The Lew House Press
Press
The Lew House
A Classic Uncovered
March 3, 2002 || Los Angeles Times Magazine
Production executive Stokely Chaffin doesnāt need a garage door opener. When she returns to her home in the hills above West Hollywood, she drives under the burlap curtain that hangs across the double carport as if sheās driving through a carwash.
Burlap is just one of the touches that makes Chaffinās residence unique. Built by architect Richard Neutra in the late 1950s, the 2,000-square-foot two-story home sits on the edge of a canyon. A carport and its jutting roof dominate the structureās facade, and the light-filled interiors are surrounded by broad cantilevered decks that project over the rear garden at the foot of the slope.
āI found it by accident while dating a guy who lived around the corner. I walked in and exclaimed āGoodness, this is my house!ā ā Chaffin recalls. āI looked at 40 more and kept coming back to this one, even though it wasnāt so pretty at that time and I couldnāt afford to buy it.ā Growing up in Alabama with two sisters in an old house she describes as āalways upside down,ā she was intrigued by the prospect of living by herself in a crisp, angular space. When the Neutra house dropped out of escrow and the price came down, she jumped at the opportunity.
Chaffin selected architects Leo Marmol and Ron Radziner of Marmol Radziner + Associates to restore her home after seeing pictures of their work at Neutraās Kaufmann house in Palm Springs. āAt one point I wanted concrete floors, illuminated counters and splashes of red,ā she says. āLeo smiled and nodded, but was smart enough to realize I didnāt really want to live in a nightclub.ā Marmol, who supervised the yearlong upgrade, remembers that āthe house was dingy–we had to wake it up. She gave us a 12-page wish list and we had to prioritize that to achieve the greatest impact on a tight budget.ā
The team installed white oak floors in the upstairs living area, guest bedroom and downstairs master suite. Next they stained the oak floors and surrounding redwood decks and paneled one of the living room walls in birch to create a sense of unity between indoors and outdoors. Yet the room retains an airiness with its white plaster walls, silver window frames and a narrow chrome support column, which stands in the homeās center.
Neutraās original design called for floor-to-ceiling glass for two of the carport walls, which afforded passersby a view of the homeās interior. Later owners covered these windows with chip board and wood siding for privacy and to shut out traffic noise. Marmol and Radziner reinstalled the glass but also added a low wall around the staircase opening, which partially obscures the interior from public view. Chaffinās burlap curtain provides an additional layer of privacy, and when the wall went in, Chaffin said she felt even less exposed.
The architects unblocked a side window in the guest room, rebuilt the kitchen with dark cabinets and installed a geometric fireplace in the downstairs bedroom. These improvements enhanced the basic character of the house as an indoors-outdoors space with its stunning view of the canyon and the distant towers of downtown. The deck, protected from sun and rain by the projecting roof, wraps around two sides of the living room. Exterior steps lead from the deck off of the master bedroom to the garden, and two towering palms provide a visual anchor.
āThis is a house that doesnāt need a lot of stuff,ā says Chaffin. āLike Michelle Pfeiffer, it looks beautiful without makeup. It gives me a feeling of happiness from the time I get up in the morning, and it improves my attitude toward the world.ā
More About The Lew House
A Classic Uncovered
Production executive Stokely Chaffin doesnāt need a garage door opener. When she returns to her home in the hills above West Hollywood, she drives under the burlap curtain that hangs across the double carport as if sheās driving through a carwash.
- LA Times Magazine
- March 3, 2002
Lew house
- Marmol Radziner
Soak up the Hollywood views at Richard Neutraās freshly restored Lew House
- The Spaces
The Lew House
The Lew House is an exquisite, four-bedroom luxury residence in Hollywood about a mile from Sunset Strip. Designed by Richard Neutra, renowned pioneer of midcentury modern architecture, the villa is practically a museum of modernist design and contemporary art, while welcoming deluxe relaxation and festive entertainment in its stunning indoor and outdoor living areas.