Mid-Century ‘Post and Beam’s’ in Southern California are wonderful time capsules from a special period in Los Angeles where the spatial quality of a single story with dynamic roof lines were more important than the amount of floor area that could be squeezed from a narrow swath of land. Dramatic glass walls framed by sloping beams and vaulted ceilings speak of the spatial romance the architects had with the climate, landscape, and the architectonics of post war America. 

This is the historical context for a special architectural gem in the Laurel Canyon Neighborhood. Originally designed by Donald Perry Polsky, a disciple of Neutra in the late 1950’s, the home was updated and expanded by Architect Jeffrey Eyster in 2008. As the saying goes, hindsight is always 20/20. Old design ideas, and past generations use of space can prove to be unsuccessful and unacceptable for today.

Opportunities can be found to help bring out its character with delicate interventions to respond to current cultural lifestyle. This was the case when Eyster notice some flaws and began proposing to correct the problems. The home was originally designed with a public wing and a private wing separated by a covered entry, interior foyer, atrium, and exterior garden dividing the home in half, under a vaulted roof gable and skylight with exposed roof joists. “This house is about the space under the roofline,'' said Eyster before beginning the remodel. The design strategy he employed was to turn the four glass-divided spaces under the gable into one, creating a long art-filled gallery and dining area.

In addition to cleaning up the atrium, Eyster added an enclosed garage to replace the original carport, a new bedroom, and an offset entrance from the gallery that hosts a basalt monolith water fountain.

Material Used:

1. Custom Portland Cement Plaster

2. Custom Stainless Steel Garage Doors

3. Custom Black Pigmented Concrete Floors