Egyptian Revival at 2700 Glendower, Southwestern #TBT (throw back thursday) to the early 90’s.
During the 1990’s, I lived in the guesthouse of this Egyptian Revival home located in Los Feliz, an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood. I was lamenting in my previous post about the newest decor of this home, which is currently for sale, that its mid-century modern/hollywood regency makeover seemed so out of place. Until I found these photos in my archives, I’d forgotten just how southwestern the previous decor was. I realize that most period interiors become dated at some point, but it greatly pains me to see so much handcrafted work completely wiped out… not to mention the loss of raw materials. I guess that’s the nature of living in Los Angeles, people spend crazy amounts of money to customize their homes to their specific tastes. I just wish this homes latest incarnation at least gave a nod to something Egyptian, like the use of black sexy raw materials. Imagine the floors or kitchen cabinets with an ebony stain, or wallpaper with a bit of gold leaf, the reusing of the trapezoid shape that defines the homes exterior repeated indoors… something that would tie the interior to the exterior in a contemporary yet sophisticated way. The same goes for the light fixtures. I feel like the current renovations, seen in my previous post, could be dropped into any hollywood ‘box home’. However, this isn’t just any hollywood box home, it’s a very specific and rare bird, one that should be celebrated… not ignored.
I have no clue if southwestern interiors will ever come back into style to the degree that they were in the 80’s, unless of course you’re actually living in the southwest, then they’re always appropriate. But I’m watching the clothing industry rotate through fashion cycles at break neck speeds, and 80’s inspired hair and clothing have certainly resurfaced. Therefore, I’m going to give you a breakdown on some the interior elements that Michele created with her British Blue Blood designer that really stand out to me. I don’t recall just how many years they spent working on the home, but I do know that it was a true labor of love. Ideas were always being tossed about, and then the experimentation to create the ‘product’ began.
I know my vegan friends will hate me for this, but one of my favorite wall treatments was the use of that cowhide on the wall, with the animal ‘cut-outs’ inset into the wainscot. To this day, I’ve never seen anything quite like it, even in print. And the amount of work that went into creating it was painstaking. This isn’t like wallpaper that comes pre-made in a roll form the Pacific Design Center. It’s made on site, piece by piece. The same goes for the finishes on the kitchen cabinets, the bookcase in the hallway to the dining rooms, not to mention those handcrafted ceilings.
I also remember the wow factor the first time I saw the framed art in the hallway, with the shattered glass in the bottom of the shadow boxes. As delicate as some of it looked, it was quite durable and resilient. There were always 3 very large dogs running through the home: a doberman, an alaskan malamute, and a husky/timber wolf mix (cody, my fave). They were always slipping and sliding on the rugs, but that’s about the worst of it. The wood plank floors were chosen with them in mind.
And then there’s that oval coffee table in front of the copper fireplace upstairs. Again, as I mentioned before, it was originally built to hold a child’s casket, and someone had the brilliant idea to put glass on top of it instead. That’s what makes a home great, it’s stories. It’s what gives a home character, depth, warmth, personality. It’s current incarnation completely lacks that (have I said that enough?). Maybe my biggest issue is that I resent not being able to afford this home and give it the love and care that it truly deserves. If you’re that person, call Carol Dotson at 310.927.4107 and then lets chat!
