Remember Kenneth Brown, star of HGTV's reDesign, was blogging about designing his own loft in The Broadway Hollywood building? Well it seems Kenneth is done, he has a baby on the way, and his loft has hit the MLS. No, it doesn't look like it's one of those Broadway Hollywood lofts that was recently PriceChopped. The two-bedroom, two-bath 2,034 square foot loft features a library, walk-in closets, "custom wall finishes, dark hardwood floors, modern draperies, & one of a kind vintage chandeliers." He must be proud of those chandeliers - we counted at least eight closeups in the slideshow on the listing. Asking price: $1.9 million.
· 1645 N Vine St #906, Los Angeles CA 90028 [Redfin]
· HGTV Host reDesigns His Own Hollywood Loft [Curbed LA]
This came via a reader submission for a two-bedroom, two-bath example of hideousness: "Short sale in the Oaks, and although it's got a gorgeous view, it's also where all the trends of the 'flippers' era' have come to decompose." And we agree, those views do compensate for a lot of the questionable design features. And we're sure there's someone out there who loves squares almost as much as this owner, who seems to have inserted horizontal boxes everywhere - the deck, the kitchen, and the bedroom windows. From the listing: "A huge, open floor plan with high, beamed ceiling and mahogany floors, flows from kitchen thru dining & into the living room. Elegant kitchen features granite counters, custom cabinetry, & stainless appliances. Both bathrooms are glamorously detailed in granite." The problem with this alleged flipper -- last sale price in 2006 was $1,020,000. Today's asking price: $995,000.
· 2410 Vasanta Way Los Angeles, CA 90068 [Redfin]
Let us now take a very visual look at the latest architecture and design news as revealed on our sister blogs, Curbed NYC and Curbed SF, this week.
1) New York: We don't know New York well enough to know why they refer to this as a Big Hot Karl. However, this is the kind of stuff they're putting on old gas stations there.
In a world without bricks, there is Blobwall. SCI Arc will be hosting an exhibition on a conceptual (really?) alternative for use of the common brick in everyday construction. The Blobwall Pavillion, a wall of 400 blobby plastic components, will be on display at SCI Arc from May 30th to July 13th, with a special discussion about the blobwall taking place on June 16th, with Eric Owen Moss. Blobwall enthusiasts can follow construction of the blobs and the blobwall on the Blobwall Pavillion blog.
· Brick Installation at SCI-Arc [Frame]
· Blogwall Pavillion [Official Blog]
A Curbed reader forwards us a link to "Archisuits". Described as "four leisure jogging suits made for specific architectural structures in Los Angeles. The suits include the negative space of the structures and allow a wearer to fit into, or onto, structures designed to deny them." Seriously, the City has become so relaxation-unfriendly that we don't travel anywhere without our bean bag chair strapped to our backs.
· Archisuits [Sarah Ross]
We're calling the concrete and glass trend over. If only for ourselves. We've fallen back in love with brick and wood. Give us a ranch or a craftsman, sir. Nevertheless, these glassy concoctions are still popping up, such as this home on Woodrow Wilson in the Cahuenga Pass. A reader has concerns: "I've been driving by this house on Woodrow Wilson, just off the 101, and it looks pretty cool. I can't help but wonder, though, how the residents are going to deal with the lack of privacy afforded by the hip walls of glass that face the street."
LA Architects Making the World Better is our irregularly scheduled look at projects around the globe designed by LA-based architects. Monday, we saw the High Line 23 project from Neil M. Denari Architects. Today, Frank Gehry's jumble of sticks.
Frank Gehry has done it again. Taking what you and I might mistake for the discarded pieces of another construction project, the LA-based architect will erect a jaw-dropping timber and glass "street" set to grace the London Serpentine Gallery. Via Design Week: "...the pavilion is designed to be part amphitheater, part promenade, making a place for 'reflection and relaxation by day, and discussion and performance by night'" The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion series, now in its ninth year, invites world renowned architects to create temporary structures on the lawn of the gallery. We think the structure might actually fall apart before they have a chance to disassemble it.
2) New York: One day we'll tear down Staples Center, too. Curbed shows us the renderings for "Moynihan Station," proposed to occupy the space presently housing Madison Square Garden and Penn Station.
That's Rather Hideous examines questionable decisions in interior design as revealed in listing photos. Nominees, please, to la@curbed.com.
Another reader submission for our intermittent interior design feature! Via a reader email: "We live in the neighborhood and have always referred to it as 'the Lakers House', but after seeing the interiors, I'm not sure it doesn't deserve something more descriptive." Ok, we'll give it a shot. It looks like a bag of skittles exploded in there--or it looks like a house designed for The Real Worldcirca 1995. According to the listing, it has been "completely transformed by renowned architect, Benjamin Clavan, AIA." Price for this flamboyant four-bedroom, four-bath: $1.2 million.
About Curbed LA
From the studio lots to the downtown lofts. From the beachfront bungalows to the canyon views. From the south bay to the valley, from the westside to the eastside—Curbed LA covers our sense of place, and the neighborhoods we call home. Read more about Curbed LA...
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