Open House Event: They Gave Their "Grey Gardens" Craftsman a Grand Reinvention
Our in-person L.A. home tour series features architect Chet Callahan’s century-old Los Feliz estate, which playfully merges old and new.
Our in-person L.A. home tour series features architect Chet Callahan’s century-old Los Feliz estate, which playfully merges old and new.
Dwell’s Open House: Los Angeles event offers a rare opportunity to step inside three architecturally amazing homes on the east side. Read on for a peek at one of the projects our ticket holders are touring—and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about other upcoming Open House events.
When architect Chet Callahan first set eyes on his future family home, he had to squint to see its potential. "When we bought the house, it had a little bit of a Grey Gardens vibe," says Chet, who leads his own boutique design studio with projects in Los Angeles and beyond. Deferred maintenance and overgrown plants had left the early 20th-century estate in a historic, gated Los Feliz community feeling shabby and broken down, but Chet was undeterred. "I could see that there was this grand lady underneath the crumbling facade, but she was tired, and she needed a facelift," he says.
Originally constructed sometime between 1895 and 1905, the Los Feliz home was built by W.E. Cummings, a transplant from Kansas City who opened a boot shop in Los Angeles that eventually grew to become a department store.
Photo: Joyce Kim
Architect Chet Callahan updated the home for himself and his young family. "I don’t think there were many bidders on the home, because other people didn't see the potential," says Chet.
Photo: Joyce Kim
The home had fallen into disrepair, but Chet knew he could make it work for his family—which includes his husband, Jacinto, and their two sons, Hernan and Noe—and the community events they had grown to love hosting.
The house is surrounded by mature plants and gardens. "I love living in Los Feliz because it’s in the middle of urban Los Angeles, but you also have all these mature trees and greenery, so it feels like a park in the middle of the city," says Chet.
Photo: Joyce Kim
See the full story on Dwell.com: Open House Event: They Gave Their "Grey Gardens" Craftsman a Grand Reinvention
