Known most widely for her legendary work in theater and film, Oscar winner Diane Keaton has devoted considerable time over the years to pursuing her passion for architecture and design. She is actively involved in architectural preservation here in Los Angeles, and she’s been prolific in purchasing and restoring a number of homes, including the Spanish Colonial Revival at 820 N. Roxbury Drive (featured here in Architectural Digest).
In 2007, Keaton released her first design book “California Romantica,” which explored the whitewashed stucco walls and tile roofs of Mission-style homes. Now, her latest coffee-table top endeavor “House” is out, featuring a collection of reimagined and redefined living spaces designed by the likes of Annabelle Selldorf, Roy McMakin, Tom Kundig and other innovative designers.
For Keaton, homes have never been just four walls and a ceiling. “I think people should look at buildings with more of a human response to them, instead of just as these structures,” Keaton tells The New York Times. In “House,” Keaton exposes the reader to various architectural feats ranging from industrial structures and farm buildings to crumbling commercial lots and rusting hangers. Her deep interest in how we live, both past and present, is expressed in this book with a more contemporary spin.
“I was always very attached to old houses and buildings. But what’s been fun with this particular book is to see who’s working now and what they’re doing with modern structures,” reflects Keaton.
In over two hundred and fifty graphic pages, Keaton shares this captivation with us, showcasing architects who can take an old building and repurpose it into a world-class dwelling. What once stood as an afterthought is transformed into something new, something unexpected, and often, something entirely surprising.
Diane Keaton’s “House” can be purchased on Amazon here.
——————————————————–
Rudolph Schindler’s El Pueblo Ribera Court, listed by The Agency
El Pueblo Ribera Court in La Jolla California is one of only a few Schindler projects outside of the Los Angeles area (and one of only two beach projects existing). Expanding on his famous King’s Road house (in which both Schindler and Neutra lived together), Schindler cleverly utilized concrete poured in movable forms to create the now 6-unit Pueblo Ribera Court in La Jolla. Perched just above famous surf spot Windansea Beach, with ocean views and sounds of waves crashing, this concrete and redwood two-bedroom/two-bath (plus office/bedroom with bath) functional piece of art has been sensitively restored and enhanced.
