{"id":286066,"date":"2025-11-11T21:46:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T21:46:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/286066\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T21:46:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T21:46:23","slug":"a-historic-midcentury-modern-home-by-raphael-soriano-is-reborn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/286066\/","title":{"rendered":"A historic Midcentury Modern home by Raphael Soriano is reborn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every so often, Linda Brettler<\/a> walks down the long walkway to her Raphael Soriano-designed home, turns the corner to the front door, and thinks, \u201cI can\u2019t believe I get to live here.\u201d<\/p>\n

It could be the 1964 home\u2019s aluminum framework. Or the 28 sliding glass doors that seamlessly blend the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Or the floating cabinetry units Soriano designed in place of walls, laminated in warm shades of lavender, mustard, orange and blue micarta. Or the yellow Formica kitchen, with its Pyrex hot plate, wall-mounted radio, original Eames barstools and drop-leaf dining table still intact \u2014 all charming throwbacks to a simpler time.<\/p>\n

\"An <\/p>\n

Brettler\u2019s home is the only existing all-aluminum house by famed architect Raphael Soriano, which was built it in 1964 for Albert Grossman, an aluminum manufacturer and contractor.<\/p>\n

Or … well, you get the picture. The 62-year-old architect\u2019s list of things she loves about her home is long, even though the all-aluminum structure, which was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1997<\/a>, was in desperate need of updating when she purchased it for $3.14 million in 2021<\/a>. \u201cI like doing projects like this where I get to have my own hand and feel but I\u2019m still honoring what was here,\u201d Brettler says. \u201cI\u2019m trying to create an idealized version of what the house would look like now.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an advocate for historical preservation in Los Angeles, Brettler was surprised when people presumed she would remove many of the home\u2019s original details such as the energy-inefficient sliding glass doors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey said, \u2018You\u2019re going to change that, right?\u2019\u201d Brettler says. \u201cI was like, \u2018Are you kidding? They are the soul of the house.\u2019 I can\u2019t change the doors. It would completely ruin the effect of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A reproduction of a Millard Sheets painting, rendered by Cal Poly Pomona students on Tyvek, is mounted on a cork-lined wall in the dining room.<\/p>\n

Others assumed she would remodel the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d she recalls. \u201cThis micarta is 60 years old, and it\u2019s perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Built on an oblong lot overlooking Studio City, the four-bedroom home was conceived by Soriano<\/a> as an all-aluminium structure for Albert Grossman, an aluminium manufacturer and contractor. Known for his thoughtful, modular designs incorporating glass and steel, such as the 1950 Case Study House<\/a> in Pacific Palisades and the photographer Julius Shulman\u2019s home and studio<\/a> in the Hollywood Hills, Soriano developed a prefabricated aluminum system called Soria structures that were shipped and assembled on site. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt really is \u2018a machine for living,\u2019\u201d Brettler says, referencing Le Corbusier\u2019s famous phrase that homes should be efficient.<\/p>\n

\"Architect <\/p>\n

Adding lighting above and below the cabinets made a huge difference in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\" <\/p>\n

Brettler kept the home\u2019s original hot plate, which still works, and added a Miele induction range. <\/p>\n

Grossman, who dubbed the house \u201cEl Paradiso\u201d because of its minimal upkeep<\/a>, and his wife, Simonne, went on to raise four children in the home and lived there for more than 50 years, until the family sold it for $2.475 million in 2016.<\/p>\n

Five years later, the house hit the market again, with the homeowners confiding to Brettler that it was \u201ca very difficult house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was almost like they were living in a ruin,\u201d Brettler says. \u201cNone of the appliances worked. They didn\u2019t know how to fix anything because there were no walls, no attic or basement.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an architect, Brettler delighted in this type of problem-solving. \u201cThere was not a standard way of doing things,\u201d she says of the renovation. \u201cIt really challenged me. Every time there was a problem, I had to come up with a creative solution. It made it really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

\"Eames <\/p>\n

2 <\/p>\n

\"Richard <\/p>\n

3 <\/p>\n

\"Yellow <\/p>\n

4 <\/p>\n

\"Architect <\/p>\n

1. Many of the home\u2019s original furnishings were sold with the house including the Eames barstools from Herman Miller. 2. Richard Schultz patio furniture. 3. Brettler paired the home\u2019 original chairs with a vintage rug from Edward Fields (and pillows from Home Goods). 4. Brettler found a photo album documenting the home\u2019s construction in storage under the house. <\/p>\n

The second owners, however, left the house untouched, even leaving many of the Grossmans\u2019 Midcentury Modern furnishings<\/a> for the next steward, such as a pair of oversize brass-and-cork floor lamps, a round dining-room table, a Thayer Coggin sofa and Richard Schultz chaises and umbrellas by the pool.<\/p>\n

The home\u2019s time-capsule state was both a blessing and a curse. \u201cNo one wanted the house,\u201d Brettler says, noting the things that needed to be updated including the outdated heating and electrical systems, laminate that needed to be re-glued, antiquated appliances and the sliding glass doors, many of which didn\u2019t open as the house shifted over the years.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

Brettler has come to enjoy the openness of the primary bedroom. \u201cNow when I stay in a \u2018normal\u2019 bedroom, I feel so boxed in,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

