All Articles, Craig Ellwood, Mid-Century Modern Designers

Ten Interesting Projects by Craig Ellwood

The Hale House. This Modernist designed home was constructed in Beverly Hills, California in 1949. Located at 9618 Yoakum Drive, it was built using 4-inch “H” columns and 4 x 10 inch wood beams. These columns and wood beams connected to form the frame of the house. The house is raised on stilts, which allow for a carport to be included underneath. Also included in the building of the Hale House were glass panels, steel frames, and stud walls. These walls did not touch the roof deck or ceiling beams, so the house could appear open and welcoming with sunlight shining through.

The Daphne House. Based on Craig Ellwood’s Case Study House 16, this Hillsborough California home was built for the couple Nicholas and Virginia Daphne in 1961. The majority of the outside of the home is painted white with three stairs leading up to a long, rectangular covered porch and a front entrance with glass doors. The house is raised three feet off the ground and is built using a steel frame and tinted glass. The dining area and the kitchen combine into one room. Kitchen cabinets are built using wood and countertops are white. The dining table matches the wooden cabinets and white countertops with its own white surface and wooden support. A smooth ceiling with a rectangular fluorescent ceiling light and brass chandelier complete the kitchen. The floors for the kitchen and living room are designed using beige linoleum tiles. Looking out the glass panels that make up the walls in the living room is the swimming pool. This pool has white steel pergola beams several feet above it looking up towards the sky.

The Hunt House. Here is a house that was built in 1957 at the address of 24154 Malibu Road. Looking down on the beach shores in Malibu, this house is geometric in appearance with four square-shaped sections that are separate from one another. A glass door separates the two upper levels from one another. The side entrances also have glass doors that display as the ladders against the building lead up to it. Glass panels and balconies on the two lower levels of the home provide viewers with the beautiful scenery of the Pacific Ocean. The rec room includes a bar, complete with stools. Cabinets have been built using mahogany wood. Bedrooms feature bunk beds, beamed ceilings, and carpeted flooring.

The Kubly House. A leafy walkway with a black tubular rail on its left side and several wood stairs lead up to this rectangular Pasadena home built in 1964. Built using glass and timber, it has several front entrances in the form of glass sliding doors. It is slightly raised off the ground with several wooden posts in the front and back. A small patio with a wooden platform is located behind the home. The platform leads down to a large, rectangular swimming pool.

The Max Palevsky House. This home was built around the boulders hidden behind a group of hills in Palm Springs, California for the technology innovator and philanthropist Max Palevsky. Three white protective walls surround the pavilions that are located on West Cielo road. There is a tinted glass paned that includes a door for entry and some plants lined up on the concrete walkways that resemble the maze of a labyrinth that lead into the house. The flooring plan includes a combination of carpet and a basket weave styled tile. Many famous paintings by pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol decorate the walls inside. Glass panels comprise of the back walls leading out to the pool. The pool area is very large and open, allowing for sunlight and fresh air to absorb the atmosphere. A fence runs parallel to the poolside that is away from the house. This fence overlooks the desert landscape, making for a fantastic view. A small, guesthouse is located in the premises.

The Steinman House. Built in 1956, this rectangular Modernist Malibu home with open glass panel walls provides residents and guests with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. The patio has been created using a mixture of concrete, wood slats, and gravel for the ground. A covered carport and swimming pool are both a part of the outdoor layout. A cabana and spa have also been included for the pool area. Inside the cabana are a kitchen, dining area, and fireplace. The beamed ceilings are built using dark wood for the fixtures and lighter wood for the slats that cover the ceiling area.

The Rosen House. This square shaped house was created using steel frames and glass panels for walls. The front entrance runs into a dining room, with a kitchen and small bedroom towards the right. To the left is a study room with a bar and fireplace. The house has an open court in the center. The court contains a large plant that peeks out from an aerial view. Four bedrooms and two bathrooms are located on the opposite side of the entrance. On the left side of the house layout is a living room and on the right side is a family room. The family room leads out to a deck, which has a large platform located in between the steps. These steps create a path that leads to a swimming pool with a sheltered carport near the pool’s shallow end.

The Broughton House. Built in 1949, this Modernist home has a geometric design. The outer appearance is rectangular, with the roof being flat, and stilts holding up the main level. A carport is located underneath the house. Several stairways lead up to the home with a spiral staircase near the inner entry and a straight staircase on the far right. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms are a part of the 8,520 square foot home. The predominately glass panel designed home has a beamed ceiling that is painted white and wood flooring. Black granite tiles and grey granite countertops, as well as white cabinet designs decorate the kitchen.

The Moore House. Many plants and trees conceal this rectangular home, which has been constructed using glass panels and wood. Gardens, benches, and walking trails are scattered throughout the property. A rough stone walkway trails towards the front entrance of this three bedroom, two-bathroom home. The interior of the house includes glass windows that also serve as outer walls, and smooth wooden flooring. Walls that leave an opening in between the glass panels that protect the outside of the home separate rooms. The narrow kitchen has dark grey countertops and a whimsically decorated white wall.

The Charles and Gerry Bobertz Residence. Craig Ellwood designed this flat roof one-story home in 1953 for a young couple that were involved in academics. Construction was finished for the 5503 Dorothy Drive residence in 1955. From an aerial view, it has two rectangular sections that merge to form the whole house. From the rear view of the house, the glass panels that serve as the walls are visible. Posts that support the glass panel walls are coated in stained trim. One can see the back rooms, including the living room, rec room, and kitchen, from the outside. Walls have been created using plaster and tongue n’ groove redwood. Closets have been created with sliding doors using masonite and pegboards for the doors. The ceilings are beamed with a tongue and groove design. There is also a small patio in the backyard accompanied by a fountain.