A Pair of Ray Kappe-Designed Midcentury Condos Are Up for Grabs in Los Angeles
Back in the late 1990s, brothers and musicians Eldon and Jeff Daetweiler joined together to form the swing-revival band Alien Fashion Show and were subsequently signed to the Surfdog/Hollywood Records label after being invited to perform as an opening act for a Brian Setzer tour. As their fame began to rise, Jeff bought a condo in a midcentury Los Angeles building designed by noted SoCal architect and educator Ray Kappe that soon became a home base for countless cocktail parties and after-show parties.
By the early 2000s, as the swing genre’s popularity waned and their record deal came to an end, the siblings moved away from L.A. and purchased homes in the California city of Fresno. They later sold those properties, with Jeff moving back into and renovating the unit he had previously picked up and Eldon buying and updating another place in the same curvaceous green-hued Universal Condos complex at 3625 Fredonia Drive.
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Now, five years later, the Daetweilers have decided to let go of both those Hollywood Hills hot spots and have simultaneously hoisted the rarely offered units back on the market with a total asking price of $1.9 million, or separately at $949,000 a piece. The listing is shared by musician-turned-real estate broker Eldon Daetweiler and William Baker of The Agency.
The architectural gems were acquired by the brothers in two separate deals. Jeff purchased Unit No. 12 in spring 1996 for a mere $125,000, while Eldon went on to acquire No. 10 in winter 2019 for $710,000. Sited one door apart, the apartments are both convenient to building amenities encompassing a kidney-shaped pool and assigned carport parking for one vehicle.
Distinct yet complementary, each dwelling contains two bedrooms and two bathrooms in a little more than 1,250 square feet of two-level living space rife with a mix of terrazzo and cork floors, restored wood surfaces, nine-foot ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling walls of glass. In keeping with the architect’s original design, there’s also era-appropriate shag carpeting.
Other highlights in each unit include a garden patio entryway, a spacious living room that flows out onto a lower patio, a “secret” half-bath, a wet bar, and an elevated dining area and adjacent kitchen with a combination of newer and vintage appliances along with access to an enclosed barbecue area. In each, the primary suite features glass sliders opening to a private patio and a spacious closet and the main bath has an integrated tub/shower, while an upstairs loft-style bedroom offers picturesque city lights and hillside views and doubles as an ideal environ for creating, working, sleeping, or lounging.
An added bonus: The historic structure, resting south of Ventura Boulevard in the Cahuenga Pass, is just a short jaunt away from Studio City, Universal Studios, and the Hollywood Bowl.
Kappe, who passed away in 2019 at age 92, designed numerous multi-family, prefab, educational, public, industrial, and commercial buildings, as well as 100 custom residences, during his lengthy career. He also founded the Southern California Institute for Architecture (SCI-Arc), which is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top architecture schools.
Click here for more photos of the Hollywood Hills condos.
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