For Sale: The Druckman Residence, R.M. Schindler (1941)
Open Sun 2-5pm
2764 Outpost Dr., Los Angeles CA 90068
4 BD | 2.5 BA | 1,662 SF | 6,917 SF Lot | Map
$2,975,000
The Druckman Residence, designed by Rudolph Schindler in 1941, is a distinguished example of modernist architecture, tacked into the secluded Outpost Estates of the Hollywood Hills. The original owners Dr. Jacob S. Druckman and wife Margaret asked the architect for a house with privacy and plenty of natural light. “They liked the site and they wanted to incorporate in their home the privacy obtainable by facing the rooms toward the rear, the woodsiness viewed through large windows, a slope, which would make the home seem like a one-story house from the street and when viewed back like a two-story construction.” Los Angeles Times, 1948.
The residence is accessed through a gate leading to a discreet garden, from the garage to the front entrance. Upon entry, visitors are greeted by an expansive, open-plan living and dining area, seamlessly connected to the kitchen, with a split-level transition to a powder room and guest bedroom. Descending a few steps, one enters a private suite of three bedrooms, along with additional den or office space, complete with built-in desk and access to the outdoors. Two newly designed bathrooms in pink and in blue harmonize with the color scheme of the house and the sage green wooden window frames.
The heart is its main living space, where a soaring, beamed ceiling emphasizes the spatial drama, and large windows along the southern façade flood the area with natural light, framing picturesque views of the surrounding hillside. Trapezoidal clerestory windows at either end follow the atypical post-and-beam structure of the roofline, creating an “informal feeling of the room” (LA Times 1948). Original built-in plywood cupboards functionally and visually separate the entrance from the dining area, preserving the open flow for both public and private use. A decorative fireplace anchors the living space, extending out to the flat yard with an exterior fireplace and creating a cohesive indoor-outdoor connection. A balcony adjoins the dining area, while the kitchen features a built-in nook, perfectly situated to take in the surrounding views through a large glass window.
The kitchen with marble countertops in light green and pink tones complement cabinetry in a similar light pink hue, outfitted with modern, high-end appliances. The residence is built into the hillside, the back of the house anchoring into the terrain, creating natural privacy that allows all rooms to open to an expansive garden and oval-shaped pool at the lower level, added in 1946. In 1964 an advertisement of the real estate company in the Los Angeles Times shows the house as a Richard Neutra designed residence and pool, which may or may not align with Neutra’s direct involvement.
“In fact, the whole house seems to be part of the landscape, fitting perfectly as it does into the contour of the lot. But Schindler planned it that way, designing the house in terms of its surroundings, the furniture in terms of the house, achieving a unified, balanced home” (LA Times 1948).
Schindler's original design has been preserved while incorporating modern amenities and refreshing the bathrooms in the spirit of the architect and his idea of a unified “Gesamtkunstwerk”. The updated spaces include two bathrooms, kitchen surfaces and appliances, refinished hardwood floors throughout, and new walk-in closet in the primary bedroom. Privacy and security have been enhanced with a newly installed gate and alarm system, while the landscaping has been rejuvenated with drought-tolerant California native plants. The renovation also includes new roof, upgraded plumbing and electrical systems, updated HVAC system, tankless water heater, and resurfaced pool with storage for the pool equipment.
Lilian Pfaff | Modern California House
