The Seventies Are Alive And Well In Silver Lake, $3.38M

Author:Philip Ferrato

Born in Britain, architect Richard Holme [1922-2010] emigrated to L.A. in 1956—no doubt drawn inexorably like so many of his fellow countrymen—to warm weather, palm trees and opportunity. Trained in Britain (he was a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects) Holme was, early in his career, a protege of Richard Neutra and worked in the offices of other architecture luminaries including A. Quincy Jones, Carl Maston and Rex Lotery, as well as designing for private clients. In 1979 he built this home for his family in the Moreno Highlands neighborhood and it’s now on the market for the first time in almost four decades.

The home’s cubist composition climbs up the steep lot, providing unobstructed views from every room. It was built at a time when innovative thinking and new developments in construction were fueled by the Postwar boom—that would enable architects to build on challenging sites that might previously have been considered unbuildable. With its curving silo-like stair tower and the carefully arranged volumes, Holme had no doubt seen Richard Meier’s work on the East Coast, and one wonders what this dwelling would look like if painted a gleaming white, as all of Meier’s are.

Sensitively updated in recent years, the 3-bed, 3-bath home has been consistently maintained in exceptional condition; the almost tropical landscaping has matured, and there are multiple intimate and private outdoor spaces to enjoy.

For more, go to the listing for additional images and details, including floor plans and a 3-D tour. An outstanding and very livable example of 1970’s residential design, represented by architecture specialists Henry Blackham, Maureen Erbe and Bonnie Matthews at the Erbe + Blackham team at Compass.