$2,099,999

First Offering. John Lautner, FAIA, Architect The Rosemary and Joseph Baldwin Residence, 1955. An original, intact work by one of the 20th century's most inventive architects, offered for the first time in seventy-one years. After six years as a Taliesin Fellow under Frank Lloyd Wright, Lautner settled in… Read More Los Angeles in 1939 and went on to create such landmarks as the Chemosphere, the Sheats-Goldstein Residence, and the Elrod House. Their bold structure and embrace of landscape redefined California modernism. The Baldwin Residence marks a pivotal moment in that career: its siting, spatial progression, and detail recall Wright, even as they reveal Lautner's own emerging voice. Designed for commercial artist Joseph Baldwin and his wife, Rosemary, the house occupies a tree-filled lot on coveted Micheltorena Street, also home to Lautner's celebrated Silvertop, with views to the Hollywood Hills and the San Gabriel Mountains. A subtle, winding entrance descends to a carport tucked below the house, preserving privacy and turning arrival into a gradual reveal. Where most hillside homes rest on heavy bracing, Lautner balanced his on slender posts anchored by shear walls, so it seems to float above the slope. Brick and redwood plank siding, meanwhile, settle it naturally into its wooded setting. Inside, skylights wash the entry foyer in daylight. Terrazzo flows from the entry through the kitchen and out to the art garden, joining interior and exterior in one seamless surface. Beyond is the family room, the heart of the home, rising beneath a dramatic inverted-pyramid ceiling. Triangular clerestory windows echo its geometry and draw light deep into the space. Floor-to-ceiling glass meets at a mitered corner, opening the room to the treetops and leading out to a wraparound deck suspended over the slope. A brick fireplace grounds the room; behind it, an artist's studio bathed in north light was conceived for Joseph Baldwin's work. A parquet-floored corridor leads to three bedrooms and two baths, set apart from the main living space to balance open, shared living with quiet privacy. Each bedroom retains its original built-ins, designed as part of the architecture itself and a hallmark of Lautner's belief that structure and furnishings are one. An authentic piece of Los Angeles architectural history and a rare stewardship opportunity that may not come again. Photography by Cameron Carothers. Read Less

Courtesy of Modern California House 562-673-3550

Listing Snapshot

Days Online

Last Updated

Oct 26, 2026

Property Type

Single Family Residence

Beds

Full Baths

Square Ft.

1,679

Lot Size

0.17 Acres

Year Built

1955

MLS Number

26103283

Additional Details

Appliances & Equipment

Built-In Gas, Built-Ins, Oven-Gas, Warmer Oven Drawer, Antenna, Built-Ins, Cable, Dishwasher, Washer, Dryer, Freezer, Garbage Disposal, Range/Oven, Refrigerator

Building

1,679 sq ft, Built in 1955, Levels: One Level, Detached/No Common Walls, Architectural

Cooling

None

Disclosures

None

Fireplaces

Family Room, Wood Burning

Floors

Terrazzo, Wood, Carpet

Garage

Carport, Driveway

Heating

Central

Kitchen

Laminate Counters, Pantry, Open to Family Room

Laundry

Inside

Lot

LotAcreage: 0.172, LotSizeArea: 7,493

Parking

TotalParking: 2

Pool

None

Property

OtherStructures: None, PropertySubType: Single Family Residence, ViewDescription: Landmark, Mountains, Tree Top, City Lights, ViewYN: t, Zoning: LAR1

Roof

Flat

Spa

None

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1949 W Micheltorena St

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