An early work by famed Southern California architect Richard Dorman is on the market for the second time ever. Considered state of the art when it debuted in the early 1950s, the 70-year-old View Park, CA, timepiece is ready for its next chapter.

The house recently hit the market for $1,850,000.

“In 1953, when this home came out, they called it the Home of Imagination because there were so many features,” says listing agent Ashley Novak, who holds the listing with Jonathan Schultz, of Compass.

Novak explains that Dorman’s thoughtful design remains resonant for homebuyers in 2023.

The sellers have had the place since 1967. The buyer will be the home’s third owner and should plan to make some updates.

“As a whole, it’s definitely a 70-year-old home and needs a revival; but if the right buyer comes in and does these changes, it’s going to be one of the coolest houses in Los Angeles,” Novak says.

The place seems pretty cool to us already, though.

The 3,375-square-foot dwelling still has many of its original touches, including birch kitchen cabinets, two wood-burning fireplaces, and a few fun surprises.

“One thing that I’ve never seen in any other house is in the family room,” Novak admits. “There’s what was a state-of-the-art entertainment center … that actually folds up into the wall. There’s also a dumbwaiter, and the brickette flooring when you enter the home is original as well.”

Three bedrooms are situated in one wing, and the living spaces are in the other wing. An enclosed atrium connects the areas, and a now-enclosed cantilevered space was once a balcony.

Many floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights bathe the dwelling in natural light.

“The front door is one of my favorite features of the home,” Novak says. “It’s on a slide, and it’s super cool. Originally, you would put a key into the key slot, and it would turn a motor and automatically open. The motor is still there; it just needs to be repaired.”

Another bedroom and a black-and-white bathroom are downstairs.

“The original design of the home was to have a pool in the yard, so the downstairs was originally supposed to be a game room and a pool house,” Novak explains.

But the pool plan never happened, so the current owners converted the space.

“They made that into an office and bedroom in a little studio area down there,” she says. “There’s not a kitchen, but it leads directly to the backyard.”

And if the new owner is keen on a pool, there’s plenty of room in the backyard for one, Novak says.

She notes that the home needs a bit of TLC, including a new roof and updated electrical systems.

“As for the floor plan, you’re not going to have to change anything about that—but just kind of refinishing things to get it up to today’s standards,” she adds.

Novak says several architects have shown an interest in the house because of its significance in their field

“It definitely needs some updates to it,” Novak says. “But if somebody who is a midcentury modern enthusiast goes in and does the right fixes, it can really be revived to its 1950s glory days.”

Ashley Novak and hold the listing.

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