Sheats–Goldstein Residence

The Sheats–Goldstein Residence is a house designed by American architect John Lautner, in the Beverly Crest neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Designed and built between 1961 and 1963, Lautner used the sandstone ledge upon which the house was built as design inspiration for a cave-like dwelling, and used the hillside site to take advantage of the dramatic views of Benedict Canyon and Beverly Hills.^[1] The house exemplifies the tenets of Mid-Century Modern design and the American Organic Architecture ethos, deriving its form as an extension of its environment and of the individuals for whom it was built. Typical of Lautner's work, the design of the house and the finished structure were influenced and defined by addressing the challenges and constraints of the site.

Sheats–Goldstein Residence
General information
Type	House
Architectural style	Organic architecture
Location	Angelo View Drive, Los Angeles, California
Coordinates	34.0936°N 118.435°W / 34.0936; -118.435
Construction started	1963
Technical details
Structural system	Poured-in-place concrete
Floor area	4,500 sq ft (420 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	John Lautner

scale model

tennis

drinking glass skylight roof, Exterior view

kitchen

kitchen bar

couch

pool

pool seating

bedroom

view from bedroom, sliding glass

Club James

Club James

Club James

History

The house was originally built as a private residence for Helen Carolyn (née Johnson) Taylor Sheats (1910-1999),^[2][3] and Paul Henry Sheats (1907-1984) and their three children. Helen, an architectural designer and Neo-Fauvist painter,^[4][5][6] and Paul, Dean of University Extension and Professor in the UCLA Graduate School of Education,^[7][8][9] had previously commissioned Lautner for the 1948–1949 Sheats Apartments project located in Westwood adjacent to the University of California, Los Angeles.

In 1972, businessman James Goldstein purchased the residence from its third owners. The house needed substantial repair, the living room had no walls, and the heating system did not work properly.^[10] Goldstein commissioned Lautner to renovate the entire house with a series of upgrades and improvements, and for the following two decades, Goldstein and Lautner worked together "perfecting" the house until Lautner's death in 1994.^[11]

The Sheats–Goldstein Residence is one of John Lautner's most well-known and completely unspoiled works. Lautner designed the house, the interiors, windows, lighting, rugs, furniture, and operable features. The house is extensively detailed, and the range of the architect's work is visible throughout the different stages of the re-mastering. All of the home's furnishings contain design elements so the aesthetic of the forms enhance the house and become a function of the whole.^{[citation needed]}

The house was originally constructed with wood, steel, and poured-in-place concrete. The home has five bedrooms, four bathrooms and one half-bathroom (sink and toilet). Lautner took advantage of Southern California's temperate Mediterranean climate, and designed the living room to be completely open to the terrace, protected only by a forced-air curtain. Lautner's open-space design created a seamless transition between the home's interior and the exterior.

One of the home's most distinct features is the living room's coffered ceiling and its 750 drinking-glass skylights. The home is cooled with cross-ventilation, and the floors and pool are warmed with copper-pipe radiant heating. Exterior pathways lead to guest bedrooms and the master bedroom, and exterior features include a tennis court and night club.^{[citation needed]} The master bedroom and the studio have windows into the pool, originally designed so Helen Sheats could watch her children as she worked in her studio.^{[citation needed]}

The skyspace, titled Above Horizon, is an art installation designed by light artist James Turrell. Located on a steep slope below the residence, Above Horizon was built with the same construction materials as the home. James Goldstein originally conceived the art installation as a collaboration between John Lautner and James Turrell, but Lautner died before being able to work extensively on the project. Completed in 2004, the room features two folding carbon-fiber portals and a built-in concrete lounge for viewing thousands of hidden LEDs lighting the room every evening.^[12]

In 2016, James Goldstein entrusted the home and its surrounding estate to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) as a promised gift to the institution. The endowment includes the home's extensive art collection, original architectural models, and a 1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud which resides on the property. The collection is the first of its kind for LACMA and the endowment preserves the home's legacy, Lautner's work as an urban achievement, and its significance in Los Angeles architectural history.^[13]

In popular culture

The home has been featured in movies such as Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Big Lebowski, and Bandits, as well on television in Southland and in the adult videos,^[14] Captured Beauty (1995),^[14] Unleashed (1996)^[14] and Possessions (1997),^[14][15] by Andrew Blake, and "numerous" television advertisements.^[16] The home is also prominently featured during the first season of Snowfall on FX.^[17] In 2020 rapper Doja Cat filmed the music video for her song "Say So" from Hot Pink inside and on the patio of the home, and rapper Nelly shot the majority of his music video for his song "The Fix" featuring Jeremih at the location in 2015.^[18][19] The opening shot of R&B singer Tracie Spencer's music video for the song "It's All About You (Not About Me) was filmed at the residence.^[20] The residence appears throughout the music video for the song Grapevyne by the R&B group Brownstone.^{[citation needed]} Snoop Dogg and Pharrell's music video for the single 'Let's get blown' was also shot at location in 2005. The home is featured in the 2002 music video for "Forgive" by country artist Rebecca Lynn Howard. Actor Carel Struycken photographed the home's living room in his collection of spherical panoramas.^[21] In the Netflix 'Selling Sunset' reality show the home is featured in episodes 1 and 2 of Series 7 (2023), when Brett and Jason Oppenheim host a dinner for their real estate agents.The owner, James Goldstein, also makes an appearance.