.
Gordon was reluctant to just recreate another Mid-Century spec house, but wanted instead to evoke a very special time– of ferment both across the country and in music, much of it generated from this very neighborhood, on Wonderland Park Drive– in her own deeply personal style.
The living room’s stone fireplace is original, but throughout the house, walls have been finished in hand-troweled plaster. The wood pendant fixture from Anthropologie; the Hollywood Regency Style screen came from an estate sale. New floors throughout are recycled oak planks.
The kitchen/family room is both spacious and welcoming– and most importantly, open to the outdoors through Gordon’s signature, handcrafted steel windows. The compact but open kitchen deep blue cabinets and brass accents, including a brass backsplash, plus there’s a media/seating area, and above the dining table, a ‘60s-vintage Castiglione Viscontea pendant fixture by Flos that Gordon found in a thrift shop.
Gordon (at left) calls it “my tribute to Joni Mitchell’s Ladies of the Canyon.”
What We Love: Gordon reorganized the plan so that it’s perfect for a creative person working from home. The second and third bedrooms can function independently as guest suites or offices. And since Gordon is the mother of two teenage sons, she followed her instincts to make it perfect for a family, with plenty of privacy– and open surfaces for homework in the kitchen.
To bring more light into the master suite, Gordon rethought the roof, replacing the existing eaves with translucent panels.
Both the secondary bedrooms have been given access to a patios; their ensuite baths have impeccably crafted limestone counters and sinks.
More: Go to the listing for additional details and images. Represented by the David Kramer Group at Hilton+Hyland.
9001 Wonderland Park Avenue
3-beds, 3-baths, 2600-sq-feet
$3,250,000
Photo Credit: Tyler Hogan
Kim Gordon Photo Credit: Trey Pride