An MCM-filled Easter Weekend in LA (slideshows)

Andria and I spent Easter weekend in Los Angeles seeing family and some really great examples of mid-century modern design and architecture.  Even though I was born in the Bay, I grew up in Los Angeles in a cool little neighborhood known as Ladera Heights.  Ladera is located on the west side of LA, West of La Cienega and North of Centinela to give you an idea.  The neighborhood was mostly developed in the 50’s and 60’s and features some incredible mid-century modern architecture usually found in more affluent areas like the Hollywood Hills, if not Beverly Hills.  I definitely appreciate the neighborhood more now than when I was a kid, but I like to think that growing up in the area and having friends who lived in some of these amazing homes was an influence on my taste for the era today. 

What was even cooler than being back in the area was getting the opportunity to see my mother’s new MCM listing and I’ve enclosed photos for you to see.  It’s an amazing home with over 3,700 square feet and an excellent example of the architecture in LA and specifically Ladera Heights.  My mother was a top producer for years in the neighborhood and it’s great to see her still working and selling marquee homes. 

We also had a chance to do a little sightseeing, and by suggestion of Andria’s sister visited the Gregory Ain development in Mar Vista, just East of Venice and Santa Monica.  This particular mid-century modern development has less than 25 homes and is designated a historic neighborhood.   We walked around and I took a lot of photos so you can see the development and action.  It was a very LA day, including a commercial shoot at one of the homes, 2 homes being completely rebuilt from the ground up, an extensive landscaping project on a home that recently sold for $1.15M, another being sold at auction, and even one for lease for $3,150 a month.  That’s a lot excitement for a neighborhood with less than 25 homes on a Monday! 

The commercial shoot was particularly interesting and brought back a lot of memories of growing up in LA during the height of 70’s television and seeing shows like “CHiPs”, “Charlie’s Angels” and “The A-Team” being filmed all the time.

On the way out of LA we visited the “California Design, Living in a Modern Way” exhibit at LACMA.  We were blown away by the exhibit and it was great to see the influence our great state has made on design, living, and fashion in California and the world.  It was incredibly educational and a must see if you make it to Los Angeles before it closes in June.

Not only was the exhibit great but the LACMA complex as a whole was one of the most impressive museums I have ever seen, and I’ve been fortunate to see some great museums.  As we walked through the permanent collection, there was a Matisse that caught my eye and I took a photo of it for you to see.  Upon further investigation I had to laugh because it was made for a custom home designed by A. Quincy Jones, who we know was one of the key architects associated with Eichler homes.  A pleasant surprise to see a direct connection between one of my favorite artists and architects and I can only imagine how awesome that home must have been.