’70s Frank Gehry home gets a minimalist makeover

Back in 1975, before Frank Gehry was a phenom of deconstructivism and became the starchitect who flipped off the industry, Gehry finished a bunkeresque 3,431-square-foot home for prolific art collectors Peter and Ann Janss. Today, that home has a new owner—an artist—and a new modern look courtesy of a renovation designed by Dan Brunn Architecture.

When the Janss family put the home on the market in 2014, it was certainly showing its age with green kitchen cabinets a drab staircase, and an under-used lounge area in the back of the main gallery/living room. But Brunn’s team managed to pull off a clean, modern makeover without drastically changing Gehry’s bones.

The home’s open, gallery-like layout remains. As does its central skylight. But the kitchen got a bright white overhaul with minimal detail. The staircase was replaced with a gorgeous confection of paneling and handmade wooden slats creating a kind of undulating optical illusion. The simple concrete floor has been sealed and polished, providing a weight and grounding to the high-ceilinged, nearly all-white home.

But the real gem is in that lounge area in the rear of the home. Brunn transformed it into a library, installing a builtin murphy bed and a pivoting wall so that it doubles as a guest room. The room’s large window wall is now framed by a tea house-inspired platform—a sort of giant reading nook furnished with giant cushions, overlooking the lush yard beyond.

Via: Designboom