There's a film producer in Los Angeles by the name of Michael LaFetra, a man who rather prolifically restores architecturally significant Southern California homes as a (very profitable) hobby. He's owned designs by masters like John Lautner, Pierre Koenig, Richard Neutra, and Rudolph Schindler. Curbed LA once wrote, "You know a house is a modernist wonder if it's been owned by [LaFetra]." So, while slightly anachronistic from his usual midcentury fare, it's hardly surprising that the Schnabel House in Brentwood, Calif., a blocky residence designed in 1989 by controversial post-modernist Frank Gehry, is owned by the producer. Similarly unsurprising: according to the Journal it's about to be hulked onto the market asking $14.995M, or $5.495 more than the $9.5M he paid for it just last year.
The house's six bedrooms and six bathrooms are spread throughout several separate structures—"bad weather is rarely a problem thanks to the local climate," writes the WSJ—one housing a living room, kitchen, and dining room, another that serves as a guesthouse, a little white office structure (the one topped with a little silver ball hat), staff quarters, and a master bedroom on a reflecting pool. In all it's utter Gehry: head-scratchingly asymmetric and more than likely about to ignite some, err, passionate commentary.
· Frank Gehry-Designed Home Will List for $14.995 Million [WSJ]
· 526 North Carmelina Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. [Douglas Elliman]
· All Michael La Fetra coverage [Curbed LA]
· All Frank Gehry coverage [Curbed National]