Edward H. Fickett 1959 Home in The Colony Gets New Lease on Life

3043 Nichols Canyon Rd, 90046 - Architect, Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A., 1959 - $1,685,000

At the top of Nichols Canyon, you are enchanted by an enclave of custom tract homes built in the late 50s by architect, Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A.  The area is know as "The Colony" and features beautiful designs by the architect.  This week, 3043 Nichols Canyon Road went on to market as a pocket listing until open for the public just a day ago through the MLS.  The post and beam home built in 1959 was purchased in 2009 through foreclosure by a couple who saw the potential through years of neglect and lack of upkeep.  The current owners, not only restored the original vision of the architect, but have brought soul back into this home.  I applaud the sellers for their efforts and success in bringing this Fickett design back to life.  I include remarks made about living in the home through a letter written to Joycie Fickett from prior residents, at the bottom of this article.  The mid-century modern pool home is being listed for a modest $1,685,000. 

With a low-slung gable roof line made up of tongue and groove covering the spacious interior of 2,265 square feet including 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, this modern home features Fickett trademark design while bringing the outdoors in through clerestory windows, walls of glass and sliding doors that lead to a lush landscape and a pool, high up in the hills.  He would also use partial walls to allow light to transfer throughout a home, as he did here. Through a private mezzanine, you are greeted by a turquoise-painted front door, which opens into a light-filled entry with skylight above.  Turquoise was one of Fickett's favorite colors and used for many architectural accents of his homes including front doors and trellises.  The original linoleum flooring has been lifted to expose the concrete slab flooring which is now stained and sealed.  You can see Fickett's use of his partial glass walls allowing light to pass while providing privacy with beaded glass panels.

Fickett teamed with builder Lee Lauger to create a handful of models for this modern tract of homes built in 1957 through 1959, now known as "The Colony".  The living room features a brick-faced fireplace with a window above the mantel.  Fickett's often used round chimney is also exemplified in this home.  The round chimney is very synonomous with his work and creations in the 1950s. 

As you can see here, the living room is large enough for two seating areas.  The deep eave of the roof helps interior solar gain while transmitting natural light through its walls of glass, clerestory windows and sliding doors.

The dining area is large with convenient access to the kitchen.  Views of the outdoor garden, planters and pool can be enjoyed while having a meal. 

The kitchen has been completely remodeled with today's modern conveniences and appliances.  The owners chose marble as the resource for the counter tops and also provide new cabinetry with plenty of storage.  They also opened up the wall between the dining area and the kitchen to provide a continuous flow of the floor plan.  There is also a breakfast area on the opposite side of the dining area.  The original frosted lighting orbs hang from the ceiling.

The sleeping quarters feature new carpeting, walls of glass and plenty of closet areas. Fickett always provided for storage and closet space, which many homeowners appreciated.

The bathrooms have all received an update.  The below master bath seems to feature new tile from Heath Ceramics, but don't quote me as I am not 100% sure.  I like how the owners decided to keep the wall heater intact providing a retro feeling as well as a practicality. 

The tasteful selections the owners made with choosing new finishes for the bathrooms are apparent: clean and simple.  Nothing is overdone with this renovation.  The owners opted to keep the intended simplicity of the original design.  Kudos!

Fickett would often times design homes with a "mother-in-law" suite or separate cabana, as he himself, at times, lived with his "mother-in-law".   3043 Nichols Canyon would also provide for a "mother-in-law" suite.

The home is sited on a 8,670 square foot flat lot and with no rear neighbors!  There are many garden areas for seating and dining.  The large pool is equipped with a spa while surrounded by lush greenery and the tranquility of nature.

Decks, side yards and a fire pit allow for a family to sprawl while enjoying the privacy and safety of this home.

As you know, I am close with Joycie Fickett, the widow of Edward H. Fickett.  She has shared a letter written by a prior occupant who had rented the home in the late 80s and through the 90s.  I'd like to quote a few sentences written in that letter describing the experience of living in this Fickett house:

"I will always remember the first night we spent there.  Lying in bed, looking through a wall of glass at the eucalyptus tree and the tropical plants in the garden, was like going to sleep in a forest.  The rest of the house was equally amazing.  It felt like we were living in a huge wooden tent, with windows everywhere open to the garden.  The walls were kept to a minimum to ensure basic privacy without destroying the feel of the house.  Clever little touches like the frosted glass 'light traps' in the bathrooms seemed to catch the sunlight and give plenty of illumination throughout the the day.  The kitchen was another treasure trove of little touches: beautiful frosted glass lights hung from the ceilings like suns, and a huge window in the dining area made every night feel like an outdoor picnic.  Unlike all the modernist houses we had visited, this one felt immediately like home."   --- Laura Buller, Resident 1988-1999

Below are photos of the home at the time of foreclosure and prior to the current owners renovation.  I always hate to see Fickett homes in distress. 

If you would like a private showing of this beautiful example of master architect Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A, please contact me to set up a convenient time to tour this home.  Also, if you currently own a home designed by Fickett, please contact me if thinking of selling your home.  I am the only Realtor® who is endorsed by Joycie Fickett and has access to Fickett's personal archives.  There is no one better to sell a Fickett home!

This home will be open to the public Sunday, August 17, 2014 from 2-5pm for an open house.  If in the area, be sure not to miss this one.  If interested in more of Fickett's work, be sure to search my blog for other articles written by using the "Search This Blog" button above.  There are many of his homes and work cataloged. 

