One of Craig Ellwood’s three contributions to the Case Study Program, the Salzman House, came to the open market this week and departed almost as soon as it arrived. Within three days the home was in pending status. It had been listed at a shadow under $3 million.
The enormously warm modern home features a series of competing earth tones and materials in its exterior, including bluestone tile, field stone, and red brick. The entrance offers transparency, and is sheltered by a metal overhang. From the street, its glassiness and strident lines hint at a living style that continues to appeal as progressive nearly 70 years after construction.
Within, the 1953-built house is divided neatly into utilitarian sections—‘day’ and ‘night’—with each designed for ideal functionality according to use. Like other Case Study designs, and midcentury modern designs in general, the common area is open and intended to facilitate social interaction. Blurring of interior/exterior living areas is also of primary importance, and the layout incorporates an interior garden with an open-roof section, as well as glass walls that offer views of Bel Air.