House tour: an architect overhauls his LA home with artistic style
By Bec Whish from Vogue
The verdant urban enclave of Los Feliz in Los Angeles is home to celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Kristen Stewart and Natalie Portman. Fitting, as the iconic Hollywood sign is easily spotted in the hills to the north. However, in an area full of mature trees and historic homes, one Los Feliz property is the original and arguably the best. Cummings Estate was built in 1895 by a department store owner and has recently had a jaw-dropping overhaul in the capable and artistic hands of architect and current owner, Chet Callahan.
The build took two years and four months, and was designed in collaboration with interior designer Ghislaine Viñas and landscaping firm Elysian Landscapes. “We wanted to create a space that at once paid homage to the history of the existing house and felt modern, bright, and open,” says Callahan. “Celebrating the past while nurturing the present was important to us.” Monumental 21st century forms, like the striking staircase, have been added to the ornamented handiwork of 19th and 20th century craftspeople.
Practical, joyful living was also a priority. Callahan shares the home with his partner,Jacinto, and two sporty young sons, Hernan and Noe. “We wanted to create a comfortable family home, prime for entertaining,” says Callahan.
The day they moved in the family christened the yard with a game of whiffle ball and guests began calling in shortly after—always gravitating towards the kitchen, Callahan’s favourite room in the house. "It's where the family gathers to cook meals and where friends mix cocktails," he says. "It's the centre of any party and the beginning of each day." With spectacular natural light around the clock, it can be opened up with sliding glass doors and windows to become a functional culinary stage.
Like any top architect, Callahan is a wizard with natural light. During the remodel a once-dark lower section of the house has its ceiling removed, creating a double-height library space flooded with sunshine. A small minstrels’ gallery (an internal balcony) was also taken out to make way for a four-story central atrium, which links all the interior spaces to share light and ventilation. Such exciting acts of demolition had an audience."My boys were four and six years old when we started construction," says Callahan. "I’d bring the kids to the job site to see spectacular equipment and daring feats—one day a crane lifted a nine-metre post over the 14-metre house and dropped it into a hole. That impressed the four-year-old."
The icing on the cake of this beautiful home is the art collection. Stunning pieces by Kehinde Wiley, Betty Saar, Derrick Adams, Jeffrey Gibson, Amoako Boafo, Mickalene Thomas, Woody DeOthello and the Haas Brothers grace the property. "We began our collection approximately 15 years ago when we were looking to expand our family through adoption," says Callahan. "We wanted our children to grow up seeing people around them of all skin tones, seeing people on the walls who look like them."