Red, white and new on Formosa
When architect Lorcan O’Herlihy masterminded the color palette for the Formosa 1140 town houses in West Hollywood, he drew inspiration from Hollywood hot spot Formosa Cafe down the street.
He designed a metallic skin that wraps around the building in shades of red. The skin helps diffuse light and heat, provides privacy for outdoor walkways and gives the building a funky geometric look.
The town houses, which began construction 18 months ago and are set to open this month, are a short walk from the shops and restaurants near Santa Monica Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.
Units feature design elements that O’Herlihy saw in boutique hotels in Europe, including sliding doors for the powder room, all-white kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, and all-white countertops contoured into vanity sinks in the bathrooms. Floors are made of a recycled hardwood that resembles bamboo.
Ten two-story units have an open living, dining and kitchen area with a study and bathroom on one floor and two bedrooms and two bathrooms on a second level. The front unit extends three levels.
Each of the four upper-level units has a roof deck with views of the Hollywood Hills and downtown Los Angeles on a clear day. A pocket park designed by landscape architect Katherine Spitz lines the southern border of the building and will be open to the public during the day.
No units had been contracted to be sold as of last week.
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To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Lauren Beale, Real Estate, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
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BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX
‘Chinese’ modern
Location: 1140 N. Formosa Ave., West Hollywood 90046
Asking price: Units range from $798,500 to $868,500
Size: The building is four stories high and has 11 units. With the exception of one unit, each residence has two bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms in a range of 1,294 to 1,540 square feet. The remaining unit has two bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,458 square feet. The lot is 13,442 square feet, which includes a 4,600-square-foot park.
Additional features: Each unit comes with two underground parking spaces, a private outdoor patio or rooftop deck, central air conditioning and heating and washer/dryer hook-ups. The building is next to a pocket park accessible to the public during the day.
Monthly homeowners association fee: $348
Around the neighborhood: Through October, 62 resale condos sold in the 90046 ZIP Code, according to MDA DataQuick. The median sale price was $521,500. There were 112 condos, town houses and co-ops listed for sale last week in 90046, according to Realtor.com. Prices ranged from $250,000 to $1,479,000.
Listing agents: Lisa Paperno, Deasy/Penner & Partners, (323) 404-7504. Joshua Gaunya, Deasy/Penner & Partners, (310) 275-1000.
