Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune — in L.A.?
Despite the real estate market’s woes, homeownership remains a goal for thousands in Southern California, and communities continue to look for ways of building more affordable options for the region’s growing population. In Los Angeles, the City Council passed the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance in 2004, allowing developers to build single-family homes or detached town houses on lots smaller than 5,000 square feet.
The measure also allows existing rental properties such as the Maltman bungalows in Silver Lake, shown here, to be converted into single-family houses that residents can buy. Most of the 17 Maltman bungalows are one-bedroom units with about 700 square feet of living space and tiny gardens — an appealing alternative to condo living for some buyers.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
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• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
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The Maltman Bungalows in Silver Lake represent that rare Southern California combination: small houses, good location, not-so-outrageous prices. Take a peek at this development and other attempts to achieve similar success.
After a thoughtful restoration by the Santa Monica firm Drisko Studio Architects, the 1920s bungalows — each unit with a tiny attached garage — went on the market last year for $499,000 to $559,000 and sold relatively quickly, considering the softening market.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
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• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
Butch Noland’s greyhounds Louie and Lola make themselves at home in his living room. Original stucco walls, decorative fireplaces and built-in cabinets were elements of the restoration, which recently won a preservation award from the Los Angeles Conservancy.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
The rounded ceiling and vintage-style windows in Lynn Hopper’s Maltman bungalow show how the project was able to differentiate itself from the cookie-cutter designs that tend to dominate less-expensive housing.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
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Much of the original hardware in each Maltman unit was salvaged.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune — in L.A.?
•
Among the Maltman bungalows’ period touches: the fireplace tile.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
Inside Thea Gill’s Maltman bungalow, a different splash of the past.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
The kitchens and bathrooms of the bungalows were thoughtfully updated, the tile counter tops and checkboard linoleum floors lending a vintage vibe to newly reconfigured spaces.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
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The houses at Maltman line both sides of a narrow driveway, creating an instant sense of community. Each bungalow also has a shade tree and a fruit tree planted in front.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
Developers across Southern California are experimenting with the small-lot concept. Better Shelter founder Steve Jones — shown here with Lauren Townsend, left, Judy Doo and Megan Koehn — built a series of small, distinctly modern dwellings called 1.7 Ocean in Costa Mesa. Lots range from 1,400 to 3,075 square feet, and the two-bedroom houses are intended to appeal to design-savvy, budget-minded young professionals in the region’s surf and skate industries.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune — in L.A.?
•
Megan Koehn enjoys her space at 1.7 Ocean, where the floor blueprints call for an open-plan living room and kitchen.
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• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
Lauren Townsend walks from one house toward the entry gate of another at 1.7 Ocean. Many residents of this and other small-lot developments are willing to give up the privacy and space associated with traditional suburban residences for a chance at a greater sense of community, a central location and a design that’s contemporary.
More...
• Fledgling home projects emerge from L.A.’s small-lot ordinance
Also in Home & Garden
• Hallie Holtzman’s Westwood garden bears fruit and flowers
• From blah bath to ah, spa
• Cute houses that don’t cost a fortune in L.A.?
•
