Revived Craig Ellwood house celebrates California modernism
Moore House, originally designed by iconic midcentury architect Craig Ellwood and now painstakingly renovated by Woods + Dangaran, is a fine example of California modernism
![Exterior of a house with two large trees on either side of the house](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XSYeZWhRLsqmBnTFiZBrJY-415-80.jpg)
A 1965 Craig Ellwood house in the LA neighbourhood of Los Feliz has been given a new lease of life with an extensive restoration by Los Angeles architecture studio Woods + Dangaran. Called Moore House, the home unites the best of what California modernism has to offer; midcentury interiors, open plan spaces, clean and sharp volumes that are softened by the use of wood, architectural gardens and glazed expanses that afford long views of the cityscape beyond.
When the team was awarded the commission, the house was in a bad state, Brett Woods and Joseph Dangaran, recall. The two co-founders of the boutique architectural firm have a wealth of high quality, modernist-inspired homes under their belt, such as their recent new-build Carla Ridge Residence. Now, ‘the shell of the home is upgraded to preserve the longevity of the structure and to meet contemporary performance standards,' they explain.
At around 1700 sq ft, the house is not very big, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in drama, heritage and design value, and architectural flair. An open plan interior offers a flowing sequence of communal areas with a double aspect – looking both towards the entrance, and the rear garden with decked terrace and swimming pool. Two double bedrooms occupy the two ends of the long, linear floorplan.
Inside, the architects kept the spirit and style of the original interior, using natural materials and saving any existing detailing possible. Earth-toned ceramic tile, ribbed glass, brass-plated hardware, dark marbles with golden veining, black granite, and honey-toned teak create a colour and texture palette that feels luxurious, yet warm and welcoming.
Working with the familiar features of California modernism, Woods + Dangaran breathed new life into this neglected Ellwood house – now the home of a Los Angeles family – helping to preserve this piece of West Coast architecture heritage.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
IM Pei's Everson Museum of Art gets a modern makeover
The East Wing of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY has been given a contemporary refresh by emerging Los Angeles studio MILLIØNS
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Black Modernism’s lesser-known, at-risk architecture gems gain a lifeline
Conserving Black Modernism announces vital funding to save and preserve overlooked and endangered buildings by African American architects and designers
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Step into the Blanton Museum of Art's reimagined public realm by Snøhetta in Austin
Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas is completed and reveals its reimagined public realm and plaza designed by Snøhetta
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This New York Townhouse renovation is a lesson in contemporary minimalism
TenBerke’s carefully considered New York townhouse is the reimagining of a century-old Manhattan structure that reframes vertical living
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Visit The Frost House, a lesser-known modernist architecture marvel in Michigan City
The Frost House is a lesser-known midcentury architecture gem in Michigan City, Indiana; we took the tour as the property goes on the market
By Audrey Henderson Published
-
Broadway designer Scott Pask’s Arizona retreat is a scene-stealing discovery
Scott Pask invites us inside his Arizona retreat, nestled in the foothills overlooking Tucson – a place to reboot, recharge and commune with nature
By Michael Webb Published
-
Upstate New York retreat Ridge House evokes land art
Ridge House in upstate New York, the work of Brooklyn-based studio Worrell Yeung, is at one with the surrounding countryside
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Rafael de Cárdenas’ first ground-up project is a forever home with waterfront views and hidden treasures
Rafael de Cárdenas reveals his latest completed project in the Pacific Northwest, a family home of calming spaces that bleed the outside in, and ten years in the making
By Ellie Stathaki Published