Charmaine David
The main level affords stunning views of Universal City and the east Valley. A wrap-around deck is accessed from the living and dining rooms and kitchen.
HOME OF THE WEEK

Updated vision for a Hollywood Hills trilevel

Posterior view at night
Charmaine David
The main level affords stunning views of Universal City and the east Valley. A wrap-around deck is accessed from the living and dining rooms and kitchen.
The distressed post-and-beam is restored to pristine condition, with contemporary green touches.
By Diane Wedner, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 17, 2008
Mr. Magoo, the nearsighted 1950s cartoon character, would have appreciated the open floor plan of this classic Midcentury Modern, if not the drop-dead view of Universal City and the east Valley from practically every room in the house.

Fortunately, producer and writer Leo Salkin, who wrote stories for the animated series and lived in the trilevel for many years, could take full advantage of the Buff, Straub and Hensman 1960s architecture, which maximized the outdoor vistas. The firm was known for its innovative indoor/outdoor designs and simplistic minimalism.

 
"I saw this house as a wonderful space to display art, and the building itself is art," said current owner and pop-art dealer Phil Selway. "I feel surrounded not only by the history of the architecture, but by the contemporary elements too."

Location: The Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles

Asking price: $2,395,000

Last sales price: $1,109,000 (recorded on Nov. 21, 2007). The property was foreclosed on in spring 2007.

Size: This house has three bedrooms and 3ƒ¦1/2ƒ§bathrooms in 2,816 square feet. The lot is 13,810 square feet.

Features: The kitchen comes with professional appliances and custom pantry; the master bath has a free-standing tub and radiant-heat floors; every room has deck access; the home is tech wired and has an alarm system.

About this house: Selway, who wanted to return the distressed post-and-beam structure to its once-pristine condition, began an extensive remodel a year ago. With designers Charles D'Attili and Rod Hammersly, he achieved it, while adding contemporary green components, such as recycled glass terrazzo flooring on the main level and in the bathrooms, cork flooring on the lower and upper levels, and biodegradable carpeting and pads in all the bedrooms. The kitchen cabinetry and appliance facings are made of sustainable zebra-grain wood. A rotating, wood-burning fireplace -- very Jetsons -- is suspended from the living room ceiling, providing warmth no matter where one moves around that space. A wrap-around deck on the middle level of the home is accessed from several rooms living and dining rooms and kitchen, and a lower-level deck off the lower level has a Jacuzzi.

Around the neighborhood: There were 225 single-family home sales in this 90068 ZIP Code between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008, according to DataQuick Information Systems. The median price was $1,155,000.

Listing agent: Bruce D. Bartkow„©, Coldwell Banker, (310) 887-0230„© or bbartkow@earthlink.net






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