Issue 286  December 29th 2021

Midcentury Skolnik Residence In L.A. Lands On The Market For $4M

For the first time in almost three decades, the Samuel and Bertha Skolnik residence, designed by architect Rudolph Schindler, is on the market for $4 million in Los Angeles.

It’s been exquisitely maintained since its inception in the early 1950s, and was last sold in 1994 for $525,000. Completed in 1952, it was one of the last homes that the prolific Schindler completed before he died in 1953.

“The house is essentially a carousel, an open space with a merry-go-round in the middle,” Schindler’s biographer Esther McCoy said of this design. The reference to the carousel refers to the fact that the architecture conveys the effect of rotating around the central pivot point of a stylish, indoor-outdoor fireplace. As light passes through the translucent fiberglass roofing and the sun moves through the sky, the home almost feels as if it is slowly rotating.

The Skolnik House features 2,357 feet of living space and sits on a terraced lot with views of Los Angeles below. Previous owners have been careful to preserve and restore the classic residence, and prominent architects have been involved in the property’s expansion and alteration. See the photos here.

Click for more details: realtor.com  

Lloyd Wright's Kropp House Finally Sells

The only residence in Illinois designed by Lloyd Wright has finally sold after more than five years on the market. The five-bedroom, star-shaped house that sits on 30 acres in the Chicago area village of Grayslake sold for $2.3 million, Crain’s reported.

The 5,950-square-foot house was built in 1952 when Roy and Irene Kropp commissioned Wright to design it. He designed the hilltop home with an octagonal living room, interior columns that taper at the bottom, Arizona limestone floors and a long zigzagging glass wall.

Lloyd Wright only designed two buildings in his home state of Illinois, making the house a piece of history. The other building he designed was the Good Shepherd Community Church. He and his son completed the church in 1961 and it was bought by Maine Township in 1983 to house the township’s offices.

The buyers of the home, Gabby Sloan and Brian Thompson, said that in addition to living in the home themselves, they also plan to move their Barrington Hills dog training and boarding business, Happy Pup Manor, to the property.

The pair will do some renovations to the home and update the utilities, but Sloan says they will work closely with an architect to make sure they won’t be “messing something up.” More here.

Click for more details: therealdeal.com  

Wright Plus 2022 Ticket Sales Open Saturday

Set a reminder for New Year's Day—Wright Plus Architectural Housewalk tickets go on sale this Saturday, January 1!

This coming year, Wright Plus will feature the following spectacular residences designed or remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright: the Hills De-Caro House (1906), the Laura Robeson Gale House (1909), and the Dr. William H. and Frances Copeland House (1909).

Guests will also enjoy tours of these beautiful, private homes in the surrounding historic neighborhood: • David J. Kennedy House (Patton & Fisher, 1888) • David J. Kennedy Coach House (Patton & Fisher, 1888) • James T. Hayden House (William K. Johnston, 1893) • A.C. Reed House (Unknown architect, 1893) • John Vette House (William G. Barfield, 1905)

It's a chance to see the insides of some of Oak Park's most beautiful homes and support the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust as well! The Wright Plus Architectural Housewalk is Saturday, May 21 in Oak Park, IL. Get more details and pre-order tickets here.

Click for more details: flwright.org