“The site is everything,” says David Godshall, principal of the noted landscape architecture firm Terremoto, which designed the “organic integration” of this three-bedroom modern getaway in northeast Los Angeles. “We like to let things be what they are,” says Godshall, and indeed, the site looks as though almost nothing has been disrupted, and the home seems perfectly at one with its surroundings, as though it has always been here amid these cool, shady grandfather trees and overwhelmingly lush greenery.
Los Angeles, California | Morgan Hance, Sotheby’s International Realty – Los Feliz Brokerage
The interiors feel more contemporary and composed, with satisfyingly crisp, clean lines and angles. Fixtures and finishes have been painstakingly chosen, from the three-sided fireplace that anchors the main living area and the Midnight Blue Calacatta marble for the vanity in the master bath. Yet nods to nature remain: alongside stainless-steel appliances, the natural wood grain of the kitchen cabinetry and island offers an organic flourish, hardwood floors present serene honeyed hues, and an overall minimalist palette allows views of the enveloping greenery to remain a focal point. Glass doors blur the line between indoors and out, and windows frame glimpses of the landscaping, turning dramatic branches and foliage into works of art. A unique wooden soaking tub beckons from a secluded back patio beneath the trees.
A timeless pitched roof contributes to an airy openness in the open-plan studio, just steps from the main residence and similarly filled with glorious light. This space is highly versatile, suitable for use as guest space, an office, a yoga or meditation studio, or an artist’s retreat.
Integrated as it is among native and Terremoto-chosen flora, the home allows for a consummate level of indoor-outdoor living and entertaining, with a concrete balcony hovering amid the treetops, a tranquil wood deck, and—tucked into the terrain nearby—a gravel- and stone-tile-paved patio with a fire pit and that alluring soaking tub.
The home enjoys its own tranquil corner of Mount Washington, a part of the highly coveted NELA area that borders Silver Lake, Eagle Rock, and Highland Park and that enjoys its own distinctive recreation and entertainment options. For commuters to downtown L.A., the home’s easily reachable yet consummately private location is ideal, combining rare effortless accessibility with the seclusion and lush setting afforded by a hillside perch.
