Apartment Therapy reader Sean wrote us about this Whitney Smith designed home sitting ontop of hill in Alhambra which he admires:
I recently got to peek inside this unbelievable MidCentury home with the quintessential glass box design, a home whose charm is equally about the view outside from within as the interior features. High ceilings, the hilltop location and the walls of glass, I was in love and thought I'd send some photos from online...
As much as I loved this home, it's priced out of my budget. But I thought some AT readers out there might enjoy taking a virtual open house tour and ooh and ahh like I did when I toured the home. Perhaps someone will be able to move in themselves and provide a future house tour! I've included the description of the home from the real estate flier:
The residence is sited on a cul-de-sac off of a private road. The front of the residence is sheathed in a slatted wood fence that allows for more privacy, not that you need any. Walls of glass flood the interior with light, and the sliding glass doors erase the barrier between indoors and out. The step-down living room sits on radiant concrete flooring and is a generous, sun-filled space. The bedrooms are sequestered to the north wing. All of the bedrooms have floor to ceiling cabinets that provide ample storage. The master suite has floating cabinets that give way to a bank of smaller closets which lead you to the master bath.The pool area allows uninterrupted views of the San Gabriel mountains and the city to the east. The kitchen window gives you views of downtown, and on a clear day, beyond. This kitchen houses top of the line appliances. The zebra wood cabinets and orange subway tile suggest a nod to the stylings of Buff and Hensman. Original cork flooring is used in the kitchen and dining areas. Yes, original cork flooring.
The original garage has been remodeled in to an office/den/family room. A very warm, ample space from which to enjoy the vistas beyond the pool area. A guest house was added in the 1980s that perfectly mirrors the style of the main residence. It has a bedroom and a bath, along with kitchenette. All additions have been painstakingly documented and permitted.
The landscaping which includes two koi ponds is tastefully done, not so much in an Eckbo way, but pleasing to all of the senses. There is also a completely redone pool, spa and surrounding concrete pad.
(Image: 3111glenridge.com)
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What a cool house - love the MCM style, the cork floors and the red enamel fireplace (always wanted one of those...)
But the kitchen: As much as I love the vintage red tile and the layout - IMO, those original vintage cabinets are a perfect example of why not everything should be painted white...
Wonderful...I keep thinking, why can't they build them like this now?
Pahleease, mid century furniture overload does not show well. Each piece is fine on it's own, even a collection can be beautiful, but is this is modern vintage picker freak heaven or good home style design hell? I love the house- and would love it more with one (or maybe three) item(s) from each room left, and little else but the house to speak for itself... I do love the Borge Mogensen Spanish Chair.
I agree with swag, too many iconic pieces in a single room. Although the exterior space is done tastefully with a good deal of restraint.
'60s, not 60's
Beautiful house. The living room is unbalanced--it looks too crowded.
I love the house itself but I do not like the decorating.
I lived in a mid century home and you need to pair it down and keep the balanced and not the overload of iconic pieces totally agree this one is overload.
Bepsf, I think they said the kitchen has been redone, the cabinets are Zebra wood, doubt it was used back in the day and they reused the original cork flooring.
The plethera of iconic MCM pieces don't bother me so much as they just tried to put too much in the living room and part of that is that sculpture or large branch like thing that is cluttering up the space some.
There is a reason so many iconic pieces are used as much as they are and that is they just WORK. Both in a timeless fashion and are COMFORTABLE and work in so many situations as well.
ciddyguy --
I agree that the cabinet fronts are newer...
...but from the layout and sizing, the cases don't appear to be off-the-shelf units but site-built custom cases - most likely dating from the time that the house was built.
wow, i love it! i don't know enough about iconic pieces to tell that there are too many. :) it looks wonderfully modern and vintage and quirky and comfortable, and i LOVE the palette of shapes - squares, lots of circles, that glorious branch offering organic-ness. i just love it, and the huge windows and the water outside make it even better.
i love a bit of controlled 'clutter' or 'collection' as i prefer to call it, and a lot of the more modern homes i see here and elsewhere, while being really beautiful, look like they just need someone to live in them and give them a little personality. no stark white 'gallery' walls and nothing that looks like an industrial refrigerator. this one looks like it has character. :)
If it's for sale, it's likely staged, rather than regular lived-in.