Overlooking the city of Los Angeles, Sheats-Goldstein Residence by John Lautner and James Goldstein is an iconic and action packed home that ignites the idea that a residence is an expression of its owner. Built and designed to reflect James’s life and experiences, the house asserts a dominance over the landscape with its frameless glass walls, hidden wonders and angled corners and turns. After buying the residence in 1972, James sought the help of John Lautner to re-model the home after observing the previous owner’s undesirable changes to the original design. Part of James’s wish was to return the structure’s lost character through dramatic improvements. After John’s passing and having resided in the home for 45 years, James has continuously worked on adding to character of the iconic and action packed home, with respect to John’s original vision.

Opposed to building anything that resembled a box or came to a 90-degree angle, John Lautner designed the home with angular walls, built-in furniture and open plan floor spaces. Wanting the residence to feel natural, the use of concrete floors is used to help imbue the feeling of openness, while carpets used within the home are designed to look like small stones and deepen the natural impression. Additionally, the frameless glass wall that occupies the living room continues to unite the indoor and outdoor spaces and enables views of the tropical foliage and vegetation that surround the building.

Spanning across over 1.5 hectares of hillside, the home’s landscape is saturated with thick foliage and vegetation that holds hidden walkways, ponds and open grassy areas. Additionally, the unique character of the iconic and action packed home is further emphasised with the James Turrel skyscraper. Tucked into the lower hillside of the home, the building acts as a form of art, allowing for one to sit back and delve into the appreciation of light and shadow. Built after John’s passing, the skyscraper, office space and Club James – the nightclub underneath the house – were heavily influence by John’s initial work. Able to complete the work due to their long and shared history, James honoured both his own experiences and visions, and John’s somewhat rebellious design tactics through each new space.

Extremely proud of the finished design, James’s desire for the iconic and action packed home to remain unchanged after he is gone remains evident through each chosen material and design element. Wanting the public to share in what has been accomplished, James has entrusted the property to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to serve as an inspiration for good architecture, landscaping and overall design. Sheats-Goldstein Residence challenges the conservative belief of design, posing the argument that architecture and interiors are derived from an expression of oneself.

00:00 - Inside the Iconic and Action Packed Home
00:49 - A Reflection of Mentality and Personality
01:16 - A 1972 Purchase of Amazing Design and Views
02:14 - The First Step in the 45-year long Renovation Process
03:14 - No Separation between Inside and Outside
03:42 - John Lautner's Dislike of Box-like Forms
04:09 - A Focus on the Natural Elements
04:43 - The Addition of Tropical Vegetation
05:30 - A James Turrell Skyspace
06:05 - The Continuation of John Lautner's Legacy
06:45 - Two Rebels Working in Cohesion
07:21 - Preserving History and Hard Work

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Photography by Tom Ferguson.
Architecture by John Lautner, James Goldstein and Conner & Perry Architects.
Filmed and Edited by Cheer Squad Film Co.
Production by The Local Project.

The Local Project acknowledges the traditional territories and homelands of the Indigenous peoples in the United States. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.

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