House 1 – This lovely Mediterranean-style abode makes good use of tile
I love Carthay Circle, the half-square-mile mostly residential neighborhood between Pico and Wilshire and Fairfax and Crescent Heights. Dating back to the 1920s, the area is chock full of lovely homes and thankfully is a Los Angeles city-designated Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, which mostly protects it from dreadful McMansions and other eyesores.
Carthay Circle (and its adjacent Carthay Square and Carthay South) was developed by J. Harvey McCarthy between 1922 and 1944. Enchanted by California history, he named the streets in honor of prominent figures of the California Gold Rush. The architecture is dominated by Spanish Colonial Revival, but you can also find Tudor Revival, French Normandy and American Colonial Revival. And it was once home to the famed Carthay Circle Theater, site of such film premieres as “Snow White” and “Gone with the Wind.”
House 2 – This Colonial Revival home is simple, elegant and well proportioned
I thought it would be fun to take you along a quick tour of the area and point out some of my favorite houses, along with an eyesore (even neighborhoods designated historically preserved can end up with some atrocious renovations).
House 1 – This lovely Mediterranean-style abode makes good use of tile and it features authentic pilasters (flattened-out columns) around the windows. I’m not crazy, however, with the overhanging window treatments on the first floor.
House 2 – This Colonial Revival home is simple, elegant and well proportioned. It’s a good counterpoint to L.A.’s Spanish Colonial Revival and gives an historical elegance to our city. That’s one of the architectural features of L.A. that I love – the blending of architectural styles (when done well) so that there is not a dull sameness to our neighborhoods.
House 3 – The owners of this English Tudor Revival house have kept original elements such as the wood casings around the windows
House 3 – I like that the owners of this English Tudor Revival house have kept many of the original elements, particularly the wood casings around the windows. The little brick entrance is sweet, though red brick would have looked better.
House 4 – Look closely and you can see that the first floor of this Spanish Colonial was clearly charming, with its three wide arches. But then that hideous second floor was added. It’s nothing more than an out-of-scale box with ridiculous details – including the pointed arch and beige balcony fence – that have nothing to do with the original design. This home has, alas, become nothing more than an example of misguided suburban subdivision shelter.
House 4 – The hideous second floor addition is nothing more than an out-of-scale box with ridiculous details