David Stringer’s 1963 Oak Knoll House in Pasadena

[00:00:00][music] [music] >> All right. So, we're out in Pasadena in Oakhnoll.

[00:00:17]Whenever I see that [music] someone described this as you know, renowned architect and acclaimed builder, I know it's going to be somebody great that we've never heard of.

[00:00:26]>> Yeah.

[00:00:26]>> That's the case. So, it's David Stringer.

[00:00:30]>> David Stringer >> is the architect, [music] David Stringer, and builders who I can't remember, who apparently did a lot of mid-century stuff. And I mean, this is incredibly good architecture, but >> [music] >> neither of us have heard of David Stringer, nor has the internet, nor chat GPT, nor anyone other than the listing agents.

[00:00:47]But, we love it.

[00:00:47]>> We don't know if he's done anything else, either, right?

[00:00:49]>> But, he probably studied architecture at your alma mater, at USC. [music] The only game in town back in 1963 when this house was built.

[00:00:56]>> [music] >> And I liked what you were talking about when we walked up. What does this make you think of?

[00:01:02]>> [music] >> me think of the Craig Elwood. It was built around the same exact time, I think.

[00:01:05]>> In the neighborhood.

[00:01:06]>> In the neighborhood, exactly. But, it's got this It looks like it's [music] platform on the front end here. The only difference is, which you pointed out, is that the Kubly house is all about the post and beams, and that one was kind of special because [music] the beams were on the exterior, so you really couldn't see them on the interior, a lot like this one.

[00:01:23]>> It [music] reminds me of the Harvard Five in New Canaan, Connecticut. And um it's got kind of an East Coast modernism. In a way, Pasadena is like the East [music] Coast of the West Coast because people from the East Coast were coming out here at the turn of the last century.

[00:01:41]I feel [music] like this house reminds me of those architects because it's more plainer. And we do see some exposed structure inside, but um [music] I love the way the wall extends beyond, you know, this front facade wall extends beyond the building envelope and [music] this I thought this was a an I-beam but I think it's a wood element [music] that looks like steel supporting the platform or plinth that you are resonating with.

[00:02:10]>> Yeah, I remember what I was what I was going [music] to say now that what's different about this one and the Kublai house is that it looks like it's on a platform on the front side, but on the backside [music] is total slab on grade.

[00:02:20]>> Right.

[00:02:21]>> Um the thing I love about this house the most actually is [music] and this is how I makes it super architectural for me is that when you're coming up and you're walking into the house, [music] the path of travel is you're meandering through, but you're getting glimpses of this access here and this linear line here for me totally makes the house because from [music] this view here, you could see right through it to the pool and then in the pool it has these notches in there almost continuing [music] that access all the way through it.

[00:02:48]>> That's true. I'm glad you brought that up because on on one hand it's very axial. It is almost, you know, Palladian and in plan [music] it's it's rotationally symmetrical on two axes, you know, >> [music] >> um the public areas are separated from the private on this axis and then there's [music] another strong hallway axis, but this entry is really kind of evocative of the Japanese influence [music] of modernism and, you know, bonsai and the Huntington Library nearby all come to mind we're [music] in this really mature landscape and you're kind of encouraged to experience that by the meandering path.

[00:03:26]>> Yeah, and then as soon as you enter again, you're kind of entering I love [music] when you're entering into a home and you really feels like you're entering into the exterior almost.

[00:03:34][music] >> Yes.

[00:03:35]>> Right?

[00:03:36]>> Exactly.

[00:03:36]>> But the public spaces are on this side of the wing and then on this side they're all bedrooms, right? I don't remember seeing a bedroom on that side. [music] >> You're right. And that but this brick path the way it continues from the exterior at the front [music] to the interior to the exterior and then bridges over the pool with a little connection of water underneath is >> [music] >> really dynamic. But, this has a really um exceptional collection of original finishes. [music] You know, we've got the parquet floor, the original cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms with the [music] knife hinges, and these gorgeous lucite knobs.

[00:04:14]That [music] brick fireplace, which you were pointing out, is incredible.

[00:04:18]And then, the [music] cottage cheese ceiling, which, you know, back in the day we were all dying to scrape off until Tom [music] Ford came into our listing at the Pierre Koenig Beagles house, and, >> [music] >> you know, said, "No, don't touch that.

