The story
Set into a verdant Laurel Canyon hillside with expansive northern and western views, this two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom single-family home is part of the acclaimed Wonderland project by the Los Angeles architectural firm Mutuo. The project brings contemporary Hollywood Hills living to a broader audience with flexible residences that are visually interconnected and share outdoor green spaces. Advancing the narrative of gentle density with layouts that provide privacy and connect neighbors, it earned the prestigious 2021 AIA California Residential Merit Award. Completed in 2019, this 1,474-square-foot, three-level residence draws inspiration from Laurel Canyon's surrounding historic row houses while looking optimistically to the future. Demonstrating the aesthetic versatility that typifies the studio's work, the house juxtaposes traditional details like Victorian scalloped shingles with contemporary board-formed concrete. Treating zoning requirements as creative prompts, the design uses required stepbacks to create a front-facing exterior terrace, plus a rooftop observation deck offering canyon sunsets and sweeping San Gabriel Mountains vistas. A shaded rear garden and a bridge to the adjoining hillside give residents multiple ways to inhabit the site throughout the day. Upon entry, the main level includes the primary bedroom suite with a walk-through closet and en-suite bath, a guest bedroom with its own dedicated bathroom, and a central laundry area. An open-tread staircase with a generous skylight provides comfortable, naturally lit circulation between floors. The main living spaces occupy the top level, with an ideal floor plan for entertaining that connects the dining area and outdoor terrace to an open kitchen appointed with custom walnut cabinetry and Bertazzoni and Liebherr appliances. The bottom level includes additional finished storage space and an oversized, flexible 684-SF garage footprint designed to accommodate and comply with a future ADU conversion (buyer to verify). This rare example of thoughtful new construction is located just up the street from the celebrated Wonderland Elementary School and less than a 15-minute drive from dining in West Hollywood, Hollywood, and Studio City. It offers a convenient pied-a-terre or a permanent residence with easy access to prime destinations in the city and the Valley.
