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 ~
ot every artist would chose to live in a house designed by a
master modernist. Of all people, artists need to remain true to
their own visual sensibilities and not feel confined by textbook
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definitions of appropriate design. Lari Pittman and Roy Dowell, d
who met as students at California Institute of the Arts 28 years
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ago, took this into consideration when they first looked at a
1953 house designed by Richard Neutra.
The two-bedroom, one-bath house-built for Neutra's secretary
III I
and her husband-is situated on a bluff in the foothills of La
Crescenta, an outlying suburb of Los Angeles. Floor-to-ceiling
'~:f':~
sliding doors run along the front of the house to take advantage of :II'~'" .\

-~.;! the heart-stopping view across the L.A. basin to the Pacific Ocean. \1'
• Pittman (at right in photo), a professor of art at UCLA, and )1,1\
Dowell, who chairs the graduate program at Otis College of Art ,,
and Design, are full of respect for the architect who pioneered
the use of glass walls to take advantage of the moderate
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Southern California climate. Yet neither artist works in a min-
imal manner, and they did not want to conform to the current .
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fad for decorating such houses with reproduction mid-century
modern furniture.
Neutra houses have been considered desirable properties for
decades but rarely come on the market in their original condi-
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tion. This 1,350-square-foot house had never suffered
improvement. It came with its original tiny bathroom and vintage 1:
kitchen appliances. Though modest, the house sat on six acres of 'II
land, which, as avid gardeners, the couple could not resist.
:1
PRODUCED BY ELANA FRANKEL AND LAURA HULL. PHOTOGRAPHS
TIM STREET-PORTER. WRITTEN BY HUNTER DROHOJOWSKA-PHILP.
BY
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MET HOME NOV/DEC 2003 129
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 1!Ppilythe hofu:e came with copies of the original plans. For
more documentation, Pittman and Dowell purchased vintage
prints of the place taken by famed photographer Julius Shulman
in 1955. Though a latter-daycloset blocked an atrium, the house
still had its original birch built-ins and a floating fireplace of Big
Bear stone. The artists realized that they were in possession of a
gem that didn't need recutting, only an affectionate polishing.
They went about their renovation with a light hand, wanting to
honor the architect's intentions but also wanting to insinuate
their own taste.
"I think there has been an unfortunate antiseptic revisionism
in approaching these houses," says Pittman, who once worked
in the showrooms of the late interior designer Angelo Donghia.
"vVeare respectful, but we weren't going to let the architecture
dictate the decor. We were going to decide on the decor."
When it came to color, the artists went back to basics. The
house had been painted in the neutrals often associated with
modernism, but Pittman and Dowell wanted to know what
Neutra had thought. They drove a screwdriver into the walls and
dug out samples of the original paint and returned the house to
Neutra's strong tones of cocoa, persimmon and pistachio.
The new owners hired designer Michael Berman to bring the
interior up to date. He chose a soft olive fabric to cover the ban-
quettes and designed a copper-based dining table of the same
golden birch used on the cabinets. The artists themselves are
responsible for furnishing the living room with strong sculp-
tural furniture, both modern pieces and such unusual artifacts
as an African bed used as a coffee table.
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130 MET HOME NOVIDEC 2003

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~=:acticismof the house comes naturally
.- ::---:;,~~:::...::.:=-~ In the front room, which Neutra labeled the lanai, the
-::;';'~-,,:; ~:::: 0: whom are known for using a variety of artists display a large collage by Dowell along with santos,
.-=--.--:,:- ~:::-~::: :l:err work. They're passionate about travel masks, pots and prison art. "Usually, we find things that
:;;-::::::?:: =":'- ';'-'0::-;; of other painters as well as pottery, stat- :11
interest us for their formal quality, their purpose or meaning,
"'-7 :; y~:: 5~tJsj and non-Western art. To meet the
~. --:;-:-'" :: ='0:':: -==-:- house, they rotate pieces, creating one
or just because of their uniqueness," Dowell explains. "Like
most collectors, we tend to buy things we both agree on. We
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look for things that reflect our individual personalities but Iii II
.-:..~
-.::.~ "'=::-~::=::othe house, the artists placed a vintage
c=-:::' '.c <- :;:;:€': ~~~2': next to a Moroccan wedding chest that is
also our unified personality." )
The artists went against Neutra in a single architectural deci-
~~:: -,,-:::: =: 52.::::'_ co mask and an antique bell. On the wall sion: A frosted-glass panel at the entrance ostensibly offered

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"?..:: =:.::::' :
~'?5"
:2:;:3o--=:; by Italian Arte Povera artist Alighiero
•. ''':'': ::O-:XGS COME FROM NECESSITY AND CHANCE.
:5~,":::::-oducinga level of artificiality into the decor
privacy, but the artists decided that the remoteness of their
location made visits by unexpected guests unlikely. With the
installation of clear glass, the entrance became a grand vista
1:'1

-:;:;--:..:=----=--..::::-s ='" strictness ofthe architecture," Pittman adds. straight through the house and out to the view. :111'
I

I.••.

