Twin Peeks, Pt. 2: Life as an L.A. Modernist

Langford palm springs house credenza gallery wall — A period rosewood credenza is set against a wall of favorite artwork by family, friends and artists like Hans Burkhardt and George Condo. Gabriel of Pasadena dinnerware is displayed on the Room Service tulip-style marble table; the Possini Euro Design lamp is from Lamps Plus.

When it was time to leave their desert oasis (part 1), Chase and his partner wanted a full-time residence that was just as chic and stylish. Enter a midcentury home that is the envy of every LA modernist.

Their Mulholland full-time residence, which they bought in 1997, began life as a 900-square-foot, 1948 clapboard house that was remodeled in the ’60s to 2,100 square feet. The size of the living room doubled, and a dining room and master suite were added, along with a pool, patios and decks that overlook the Santa Monica mountains setting, a view beloved by many an LA modernist. This resulted in some quirky spaces, like a bedroom that was partially swallowed by a hallway.

langford palm springs house living room area rug — Chase Langford’s ‘Eastlake Totems’ hangs over the Floor Plan LA sofa in the living room of the condo, dressed with silk pillows from Uzbekistan and flanked by Bertha Shaefer walnut and travertine side tables. The tall leather Bovenkamp vintage chairs are Dutch, while the Lulu swivel chairs are new. A custom rosewood and glass coffee table, based on a vintage Norwegian original, sits on a wool rug from India, while the blue vintage table lamp is from Hedge.

“You walk in the front door and to the left are the public rooms, with the private spaces to the right; the bedroom proportions are a little odd,” admits Langford. “That suits us fine because we don’t have kids but do entertain a lot. Many of the midcentury architects did that, of course, labeling their bedrooms ‘chambers’ on their floor plans. They’d devote more space to the public rooms with the idea being the family had gathering spaces for social interaction.”

Langford palm springs house sitting room deck — Two vintage Selig Z chairs and a curved, reupholstered sofa pair up with walnut Dillon armchairs and a period coffee table from Lawson Fenning; the white bench was from Simplaform, since closed. The homeowners believe the hardwood floors date from the ’80s.

“And the indoor-outdoor vistas really connect with the public rooms,” Ziel adds. (The couple then debates if describing ‘sweeping panoramas as far as the San Jacintos in Palm Springs on clear days’ doesn’t sound far better than the more mundane ‘valley views of Encino and reflector panels at Universal Studios.’) “We often have dinner parties for eight or 10, but because of the wall of glass, you never feel [constrained] for space—it goes on and on.”

Langford palm springs house dining room — Langford painted ‘Atomic Klimt’ for the dining room expressly for the Atomic Ranch shoot. The rosewood table, Antica chairs and lobster ware bowls reflect the couple’s eclectic style and humor, while the Bisazza tile on the floor stands in for the original terrazzo once in this room. Previous owner Herschel Daugherty used the desk nook to make morning phone calls to the East Coast while he watched deer feed in the yard. The three-legged Andrea chair was designed by Josep Lluscà in 1990.

Of course, no LA modernist dream home would be complete without a credit roll of celebrity cameos—check back in for part 3 of this double feature to get the scoop!