In a city known for its shining stars, Hollywood’s Los Feliz neighborhood proves that celebrities aren’t the only local institution hogging the spotlight. Los Angeles, California has as notorious an architecture as some of its residents. One such case is the Nottingham Avenue residence which was originally built in 1950 by famous local architect Arthur Kelly who designed around 500 buildings during his career, which includes the Arthur Letts Estate, known as The Playboy Mansion. Although this development project was not nearly as notorious, it inspired J.D. Erbino, founder and director of Louis & Rose, to become steward of this house and lead it into the modern era of ownership. The Erbino practice is responsible for the thoughtful restoration and redesign, with architecture by the office of Jonathan Tate and an art collection curated by Brian Ludlow and his team at Creative Art Partners.
The house, while impressive, had fallen victim to a few senseless renovations, had become hidden by a wall of sweeping greenery, and remained in disrepair on a roughly half-acre lot. “The street has a special flow with a beautiful mix of architectural homes. The property was clearly full of potential waiting to be restored and reimagined,” says Erbino. “After our first showing, I decided it was a great opportunity to reimagine the house and grounds.”
Located in such a trendy enclave, it is the perfect residence for homeowners who enjoy being a host and have a passion for entertaining. The renovated property includes a pool, spa, expansive backyard with an abundance of ficus hedges and olive trees, and is now almost a two-story, 5,100-square-foot structure.
The central part of the open plan ground floor consists of large formal rooms, dining rooms, dining kitchen with breakfast nook, library, scullery and family room, book ending with an en-suite bedroom and guest quarters. Upstairs, three more en-suite bedrooms can be found next to a private den equipped with built-ins.
“The ground floor is a unique combination of spacious, open spaces combined with individual rooms for people to enjoy in shared spaces or privately,” describes Erbino.
The interior spaces blend the typical aesthetics of the Southern California lifestyle with elegant elements taken from the French countryside. The walls are filled with a soft color palette with touches of blue and green while others are decorated using panels of Calacatta marble and wood, giving the home that intangible essence of California.
The local flare is also celebrated with the natural woven works of Gregory Pinio. European sensibilities run throughout with artistic selections from textile house Pierre Frey, playful floral paper from luxury brand House of Hackney, and vintage lighting sourced from JF Chen and Galerie Half.
Custom-made steel windows and doors open to the grounds and invite an abundance of natural light while blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor programs for a complete outdoor feel. Matte surfaces and polished finishes enhance this feeling of ease.
With the aim of honoring the original architecture through contemporary interventions, Erbino has passed on the enormous responsibility to the new owners who will appreciate the importance of its existence. “I’ve always loved the neighborhood and the street,” he adds. “The possibilities for restoring Arthur Kelly House were very exciting, as were the possibilities for such a large property on an iconic street.”
To learn more about JD Irpino’s thoughtful practices, visit louisandrose.com.
Photography by Noé Fuchs.
