Mulholland Drive remodel takes off into space
Marcel Sitcoske and Michael Oddo bought this house off Mulholland Drive three years ago with plans to remodel it and sell. Oddo recalls taking floor plans along with photographs to the Los Angeles building department, where the guys there laughed and said theyd never seen anything this ugly, he says. But during the construction process, the pair fell in love with the propertys views and attempted to create a modern, livable space that made the most of its prime asset.
Here, Sitcoske rolls back a glass pocket door in the master bedroom, whose patio deck was designed to block out much of the cityscape and better emphasize the mountain panorama. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
The stairs leading to the second-story addition seem to float off into space and house well-used book nooks. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
A sculpture by Nancy Braver adorns a wall in the workout room of Oddo and Sitcoske, an art advisor. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
Sitcoske works in her home office where another Braver piece illuminates the space. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
Water cascades from faucets embedded in the mirrors of the master bathroom. The mirrors reflect the wide-open space outside. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
The tub has a prime view of the valley and mountains beyond Mulholland Drive. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
The rough-hewn front door opens to a purposefully spare interior, with little to distract from the expanses of glass. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
Sitcoske, who wanted to keep the furniture to a minimum, brought in 1930s and 40s pieces, including chrome-framed and tobacco leather chairs designed by Gilbert Rohde. And Oddo? Hes always had a billiards table, so Sitcoske found a 1946 Brunswick Centennial table with tapered legs finished in rosewood and aluminum. When we have dinner parties, after a little wine, people who have never played before will pick up the cue, Sitcoske says. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
Oddo and Sitcoske relax in their living room with the mountains as backdrop. The house is so open you really see everything in a 3-D way, Sitcoske says. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
Perched at the edge of Mulholland Drive, the remodeled house offers a view thats almost like an infinity pool, says Oddo, one where the panorama seems to stretch forever. We still climb up on the roof, look out, pinch ourselves. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
