I had a meeting yesterday with a potential new client at her Mid-Century home in the Hollywood Hills. This home, built in 1954 is quaint, charming and measures just under 1500 square feet. Living there just shy of a year, the homeowner now has a keen sense of the changes she needs to make in order for this house to feel like her home. The ultimate goal here will be to work within the existing footprint to remodel and
restore it – lighten it – and brighten it all in effort to reflect the homeowner’s creative and charming personality and design style – while maintaining the integrity of the home’s architectural style and history.
Having the famous “Hollywood” sign in front of the house is a perfect setting and backdrop when nestling into the hills– wouldn’t you say? In fact, you can see the sign as clear as day from the window in the guest bath. (In all the years I’ve lived here in Los Angeles I had never been so close to the Hollywood sign…. I felt like all the other tourists – snapping away making sure I captured just the right shot).
Classic Mid-Century homes have distinctive characteristics and are historically important in the evolution and history of architecture.
- The style was very much influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and his principles of organic architecture.
- Exteriors evolved from more severe flat roofs to gradual roof pitches, with post and beam construction and many times glass walls.
- Expansive windows allowed for a more direct relationship between the interior and exterior – and typically created a more casual and relaxed style of living.
- The rear of the home became the family retreat and circulated around the pools, patios and barbeques.
- Celebrated the open floor plan where living spaces flowed easily from ones space to another. It was a departure from the more compartmentalized traditional homes and provided the homeowner with greater flexibility in determining the living/dining zones.
- Mid-Century homes were typically smaller in scale and square footage.
These architectural gems are the perfect home for today’s downsizing trends.
I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report:
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Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.