Listing and photos courtesy of MLS and Stephen Parisi - DPP

Landmark Edward H. Fickett designed "Jacobson House" No. 2 On Market

4250 Dundee Dr, Los Feliz - "Jacobson House" No.2, architect Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A., 1966 - $3,300,000

George and Miriam Jacobson were fans of the work by architect, Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A.  So much so, they had him design two houses in Los Angeles.  After the doctor and his wife commissioned a house in 1947 by architect, John Lautner in the Hollywood Hills, a home they never move into due to the dirt road and less desirable access, they came to Fickett in 1953 to design their first home with the architect in the Silver Lake area in 1953, "Jacobson House" No. 1. The ranch-style home for their family also accommodated a doctor's office within the home.  After their two boys have grown, they decided to have Fickett design "Jacobson House" No. 2 in 1966 in the hills of Los Feliz.  With this house, like all of his work, he brings the outdoors in.

The entrance of the two-story post and beam design, located at 4520 Dundee Dr, is accessed from the driveway and down a staircase to the entryway.  Fickett, always the design master, created custom lighting for the home, including the outdoor entry sconces seen below. 

With this post and beam design, Fickett utilized local resources, such as brick, redwood and glass for the exterior.  His attention for detail never escaped the architect, as seen with his exterior brick wall that extends through the house, with its irregular finish at the ends, more of a saw tooth or jagged edged approach.  

Once you enter the tall double doors of the entry and into the two-story home, you immediately are taken aback by the light-filled home with walls of glass, clerestory windows and transom windows above the brick wall.  The partial wall that you are greeted by separates the entry from the dining room, just behind it.

The living room features exposed beams that support the gabled ceiling with clerestory and transom windows that seem to elevate the soul and creating the illusion the ceiling is floating.  Two sides of the room feature walls of glass and sliding doors that lead to the upper deck, which overlooks the outside pool area in the back of the house.  On the opposite side of the room, Fickett uses rosewood paneling for hidden storage and shelving areas.  The living room also provides a fireplace faced with brick. 

The dining area sits just off of the living room and also has sliding doors that lead to the upper deck, which overlooks the Los Angeles basin and the pool area.  The original custom lights by Fickett still hang above the dining table.

From the dining area, you can access the eat-in kitchen featuring rosewood cabinetry and plenty of windows to take in the natural light.  The open kitchen includes vintage appliances and Fickett's custom lighting.  His lighting is mounted on the tongue and groove ceilings.  Through the sliding glass doors, you can step out to the side deck.

 The upstairs powder room has been tastefully updated.

Just behind the rosewood paneled walls of the living room is the wet bar area, perfect for the entertainer.  This is also where we find the atrium with skylight and stairs that lead to the sleeping quarters on the first floor.  This hall also leads to the upper office/study area of the home.  The skylight has been upgraded and is now mechanical allowing to open and close through a remote system.  On the day I visited the house, the skylight was partially open.  You can see this in the photo above featuring the roof.

Here in the office/study, Fickett features the extension of the brick wall through the office and out to the garden area through the sliding glass doors.  This light-filled room is the perfect setting for watching television or gathering for a game of bridge.  More custom lighting by Fickett is featured in the office/study. 

Fickett was a fan of skylights and wrote about the value they provide, as they allow for indoor planters, which bring the outdoors in, as well as providing plenty of natural light.  Here, in the "Jacobson House" No. 2, it truly is a show-stopper.  Hanging above the custom-designed open stringer staircase of more custom lighting fixtures Fickett created.  Below, the planter is perfect for the tropical garden.  As a master architect, there was never a detail missed with his work, whether a custom home or one of the thousands of his merchant builder tract homes.  Here we see detail of the cement floor of the atrium with pebbles dropped into the wet cement to provide a contiguous and natural design flow from the pebble-covered stairs to the smooth cement flooring. 

The master suite is something else.  The spacious bedroom features a brick-faced fireplace to warm you on those chilly evenings in the hills as well as walls of glass that take you outdoors to the pool area and backyard entertainment area.  

What is also impressive about the master suite is the master bathroom and dressing area.  Full of natural light through the atrium, the dressing area is serene, as well as practical. 

The bathroom area has been updated with Caesarstone counter tops and small hexagon-shaped floor tiles, in keeping with Fickett's original design.  Fickett always loved the sunken tub.  Many of his homes included them.  The "Jacobson House" No. 2 also featured one in the master bathroom. 

Down the hallway of the lower level, two additional bedrooms are found with walls of glass and sliding doors that lead to the backyard and pool area. 

The second bathroom which facilitates the two bedrooms has also been updated tastefully. 

Now, to the outdoors and the pool area.  Take in the views of Los Angeles while entertaining on the wood deck.  The pool has recently been resurfaced and the entertainment area revamped.  This is an entertainer's dream area. 

Under the two-car garage is a guest suite with concrete floors and wood-paneled walls.  There is a small counter with sink.

It is no wonder why Fickett's "Jacobson House" No. 2 is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.  It received HCM status in the year 2000 and is the first contemporary modern to have received the honor and notation.  HCM No. 674 is certainly a showcase home which Fickett took pride in designing for his friends and clients, George and Miriam Jacobson.  This amazing mid-century modern 3 bedroom and 3 bathroom home is being offered for $3,300,000.

Photo by Alan Weintraub, "Forgotten Modern California Houses 1940-1970"

If you are an owner of a home designed by Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A. and thinking of listing it, please contact me to speak to you about my references and knowledge of the architect to maximize marketing strategy. 

Map to "Jacobson House" No.2, HCM No. 674, - Architect, Edward H. Fickett, F.A.I.A., 1966

Listing and some photos courtesy of the MLS and Patricia Ruben, Sotheby's