Craig Ellwood's Iconic Smith House Hits Brentwood Market

By Lisa Johnson Mandell, Realtor.com

If you’ve ever desired to live in an iconic work of art, now’s your chance! Home designer Craig Ellwood‘s Smith House, located in the Crestwood Hills neighborhood of Brentwood, just landed on the market for $1.7 million—a relatively small price to pay for an architectural masterpiece in Los Angeles.

The Mid-Century Modern glass house was built in 1958 on a hillside, with one wing jutting out over a canyon. At night, the lit-up home appears to observers to be floating over the canyon. To the inhabitants, it offers views of the jewel-like lights on what’s known as the “Queens Necklace” in Santa Monica Bay, all the way to Palos Verdes.

During the light of day, the home’s original details are on display—most of which have been left intact. It’s marked by austere interiors with lots of right angles, floor-to-ceiling walls of glass, and a an island fireplace with a brick wall in the living room. A little restoration might be in order to make the most of its two bedrooms and two baths. The house measures 1,550 square feet and sits on a 9,680-square-foot lot.

Just how special is this home? In 1960, Architectural Review wrote: “Periodically there comes to light a building that—whatever its other merits—seizes the attention by the way it exemplifies some aspect of modern architecture. Such a structure is the hillside house in California house by Craig Ellwood.”

There’s also intrigue in the designer of the home. The man known as Craig Ellwood was not born with that name, and he was never licensed as an architect. Jon Nelson Burke had set up a building firm in Los Angeles with his brother and two friends. Burke later officially changed his name to Craig Ellwood and went on to study structural engineering through UCLA extension night school, but he never got his official architect license.

Still, Ellwood’s vision, commitment to creativity, and ability to win commissions were never in doubt. His company employed licensed and trained architects to provide drawings, technical expertise, and the required authorized signoffs. Ellwood was also celebrated for designing Case Study homes and lecturing on architectural designs at some of the world’s most elite universities.

Commercial and residential buildings by Craig Ellwood Associates continued to be built until 1977, when Ellwood retired to Italy. His most prominent works include the master plan for the Rand Corp. headquarters in Santa Monica, and the Art Center College of Design trademark “bridge building” which spans an arroyo and a road below in Pasadena.

• For more photos and details, check out the full listing.