One reason for the disinterest, Brettler thinks, was the home\u2019s historic status. Grossman\u2019s office, for instance, which he added atop the carport in 1971, had all the makings of a primary bedroom suite, if only you could add a bathroom (which you can\u2019t). And when it came to artwork, how do you hang pictures on aluminum walls? <\/p>\n

In the living room, for example, Brettler cleverly hung a Midcentury ceramic wall hanging from a curved piece of rebar she mounted on top of a storage unit. And in the dining room, a reproduction of a Millard Sheets painting, rendered by Cal Poly Pomona students on Tyvek, is mounted on a cork-lined wall.<\/p>\n

Much to her delight, Brettler discovered Soriano\u2019s original blueprints, along with laminate and cork samples, and a scrapbook detailing the construction process, stored beneath the house.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

The house has many secrets, Brettler says, including hidden built-in desks and … <\/p>\n

\" <\/p>\n

A pass-through window that connects Grossman\u2019s original office and the primary bedroom. <\/p>\n

With blueprints and vintage photographs as inspiration, Brettler tried to honor Soriano\u2019s original vision as she worked for more than a year to bring the house back to life.<\/p>\n

She started by securing the property\u2019s front entrance with recycled perforated screens and new landscaping. \u201cI wanted it to feel like you\u2019re leaving reality and entering a magical world,\u201d she says of the walkway, which now features lush plants that add privacy and a welcoming water fountain.<\/p>\n

Brettler also removed a glass-enclosed dining room with bubble skylights that had been added, turning it into a courtyard as Soriano had initially intended. A new sunken firepit was installed low to complement the house. \u201cI wanted it to feel cantilevered and light because I didn\u2019t want it to block the views,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"Linda <\/p>\n

Brettler is framed by opposing laminate in blue and yellow in the primary bathroom.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Brettler uncovered a Roman tub when she was updating the primary bathroom. She kept the bath and added a tiled wall and shower for privacy. <\/p>\n

Her appreciation for original details, however, did not mean that everything would stay the same. Brettler removed the shag carpeting in the living area and bedroom and poured terrazzo floors to match the original floors throughout the house, many of which had to be repaired. Upstairs in Grossman\u2019s office, which is now her architecture studio, she also removed the shag carpeting and replaced it with colorful cork flooring designed to feel like \u201cfallen, random leaves,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In the living room, Brettler added electric shades to help cool the interiors, and in the kitchen, LED lighting above and below the cabinets to brighten the home\u2019s inefficient fluorescent lighting.<\/p>\n

Outside, Brettler redid the pool, which was falling apart, and added a bathroom, a bar and concrete pavers that will move with earthquakes. Brettler wanted the pool, which she swims in every day, to feel like a lake and used 10 different kinds of tile similar to the water fountain in front.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

In the evening, the new sunken firepit is the hub of the home. <\/p>\n

Along the way, there were some fun surprises. When she went to update one of the bathrooms, for instance, Brettler uncovered the home\u2019s original Roman tub, which she preserved.<\/p>\n

After living in a Spanish villa in Hollywood<\/a> with her ex-husband, \u201cMad Men\u201d creator Matthew Weiner, and their four children, Brettler says she wanted something different. \u201cMy Spanish house was amazing but very compartmentalized,\u201d she says. \u201cNow that my kids are grown, I wanted everything here to be communal, and this is perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

With two of her sons living with her in the home, Brettler says, \u201cWe all have our own little bedrooms here. This house is an entirely different way of living that suits where I am now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\" <\/p>\n

\u201cThe house doesn\u2019t feel industrial,\u201d Brettler says. \u201cIt has so much character.\u201d <\/p>\n

Renovating a historic home, as Brettler discovered, is a careful dance between how much you change while being respectful of the original details. But she doesn\u2019t believe landmark homes should be fossils either. \u201cNo one could live in them, \u201c she says. \u201cYou want to make it your own. It\u2019s your house, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brettler may have designed a home for who she is today, but she can\u2019t forget the historic home\u2019s legacy. She plans to share the house with the public, including a Friday tour sponsored by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects.<\/a> <\/p>\n

Asked recently whether she felt like she was talking to the architect during the renovation, Brettler took it a step further. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m dancing with Soriano … and the owners,\u201d she says. \u201cThe first time I saw the house, I thought \u2018We belong together.\u2019 I feel their presence here with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

AIA Arch Tour Fest: El Paradiso<\/p>\n

What: Architect Linda Brettler will open her historic home to the public and lead a tour as part of the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles\u2019 annual Arch Tour Fest. <\/p>\n

When: 1 to 2 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Tickets: $20 to $55<\/p>\n

Info: aialosangeles.org<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every so often, Linda Brettler walks down the long walkway to her Raphael Soriano-designed home, turns the corner…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286067,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[150804,150803,228,226,227,69849,229,88,129554,101201,2976,7231,150801,11104,4281,32003,150802,16153,52346,2394],"class_list":["post-286066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-62-year-old-architect","tag-albert-grossman","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-bathroom","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-glass-door","tag-hollywood-hills","tag-home","tag-house","tag-linda-brettler","tag-living","tag-los-angeles-times","tag-pool","tag-raphael-soriano","tag-thing","tag-wall","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}