Home of the week: Room after room with a view
If a view could say, “You’ve arrived,” it would be the one from this house.
The newly completed home on Beverly Hills’ Angelo Drive looks out on downtown Los Angeles, Century City, Beverly Hills, the Los Angeles Country Club and, on a clear day, even to the ocean.
From afar, the house resembles a stylized box, enclosed by sliding glass doors and frameless windows. Up close, it’s elegant lines and attention to detail.
Floors are polished concrete, honeycombed to control heat and cold. Walls are made of concrete, brick and walnut, and high ceilings give the home an airy feel. A 10-foot-wide fireplace in the living room adds a grand touch.
It is the fourth house on Angelo Drive designed by Joseph Lam, who is credited with helping transform this winding road into a coveted residential street. Lam collaborated on the project with West Los Angeles architect Steven Shortridge, known for his unconventional structures in Venice, Culver City and Pasadena.
Lam founded his firm Zen West Design three years ago as more of a hobby than a livelihood — his day job is in insurance. His designs emphasize feng shui and functionality, and blend a modern aesthetic with a 1950s-inspired retro vibe.
On entering the house, it’s hard to discern whether it’s new or retro.
The answer is both, mixed with a few nods to famed architect John Lautner, whose influence is seen in the brick walls and frameless window panes that create a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor space.
A 1,500-square-foot master suite includes a sitting area. Full-length windows take in the views. The suite and connecting master bathroom open to an upstairs balcony.
Bathrooms share the same clean, streamlined look of the rest of the house, with white Carrara marble countertops, white subway tile walls and gray porcelain tile flooring.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos on a CD, caption information, the name of the photographer and a description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Send questions to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
