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Brian Thomas Jones
Built in 1928 as part of a community called Wonderland Park, this Laurel Canyon cottage is nestled in a woodsy location amid oak trees and other natural landscaping. The 1,012-square-foot house is on the market for $895,000.
HOME OF THE WEEK

Lightening up in Laurel Canyon

Exterior
Brian Thomas Jones
Built in 1928 as part of a community called Wonderland Park, this Laurel Canyon cottage is nestled in a woodsy location amid oak trees and other natural landscaping. The 1,012-square-foot house is on the market for $895,000.
An architect opens up the ceilings and adds skylights to this 1928 home while ‘maintaining the charming, funky cottage feel.'
By Diane Wedner, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 31, 2008
Long before Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash wrote their '60s odes to Laurel Canyon, stars of the nascent movie industry, such as Clara Bow and Errol Flynn, spent weekends and vacations there, where they partied hearty, according to local legend. During that period, a cave was carved into the hillside atop this property and reportedly used as a speak-easy. The 600-square-foot party grotto, where squatters later hung out, was cleaned up in the early '90s, paved and turned into an extended patio area for calmer gatherings. The home, built in 1928, is an original in what once was called Wonderland Park, one of the first communities established in the Lookout Mountain bowl around 1913. The cottages were rediscovered by the anti-establishment crowd in the '60s, and many were gentrified in the 1980s. The cost of homes went up commensurately.

FOR THE RECORD:
 
Canyon cottage: Sunday's "Home of the Week" in Business misspelled the last name of a former owner of the Laurel Canyon cottage that was featured in the article. His name is Tim Felchlin, not Felchin. —


Tim Felchin bought what he refers to as the dark, slightly dingy cottage in 1980 for about $135,000. He was attracted to the country architecture and the cottage's woodsy location amid oak trees and other natural landscaping. The architect lived there for 10 years before beginning his $200,000 floor-to-ceiling renovation.

Location: Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles

Asking price: $895,000

Last sale price: $655,000 in September 2003

Size: This house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,012 square feet. The lot is 4,621 square feet.

Features: Granite and limestone kitchen and bathroom counters; French terra-cotta bathroom floors; 14-foot ceilings throughout; custom closets; updated plumbing and electrical; 15 native California oaks; faux bois touches in the garden.

About this house: Felchin's top priority was "to lighten it up, make it airy. I wanted to bring in as much light as possible." So he opened up the ceilings in the kitchen, dining room and master bedroom. He also installed skylights throughout home. He expanded the bathroom, where he added glass tile and plenty of mirrors. "I was sensitive to maintaining the charming, funky cottage feel." Current owner Rachel Randel kept the bright blue kitchen palette that is echoed in other rooms, which she says contributes to the funky canyon feel she wanted.

Around the neighborhood: About 130 single-family homes have sold in the 90046 ZIP Code so far this year, according to MDA DataQuick. The median price was $997,500. In 2007, the median price was $1,125,000. Currently, 56 homes are listed for sale in the Wonderland Avenue/Lookout Mountain area of Laurel Canyon. The least expensive, at $395,000, is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage in 540 square feet. The most expensive, at $1,499,000, is a three-bedroom, 3 1/2 -bathroom home in 1,929 square feet.

Listing agent: Brian Linder, Deasy/Penner & Partners, (310) 592-5417






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