Open House Report, LA Edition: Diversity In Silver Lake, With A Gregory Ain Guest House Surprise
Author:Philip FerratoSilver Lake (or Silverlake) is one of our favorite neighborhoods, full of classic examples of LA’s Modernist tradition, with houses by Schindler, a whole colony of Neutra houses, and a slew of others scattered around the two hills flanking the reservoir. There are also any number of traditional houses, some built on spec, and here are three of the best examples of the neighborhood’s diverse character, open this weekend.
1838 Westerly Terrace, Silver Lake, $819K
What happens when a fashion stylist and her artist husband buy a house? Even the listing photos are an essay in artistic, offhand chic. This small, 1938 spec house (above) has been pared down to the basics— 2-beds, 1-bath on the main level, with stairs off a small deck down to another bed, bath and office (no interior access) handsome patios and a pool, all set in a lushly overgrown garden. Back up on the main level, the entire front has been hedged off, creating a shady and enclosed outdoor room instead of a front lawn, and the kitchen manages to have both vintage charm and white marble. It’s a completely charming, vine-covered house with a Hockney-esque view of the hills, and probably too expensive. But totally worth a visit. Open Saturday June 2 and Sunday June 3 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
2444 Silver Ridge Avenue, Silver Lake, $1.395M
Here’s a case of buying a house for what’s in the back yard. Behind this undistinguished 1927 Tudor in a tired-looking yard is this little gem— a guest house/studio by architect Gregory Ain. One of the stars of LA modernism, Ain’s clientele included a number of Hollywood radicals and he designed LA’s first cooperative apartment complex at a time when “Co-op” usually meant “Socialist.” The listing doesn’t give a date for the guest house, but we’re thinking early ’50s based on this much grander house he did in Los Feliz (scroll down) with a similar, angled roofline and fireplace. We’re loving the simple kitchen, laid out under the window. So skip the Tudor, although the scenario we came up with is that the owner added something to the property every time he or she made a film. On the market a month and just reduced by a $100K. Open Sunday June 3 from2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
2145 Micheltorena Street, Silver Lake, 1.35M
Even though it’s not a ranch house, this c.1937 stucco and redwood house takes elements from California’s Anglo-Spanish and Monterey traditions, married to a little Art Deco. It winds up looking a little Leave it to Beaver. But not in a bad way. The 3-bed, 2-bath house has been fully rehabbed but the rooms retain their good, classic bones, and one of the bedrooms is paneled in fir, currently used as an office. There’s a nice deck off the master bedroom with an astonishingly low parapet and more child-friendly deck off the lowest level, plus there’s probably room for a lap pool in the yard. Open Sunday June 3 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