MET HOME NOV/DEC 2003 133 I",

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 novemberdecember2003
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r' t A WORD ABOUT RESOURCES
i
i The information on the Resources pages is correct
and current to the best of our ability, but things
change fast in the design world. If you have trou-
r,!"i ble with a phone number or website, contact
'";:;
apearce@hfmus.com. Not everything in the
homes we photograph, however, is available for
sale. If you are interested in a product that is not
included here, it is likely that the piece is antique,
one-of-a-kind or out of production, and therefore
not easily available.
CORRECTION , _
111' On Page 100 of the Sept/Oct issue the Donna
-~
Karan New York bed ensemble was misrepresent-
ed. Polished Glacier, ranging from $115-$625, is
available at Bloomingdale's, 212/705-2160.
C.OYER
Chairs: Oom Grande Swivel Lounge Chair with
walnut base; Coffee table: I Swivel U Swivel in
walnut finish; Striped rug: Reef Rug in Orange-
Pink; Carved wood doors: custom Dialogica; all
available through Dialogica; New York, 212/966-
1934; Los Angeles, 310/888-0008; dialogica.com.
EDITOR'S PAGE""- _ 323/665-3801; Page 130,13'1 Slipper chair: Crate
Page 36 Clothes: Nicole Farhi, 212/223-8811;
undermount basins
Hair, makeup: Eva Scrivo, 212/677-7315.
HOME FROM WORK
freestondinq basins
Unless otherwise indicated, most items shown are
available through Dialogica, New York, 212/966-
integral counters
1934; Los Angeles, 310/888-0008; dialogica.com.
Page 120 Chairs: Oom Grande Swivel lounge
countertops & chair with walnut base; Coffee table: I Swivel U
S-wivel in walnut finish; Striped rug: Reef rug in
furniture Orange-Pink; Carved wood doors: custom Dialog-
ica; Page 121 (Photo, left) Sofa: Beldiv sofa in
for the bath Barley; Rug: Polka rug in Orange; Lamp: De Moore
lamp with silk shade and walnut finish; (Photo,
right) Rug: Polka rug in Orange; Table: Malindi
laminated glass two-level side table in walnut, Page 122,123
White sofas: Beldiv sofas in Barley; Brown arm-
chair: Thomas lounge chair; Round top wooden
side table: Malindi two-level side table in walnut;
Table with plant on top: Spin pedestal in ma-
hogany; Cabinets: custom Soho cabinet in walnut;
Orange chair: Oom Grande S-wivel lounge chair
with walnut base; Striped rug: Reef rug in Orange-
Pink; Page 124,125 Mirror: custom Dialogica;
VITRAFORM
3500 Blake Street Denver CO 80205
Tel 877.338.5725 www.vitraform.com 174 MET HOME NOV/DEe 2003
Table: Afra table with carved wood base; Chairs:
Audrey chair; Curved metal floor lamp: Arco
lamp through Flos, 631/549-2745; Chair fabric:
Kravet, 800/648-5728; Page 126 (Photo, left) Cab-
inets: custom Dialogica; Sinks: Elkay, 630/572-
3192; Dishwasher: Bosch, 800/866-2022;
Chandeliers: Flos, 631/549-2745; Chairs: Kartell,
212/966-6665; (Photo, right) Orange chair: Splash
Kids; Cabinets, bed, nightstand: custom Dialogi-
ca; Bedding: Pottery Barn Kids, 800/430-7373;
Curtains: Gretchen Bellinger wool, 518/235-2828;
Rug: Provence in orange wool; Page 127 Bed:
Lana; Bedding: Dialogica Essentials bedding col-
lection; Chair: Splash chair; Rug: Champagne
brown rug in looped wool.
DESERT CLASSlC
Design Consultant: Michael Berman Designs,
323/933-0220; Page 128, '129 Table: Design
Within Reach, 800/944-2233; Chairs around
table: Shelter, 323/937-3222; Stool: African from
the Ernie WoIfe Gallery, 310/478-2960; Chairs on
right: Ethiopian from Craft Caravan. 212/431-
6669; Planters: Los Feliz Pottery & Statuary,
& Barrel, 800/967-6696; Slipper chair fabric: Dia-
mond Foam & Fabric, 323/931-8148; Rattan chair:
Anthropologie, 800/309-2500; Coffee table:
African from the Ernie Wolfe Gallery, 310/478-
2960; Pillows: Jonathan Adler, 800/657-7752;
Lamp: Downtown, 310/652-7461; Page 132
Chair: Donghia, 800/366-4442; Chest: Moroccan
wedding chest from Jacques Carcanagues, Inc.,
212/925-8110; Stool: African from the Ernie
Wolfe Gallery, 310/478-2960; Page 133 (Photo,
lower left) Pillows: Michael Berman Designs.
323/933-0220; Pillow with cross: Jonathan Adler,
800/657-7752; (photo, lower right) Chairs: 1950s
Bert Englund through Room 107, 626/432-4867;
Pillows on bench: Michael Berman Designs,
323/933-0220; Stool: African from Craft Caravan,
212/431-6669; Page 134, 135 Table, chairs:
through Modernica, 323/934-1254; Floor cush-
ions: Crate & Barrel, 800/967-6696.
MAINE AN"'D •..S"'I.llIMuP::JoL
.••
E'-- _
Architecture, Design: Chris Raphael and Pe&,"Y
Wanamaker, Wanamaker Raphael Design,
207/326-8235, wanamakerraphael.com; Contrac-