The midcentury homes of California often go against the stereotype of modernist architecture being clinical and cold. The 20th-century bungalows that dot Los Angeles are a case in point, designed to be warm and flexible, often built with natural materials and a human scale that is intimately connected with the outdoors. Such a piece of residential modernist architecture, in the heart of Los Angeles County, in Encino Village, has been recently thoroughly refreshed by local architecture studio Woods + Dangaran – winner of Best Private House in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023, for Desert Palisades.
Clear Oak: a gem among the midcentury homes of California
Titled Clear Oak, the structure is nestled in the hills overlooking the San Fernando Valley, and the San Gabriel and Santa Susana mountains. The residence, created for a private client and spanning 4,800 sq ft, brings together open spaces with a generous entertainment deck, an infinity pool and native plants and trees, with minimalist interiors, filled with art and midcentury furniture and influences that link back to the home’s 20th century origins.
The team at Woods + Dangaran looked after both the architectural renovation and the interior refresh. Subtle adjustments in lines and openings – including a straightening of the roofline and a gentle enlargement of windows and doorways – meant the residence pays homage to its origins while shifting more towards the vistas and adapting to its new owner’s fondness for entertaining.
The team was headed by partners Brett Woods and Joseph Dangaran, whose joint portfolio includes more modernist wonders, among them the 1965 Craig Ellwood-designed Moore House, and Carla Ridge, a new-build home that interprets the region’s rich architectural heritage for the 21st century. The architects’ careful hand and extensive experience in the genre have resulted in Clear Oak having already scooped up multiple awards, including a citation in the Residential category at the AIA (the American Institute of Architects) Los Angeles, and the Chicago Athenaeum Museum’s American Architecture Award for 2022. The home once belonged to Bing Crosby’s manager – and it’s clear that this elegant redesign ensures it will continue to offer both a warm domestic haven and a covetable space for socialising for years to come.
-
La Monique brings the French Riviera to Santa MonicaA transportive room of velvet, candlelight, and Riviera chic, serving French favourites with a modern wink
-
Kat Milne is the designer behind fashion’s most intriguing retail spacesInfused with elements of the surreal, Kat Milne has designed stores for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Sandy Liang and A24. ‘People are looking for a more tactile experience,’ she tells Wallpaper*
-
A refreshed 1950s apartment in East London allows for moments of discoveryWith this 1950s apartment redesign, London-based architects Studio Naama wanted to create a residence which reflects the fun and individual nature of the clients
-
The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism – is for sale in Los AngelesAfter 65 years in the hands of the same family, the home, also known as Case Study House #22, has been listed for $25 million
-
Houston's Ismaili Centre is the most dazzling new building in America. Here's a look insideLondon-based architect Farshid Moussavi designed a new building open to all – and in the process, has created a gleaming new monument
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fountainhead will be opened to the public for the first timeThe home, a defining example of the architect’s vision for American design, has been acquired by the Mississippi Museum of Art, which will open it to the public, giving visitors the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius firsthand
-
Clad in terracotta, these new Williamsburg homes blend loft living and an organic feelThe Williamsburg homes inside 103 Grand Street, designed by Brooklyn-based architects Of Possible, bring together elegant interiors and dramatic outdoor space in a slick, stacked volume
-
This ethereal Miami residence sprouted out of a wild, jungle-like gardenA Miami couple tapped local firm Brillhart Architecture to design them a house that merged Florida vernacular, Paul Rudolph and 'too many plants to count’
-
Tour Cano House, a Los Angeles home like no other, full of colour and quirkCano House is a case study for tranquil city living, cantilevering cleverly over a steep site in LA’s Mount Washington and fusing California modernism with contemporary flair
-
An ocean-facing Montauk house is 'a coming-of-age, a celebration, a lair'A Montauk house on Hither Hills, designed by Hampton architects Oza Sabbeth, is wrapped in timber and connects its residents with the ocean
-
With a freshly expanded arts centre at Dartmouth College, Snøhetta brings levity to the Ivy LeagueThe revamped Hopkins Center for the Arts – a prototype for the Met Opera house in New York –has unveiled its gleaming new update