[00:04:31]That is a signifier and should be preserved." [music] So, now we love cottage cheese, and this has it.

[00:04:38]>> One of the things I like about this house is [music] it it's We don't really use the word luxury, but it's luxurious in [music] that the primary suite has two bathrooms. So, two completely full bathrooms.

[00:04:51]And then, I what I liked Somebody's doing it now. Somebody's doing it now.

[00:04:55]I like that they hid closet space.

[00:04:58]There's a lot of closet space, but you could never You wouldn't even be able to tell because of the way that it's designed. But, that's one of the things [music] that they did back in the day is there was always a lot of closet space.

[00:05:07]I find that newer homes the closet space feels like an afterthought.

[00:05:12]>> It's true, but it's like the only way to keep a minimalist modern space [music] clean is to throw all your tchotchkes in those cabinets. Yeah.

[00:05:19]>> Yeah.

[00:05:19]>> Now, when you pointed that out, I was looking at the raised hearth in the fireplace. So, the fireplace hearth has been brought [music] up to eye level when you're sitting in a couch.

[00:05:28]Um that cove ceiling with the soffited light fixtures washing the ceiling is really magical.

[00:05:35]>> Mhm.

[00:05:36]>> This glass, [music] I, you know, someone should DM us and tell us what this glass is because that's original 1963 [music] patterned glass.

[00:05:45]Um and then, >> speaking of these, These not windows.

[00:05:49]These are actual doors. So, these all slide open. They're original um, doors.

[00:05:54]And what's nice is that there's no railing. So, when you open it up, it's like you're >> [music] >> directly on the exterior.

[00:06:00]>> And that's the kind of stuff that makes this house, the fact that nobody has come in and replace this with [music] Fleetwood. Everybody wants Fleetwood.

[00:06:07]And, you know, you've got these original aluminum sliders that are still working fine with the original hardware.

[00:06:13]And, you know, no, you wouldn't be able to do that with no guard rails now. You wouldn't be able to do much of this because, you know, floor-to-ceiling glass, um, single pane.

[00:06:23]It's all super elegant and not [music] possible to do anymore.

[00:06:44]Let's go to the >> cheat sheet. So, I'm going to try this for memory. I believe [music] that this is a four-bedroom, five-bathroom house that is about [music] 3,500 square feet and it's listed at 3.8 million.

[00:06:56]I think I nailed it. And, um, the listing agents are Lexi Newman and her co-listing agent who's not on any of our cheat sheets, [music] so I can't shout them out by name, but Lexi was kind enough to host us. And, let's do a little shout out to our favorite stagers, Odin [music] and Friday.

[00:07:15]Eden and Alara at Odin and Friday staged this house in a way that looks like somebody with great taste [music] lives here. Their staging is not real estate staging. It's like boutique, you know, curation. And, all the way down to the books [music] and the artwork that, you know, they're scouring the city and the countryside. They're going out to Bakersfield [music] and finding really cool stuff to include in an installation like this that people walk in and they don't think it's been staged.

[00:07:43]>> That's a really nice shout-out.

[00:07:59]>> And [music] what's our call to action? Our dreaded call to action.

[00:08:03]>> two of them now.

[00:08:04]>> Yeah.

[00:08:05]>> What are they?

[00:08:06]>> Well, one of them is if you guys are looking for architecture to buy or sell, >> Yeah.

[00:08:10]>> give us a call. We'll have all of our information listed.

[00:08:13]>> We want to represent you on this house.

[00:08:15]>> Yes.

[00:08:16]>> buyers agents, we're listing agents, but if you want to buy this house or see it, call us.

[00:08:21]>> Yeah, and then the other is that if you've got an architecturally significant home and you'd like to share it with the world, Brian and I will come to you and we will share it. I primarily Los Angeles, I should say.

[00:08:33]>> I mean, we're thinking about a drive to Arizona to check out some cool piece of architecture buried in the desert, but yeah, we do this kind of for fun and profit. Sometimes we're the listing agents, sometimes we're the buyers agents, sometimes we're just on home tours. You know, we went to John Lautner's Sheats-Goldstein the other day.

[00:08:50]Um we're always checking out great architecture just for fun and we love documenting it on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. And so, if you would like to share your home with us, we'd love to share it with the world.

[00:09:03]>> Absolutely.

[00:09:04]>> All right.

[00:09:05]>> high five.