We close on our new house this week

[Hometechdoc]

Pete, Ralph, and Andy

Pete, Mellonthen (sp?) was one of the primary home builders in the San Fernando Valley in the mid 50' to mid 60's. His homes are widely spread throughout Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Woodland Hills, Northridge and Granada Hills.

This is actually a little larger then his usuaal house, althought this house has had two additions, the far right two bedrooms (the second gable) and the master bath and closet were added in the 60's and 70's, but they did a pretty good job of maintaining the character. From my observation and what others have told me, his characteristics were

- the birdhouses over the garage, which (I think) are purely decorative
- no foyer a knee wall and wooden columns seperate the entry from the living room
- open vaulted ceilings with pine rafters
- large bathrooms usually only one per bedroom wing
- seperate bedroom wings (two or three bedrooms on one end and a maids room and den on the other each wing with a full bath
- window boxes and diamoned paned windows and the gabled windows
- built in lined cabinets with folding shelves
- relatively small kitchens and seperate laundry rooms
- usually a wall oven and cooktop (usually electric ina predominatly gas market) His better houses had the Thermador eye brow oven and electric cooktop either the four burners in a row of the grill/griddle center
- knotty pine cabinets with a V-Groove. He must have had an option of raised panel cathedral arch pine cabinets.
- cedar shake roofs most of which have been replaced. My insurer said that if this house had cedar shakes, it would have doubled the insurance

Ralph
This house is in Northridge one block from Cal Stete Northridgg

Andy
There is a LaPerla in my garage right now. I will probably order the new 36" bottom mount for now, if I can find someone to make a side panel to match the cabinetry. Eventually, I would like to do a total Miele remodel, but finances will have to stabalize first. Of course there will be a coffees system, and laundry and floor care. What are you doing these days? Miele is opening a new showroom in Scottsdale and one of my friends will be opening it up. So if you are interested in relocating, let me know.

 

[cleanteamofny]

I wish you and your mate the best in your new home!
I just hope that the last owners didn't cut corners when they remodled causing you to complete what they didn't do in the first go round!
Have fun furnishing everyroom and smile when it is done....

I'm happy in my new home and well rested.
Don't forget, give yourselves time to put everything in place.
I'm not done yet, but slowly getting there!

 

[hydralique]

Mellenthin . . .

The spelling is Mellenthin, and the first name of the builder was William. Most of the Mellenthin characteristics were used by many builders in the '50s, but he was one of the largest in the San Fernando Valley. Such attention to detail is nice, and started to get lost in the '60s when mass-market homebuilders found it cheaper to go "Mediterranean" and replace all the exterior wood with bad stucco. The name of the original builder should be on the original permit; if there isn't a copy in your documentation the L.A. Dept. of Building and Safety will have one at the Van Nuys civic center complex.

Be glad you don't have the shake roof: it's now illegal to install one in the City of Los Angeles, and you can only replace a certain percentage each year (10% I think) as a part of regular maintenance. I had clients in Hancock Park with a lovely pre-war Tudor home who refused to give up their shake roof when it got bad. They ended out having a roofer replace the maximum amount each year, so they effectively get a new roof every decade or so.

Regarding guttering, it is pretty much required for a permit now, but wasn't in the past so not all older homes in L.A. have it. In the case of a house like this it obscures the exposed decorative rafter tails so one can trade off a couple of months of muddy ground for a whole year of a prettier house.

 

[dogboy44]

Best Wishes from Van Nuys

hey neighbor, that is a nice place! We have your house in various forms all over the neighborhood here, the have a good flow, comfortable, and most of all, well built. I bet you got a deal with what is going on. best,

 

[sudsman]

Beautiful place

Wish you many years of joy!